It is the first avenue encountered by passengers getting out of Kyoto Station to the north, and the section between Kawaramachi-dori Street and Horikawa-dori Street is busy with many buses arriving at and departing from the Karasuma-guchi gateway, Kyoto Station.
京都駅を北に降りてまず目に入る大通りであり、河原町通から堀川通までは京都駅烏丸口に発着するバス(交通機関)の往来が激しい。