It runs primarily south–north through rural areas of the state, via towns and cities such as Coleman, Albany, and Seymour, before crossing the Red River into Oklahoma north of Vernon.

At a length of 150 miles (241 km), US 283 in Texas is relatively short compared to other U.S. highways that travel the state.

[3] US 283 maintains its rural route before entering the town of Santa Anna, beginning an overlap with US 84.

[5] US 283 returns to a rural route once again and intersects State Highway 36 (SH 36) in southern Callahan County.

[1] Its southern terminus was originally near Brownwood in the vicinity of the present-day city of Early, which would be incorporated in 1951.

[1] The segment of present-day US 283 between Albany and Throckmorton had been designated as part of the Southwest Trail, connecting Laredo to the Oklahoma state line near Burkburnett, in 1917.

[31] In 1951, the US 183 and US 283 designations were switched south of Albany, in anticipation of an extension of US 183 to Corpus Christi, and also to reduce the overlap in the two routes.

[48][49] The combined business route begins just south of the Seymour city limits at an interchange with the US 183/US 277/US 283 freeway bypass.

Westbound SH 114 runs concurrently with the business route until they reach US 82 (California Street).

The business routes and eastbound US 82 run concurrently to the north, curving to the northeast at an intersection with RM Spur 1919, before meeting mainline RM 1919. Business US 183/US 277/US 283 end at another interchange with the US 183/US 277/US 283 bypass northeast of the city, with eastbound US 82 joining the other three routes toward Mabelle.