The 81.35 miles (130.92 km) long state highway traverses Blount, Sevier, a small portion of Jefferson, Cocke, and Greene Counties.

SR 35 goes southeast as a 4-lane divided highway known as S Hall Road, where it passes through some residential areas before entering a major business district, where it downgrades to an undivided 4-lane, before crossing a bridge into downtown Maryville.

US 411/SR 35 enter Seymour, where they pass through a couple of neighborhoods before coming to an intersection with US 441 (Chapman Highway/SR 71) and SR 338 (Boyds Creek Highway), where US 411/SR 35 turn right to begin a wrong-way concurrency with US 441/SR 71.

Chapman Highway continues east through rural areas before entering Sevierville, where it narrows to an undivided highway to pass through residential and commercial areas before crossing a bridge over the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River to enter downtown and come to an intersection with SR 66 (Winfield Dunn Parkway), where US 441/SR 71 splits off and goes south along Forks of the River Parkway.

They then pass through residential areas before leaving Newport and crossing a bridge over the French Broad River.

They continue northeast through the farmland of Greene County for several miles before having an intersection with SR 349 (Warrensburg Road) and entering Greeneville.