SR 9 heads north from its southern terminus at State Road 46. SR 9 passes through Hope on the way to the eastern terminus of the western section of State Road 252. North of SR 252, SR 9 heads northeast then northwest toward Shelbyville. SR 9 enters Shelbyville from the south and has an intersection with State Road 44.
Shelbyville to Anderson
North of SR 44, SR 9 has a roundabout in downtown Shelbyville. From downtown Shelbyville, SR 9 heads north passing over Interstate 74/U.S. Route 421. SR 9 heads north toward Greenfield, in Greenfield SR 9 has an intersection with U.S. Route 40 and an interchange with Interstate 70. Then SR 9 heads north toward Pendleton. In Pendleton SR 9 has a concurrency with U.S. Route 36 and State Road 67. Then SR 9 enters interstate 69 after enter the I-69, SR 9 exits at the next exit. Then SR 9 heads north toward downtown Anderson.
Anderson to Huntington
SR 9 passes east of downtown Anderson and heads north out of Anderson. SR 9 passes just east of Alexandria, then just north of Alexandria SR 9 has an intersection with State Road 28. Then SR 9 has an intersection with State Road 26, just west of Fairmount. Then SR 9 enters Marion, where SR 9 has an intersection with U.S. Route 35/State Road 22 followed by an intersection with State Road 37. Then just south of downtown Marion SR 9 has a concurrency with State Road 15. In downtown Marion SR 9 and SR 15 has an intersection with State Road 18. Then north of downtown Marion SR 15 turns northwest toward Wabash and SR 9 turns northeast toward Huntington. On the way to Huntington SR 9 passes near Mt. Etna. Then SR 9 enters Huntington on the southwest side of town.
SR 9 bypasses Huntington on the west side of town, concurrent with U.S. Route 24. On the northeast side of Huntington US 24 and SR 9 have an intersection with U.S. Route 224 and State Road 5. Then SR 9 leaves the bypass on the north side of Huntington and heads north towards Columbia City, passing through an intersection with State Road 114 and State Road 14. SR 9 enters Columbia City on the south side of town. After it enters Columbia City SR 9 has a concurrency with State Road 205. The concurrency ends in downtown Columbia City at Old U.S. Route 30, where SR 205 turns east.
SR 9 heads north out of downtown Columbia City. Before leaving Columbia City SR 9 has an intersection with U.S. Route 30. SR 9 heads north passing through an intersection with U.S. Route 33 and passing near Chain O'Lakes State Park. Then SR 9 enters Albion on the south part of town. In downtown Albion SR 9 has an intersection at the western terminus of State Road 8. SR 9 heads north out of Albion, then SR 9 has a concurrency with U.S. Route 6. It then heads north, passing through Rome City and Wolcottville. In Lagrange, SR 9 has an intersection with U.S. Route 20 and continues north towards the Michigan state line. Before the Michigan state line, SR 9 passes through an intersection with State Road 120 in Howe. Then just south of the Michigan state line, SR 9 has an intersection with the Indiana Toll Road. Then SR 9 crosses into Michigan as M-66 heading north toward Sturgis.
History
From 1917 to 1926 the current route of SR 9 was known as State Road 11. With the SR 9 given to a route that went from Linton to Brazil and a second section from Rockville to Old State Road 10.
Explanation of nickname
The nickname of State Road 9 is Highway of Vice Presidents, from Shelbyville to Columbia City. The reason for the name is that four of Indiana's six Vice Presidents lived in cities along the route:
Thomas A. Hendricks — Grover Cleveland's Vice President from Shelbyville
Thomas R. Marshall — Woodrow Wilson's Vice President from Columbia City
J. Danforth Quayle — George H.W. Bush's Vice President from Huntington
Michael R. Pence - Donald J. Trump's Vice President from Columbus
Indiana's other two vice presidents are also honored by the highway nickname:
Schuyler Colfax — Ulysses S. Grant's Vice President from South Bend
Charles W. Fairbanks — Theodore Roosevelt's Vice President from Indianapolis
