MD 147 begins at an intersection with US 1 and US 40 Truck (North Avenue) in Baltimore. The south leg of the intersection is
one-way northbound Harford Avenue; southbound Harford Avenue toward
Downtown Baltimore is accessed via southbound Aisquith a few blocks to the west. MD 147 heads northeast from US 1 as a five-lane undivided road (three lanes northbound and two lanes southbound) that crosses over
CSX's
Baltimore Terminal Subdivision railroad line. Upon crossing 25th Street, the state highway widens to a six-lane
divided street, passing west of
Achievement Academy at Harbor City High School and along the western edge of
Clifton Park. As it does so, it meets the southern ends of
MD 542 (The Alameda) and
MD 41 (Hillen Road). Within the
Mayfield neighborhood, MD 147 narrows to four lanes undivided and passes by Lake Montebello and through Herring Run Park, where the highway crosses the namesake stream. Beyond Argonne/Parkside Drive, the state highway dualizes once again and gains a northbound parking lane, with one southbound lane doubling as a parking lane, as it then passes through
Lauraville, where the highway intersects
Cold Spring Lane and Moravia Road. Becoming undivided once again, MD 147 widens to accommodate two full-time parking lanes at Echodale Avenue before intersecting the southern end of
Old Harford Road and then
Northern Parkway in
Hamilton. Upon entering Baltimore County, the parking lanes end, and MD 147 continues as the main street of
Parkville, narrowing further to two traffic lanes and two bike lanes just north of Taylor Avenue. The state highway widens once again to four lanes just before Putty Hill Avenue and meets
Interstate 695 (Baltimore Beltway) at a
cloverleaf interchange. Outside of the Beltway, MD 147 gains a
center left-turn lane through its intersection with
Joppa Road in Carney, north of which the road reduces to two lanes. North of Cub Hill Road in the community of Cub Hill, the state highway exits the suburban area and enters Gunpowder Falls State Park. MD 147 makes a curvaceous descent into the Gunpowder Falls valley and, after crossing a bridge and making a sharp curve to the southeast, parallels Gunpowder Falls for a short distance before turning northeast again and away from the stream. After a curvaceous ascent from the river valley, the roadway straightens out to pass through farmland with scattered subdivisions. MD 147 crosses Long Green Creek and has a sharp
S-curve around a hill before intersecting Glen Arm Road/Mt. Vista Road at a
roundabout. The state highway continues through the community of
Fork, at the center of which the highway meets Fork Road and Sunshine Avenue. East of Fork, MD 147 descends into the valley of Little Gunpowder Falls, which forms the Baltimore–Harford county line. The state highway continues northeast and crosses Rocky Branch before its intersection with
MD 152 (Fallston Road). MD 147 heads into the community of Benson, the site of its northern terminus at a four-way intersection with US 1 and US 1 Business. US 1 heads north as the Bel Air Bypass and south as Belair Road, while US 1 Business heads east on Belair Road into the town of Bel Air. MD 147 is a part of the
National Highway System as a principal arterial from US 1 in Baltimore to Joppa Road in Carney. ==History==