The route passes through the city of El Paso as well as suburban and rural farming communities along the Rio Grande.

The route has connections to every international border crossing[2] with Mexico in the El Paso area and has important intersections with US 54, US 62, US 85, and US 180.

The current route predates the Texas highway system having been a portion of several historic auto trails.

The route proceeds south through Anthony along Main Street passing Federal Correctional Institution, La Tuna.

Further south, SH 20 turns off of Doniphan Drive and onto Mesa Street and soon after crosses the I-10 freeway which also carries US 85 and US 180 at this point.

[13] In central El Paso, the route crosses I-10 and US 180 again and then soon after turns northeast on Texas Avenue where the route crosses Santa Fe and Stanton Streets leading to the Paso del Norte International Bridge and Good Neighbor International Bridge to Ciudad Juárez.

In Fabens, where SH 20 is known as Main Street, the route crosses FM 76 which leads toward the Fabens-Caseta International Bridge.