The highway cuts through the heart of Monument Valley and has been featured in numerous movies and commercials.

The road continues to the south of this junction as Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Route 591.

[6] The Utah portion of the highway begins in Monument Valley, in San Juan County.

From Mexican Hat, the highway travels east crossing the Comb Ridge toward its terminus in Bluff.

[11] While Monument Valley and US 163 have been featured in numerous western movies, a specific view area near Utah mile marker 13 has recently been given the nickname Forrest Gump hill, as a location from the movie Forrest Gump.

It has become common for fans of the film to re-create the scene where the title character ends a cross country jogging along this point on US 163.

[17] The state of Utah signed a joint intent with the Navajo Nation and San Juan County in 1986 to construct a new highway to connect Bluff with Montezuma Creek.

Businesses in Monument Valley asked the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) to request extensions of US 163 and US 666 using this new road.

[18] UDOT did not pursue the extension of US 163, even though the Utah state legislature had approved the new road from Bluff to Montezuma creek as route 163.

[17][19] In October 2008, UDOT requested and obtained approval to truncate US 163 to the junction with US 191 resolving the discrepancy.