SR 47 is generally traversed only in part; the two termini are in fact only about eight miles (13 km) distant from each other, and are impracticable as a route from end-to-end, as the distance the highway runs is over twice this long.

In the Dickson city limits, it is known as East Walnut Street.

Outside of Dickson, the road runs east through the communities of Colesburg and Burns.

From Burns it runs east past the southern entrance to Montgomery Bell State Park in the Bakersworks community and then onto an intersection with U.S. Route 70 in western White Bluff.

At this point the highway is overlain by US 70 for approximately one mile (1.6 km); it then turns north as a primary highway to Charlotte, where it terminates just south of the downtown area with another intersection with State Route 48.