Known as Old Buckingham Road, the state highway runs 24.08 miles (38.75 km) from U.S. Route 60 and SR 45 in Cumberland east to US 60 in Plain View.

Two years later, SR 13 was assigned to Old Buckingham Road when US 60 was moved to its present alignment from Cumberland to east of Powhatan.

The state highway heads southeast as a two-lane undivided road and crosses the Cumberland–Powhatan county line.

At the hamlet of Macon, the state highway veers north, then turns east at an intersection with SR 1002 (Emmanuel Church Road).

At the county courthouse, the state highway meets the southern end of SR 300, which provides another connection to US 60.

SR 13 passes through Worshams before reaching its eastern terminus at US 60 (James Anderson Highway) at Plain View.