From the western terminus at State Highway 203 along the Texas border, the highway travels due east for and intersects with SH-30 between Madge and Vinson. SH-9 continues east for without intersecting another highway until meeting US-283 and SH-34 north of Mangum. The highway overlaps the other two routes for , going north, before splitting off and heading east again through Granite and Lone Wolf. East of Lone Wolf, the highway forms a concurrency with SH-44. Near Hobart, SH-9 overlaps US-183 for (again going northward) before splitting off again.