VT 103 is a major arterial road for Vermont, being the most direct path from Boston and southeastern New England to Rutland and the Green Mountains ski areas and attractions.

Numerous proposals to widen 103 into a two-lane freeway or similar limited-access roadway have failed, even though a substantial power company right of way shadows the road for much of its length.

[citation needed] VT 103 begins at U.S. Route 5 in Rockingham just east of Interstate 91 and just north of Bellows Falls.

Just north of Chester, VT 103 passes through Stone Village, an area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Across the county line in Mount Holly, VT 103 passes within a few miles of the Crowley Cheese factory as it heads into the Shrewsbury village of Cuttingsville with even more variations in road quality.