SR 817 begins when Northwest 27th Avenue splits from its concurrency with State Road 9 in Opa-locka, and heads north, while SR 9 heads northeast towards the Golden Glades Interchange. The road passes through several neighborhoods, and has with two major intersections with the Palmetto Expressway and Miami Gardens Drive in Opa-locka and Miami Gardens, respectively. North of Miami Gardens Drive, SR 817 heads into one of the most congested zones in Miami Gardens, which includes access to Hard Rock Stadium, Calder Casino and Race Course, and an interchange with State Road 852 and the Turnpike that straddles the county line between Miami-Dade and Broward.