The highway runs northeast, past the Perry Stokes Airport and crossing the Purgatoire River.

It then continues the rest of its length along a route chosen by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and close to the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail.

The highway passes just northeast of the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, then crosses Comanche National Grassland before a junction with SH 71 going north.

[2] At La Junta, the highway turns east on 5th Street, then north on Barnes Avenue before ending at a junction with US 50.

Prior to the creation of I-25, the road terminated at US 85 and US 87.