Victoria Road commences at the intersection of O'Connell Street in Parramatta and heads east as a four-lane dual-carriageway road, passing over an interchange with James Ruse Drive in eastern Parramatta, under an interchange with Silverwater Road in Ermington, over another interchange with Devlin Street in Ryde, through Gladesville and Drummoyne, and terminating at a modified intersection with City West Link and Western Distributor at Rozelle.

A large number of Busways and Transit Systems bus routes travel along Victoria Road, and during peak hours much of the road includes a dedicated bus lane.

In 2011 the road was named as one of the most congested road in Sydney with an average travel speed of 24 kilometres per hour (15 mph) during the morning peak period and 31 kilometres per hour (19 mph) in the afternoon peak.

[10] The route was allocated State Route 40 in 1974 between Church Street in Parramatta and Rozelle (continuing north along Church Street and Windsor Road via Windsor eventually to Lithgow, and continuing east over Glebe Island Bridge to Pyrmont).

The western end of State Route 40 was truncated to James Ruse Drive in North Parramatta in 2007 (and continuing north along James Ruse Drive and Old Windsor Road to Windsor instead).