The state highway runs 61.71 miles (99.31 km) from U.S. Route 23 Business (US 23 Business) in Pound east to the West Virginia state line in Paynesville, where the highway continues as West Virginia Route 83 (WV 83).

SR 83 summits Hill Ridge at Bearpen Gap before descending to the hamlet of Fremont, where the highway crosses over CSX's Kingsport Subdivision and the McClure River and intersects SR 63 (Dante Mountain Road).

At the north end of the town, the two state highways diverge for separate routes to Haysi.

Near the source of Slate Creek, SR 83 veers north and ascends to the top of State Line Ridge, where the highway reaches its eastern terminus at the West Virginia state line in Paynesville.

The road continues as WV 83, which parallels the state line through the West Virginia section of Paynesville before descending from the ridge to Bradshaw.