The state highway enters the town of Stuart by crossing the South Fork Mayo River.

Northwest of the town, SR 8 joins US 58 (Jeb Stuart Highway) north through a narrow creek valley to Cruzes Store.

East of Rocky Knob, the namesake of an American Viticultural Area, SR 8 curvaceously ascends Blue Ridge Mountain to the Eastern Continental Divide at Tuggle Gap.

At the gap, the state highway enters Floyd County and has an interchange with the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The state highway enters the town of Christiansburg at its diamond interchange with Interstate 81.

The route is a former alignment of SR 8 in downtown Stuart along Patrick Avenue and Blue Ridge Street (the latter of which is part of US 58 Bus.).

The highway was designated after 2011 when a new alignment of SR 8 was constructed allowing the bypass of downtown Stuart especially by heavy truck traffic.

[9] The route begins at a signalized intersection with Salem Highway (SR 8) in a small commercial area immediately north of the South Mayo River.