SR 179 begins at Onancock Wharf in the town of Onancock, where the historic Hopkins and Brother Store is located. The road curves back to the east as SR 1023 (King Street) at the head of the peninsula between the North and Central branches of Onancock Creek on which the town is centered.
SR 179 continues east to the town of Onley, on the edge of which the highway intersects US 13 (Lankford Highway). The state highway curves south as Main Street to its southern terminus at US 13 Business (Coastal Boulevard) in the center of Onley.