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URLhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66
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U.S. Route 66 Will Rogers Memorial Highway The final alignments of U.S. Route 66 in red, with older alignments in pink Route information Length 2,448Ā miĀ (3,940Ā km) Existed NovemberĀ 11,Ā 1926 [ 1 ] ā€“JuneĀ 26,Ā 1985 [ 2 ] Tourist routes Historic Route 66 National Scenic Byway (selected segments) [ 3 ] Major junctions WestĀ end Santa Monica , California EastĀ end Chicago , Illinois Location Country United States States California , Arizona , New Mexico , Texas , Oklahoma , Kansas , Missouri , Illinois Highway system United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided ā† USĀ 65 ā†’ USĀ 67 U.S. RouteĀ 66 or U.S. HighwayĀ 66 ( USĀ 66 or RouteĀ 66 ) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System . It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. [ 4 ] The highway ran from Chicago , Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica , California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940Ā km). [ 5 ] It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song " (Get Your Kicks on) RouteĀ 66 " and the RouteĀ 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It was also featured in the Disney / Pixar animated feature film franchise Cars , beginning in 2006. In John Steinbeck 's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the Mother Road . Other designations and nicknames include the Will Rogers Highway and the Main Street of America , the latter nickname shared with U.S. Route 40 . [ 6 ] USĀ 66 was a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous and they later fought to keep it alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the more advanced freeways of the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s and 1970s. USĀ 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but it was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 [ 2 ] after it was entirely replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California have been communally designated a National Scenic Byway by the name Historic RouteĀ 66 , [ 3 ] returning the name to some maps. [ 7 ] [ 8 ] Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former USĀ 66 into their state road networks as State RouteĀ 66 and much of the former route within San Bernardino County , California, is designated as County Route 66 . The corridor is also being redeveloped into U.S. Bicycle RouteĀ 66 , a part of the United States Bicycle Route System that was developed in the 2010s. Before the U.S. Highway System [ edit ] A remnant of an original state right-of-way marker serves as a reminder of the early days of the road's construction. This was part of the 1927 construction of USĀ 66. In 1857, Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale , a naval officer in the service of the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers , was ordered by the War Department to build a government-funded wagon road along the 35th Parallel . His secondary orders were to test the feasibility of the use of camels as pack animals in the southwestern desert . This road became part of USĀ 66. [ 10 ] Parts of the original Route 66 from 1913, prior to its official naming and commissioning, can still be seen north of the Cajon Pass . The paved road becomes a dirt road, south of Cajon, which was also the original Route 66. [ 11 ] Before a nationwide network of numbered highways was adopted by the states, auto trails were marked by private organizations. The route that became USĀ 66 was covered by three highways: The Lone Star Route passed through St. Louis on its way from Chicago to Cameron, Louisiana (although USĀ 66 would take a shorter route through Bloomington rather than Peoria ). The transcontinental National Old Trails Road led via St. Louis to Los Angeles , but was not followed until New Mexico . Instead, USĀ 66 used one of the main routes of the Ozark Trails system, [ 12 ] which ended at the National Old Trails Road just south of Las Vegas, New Mexico . Again, a shorter route was taken, here following the Postal Highway between Oklahoma City and Amarillo . The National Old Trails Road became the rest of the route to Los Angeles. [ 13 ] Legislation for public highways first appeared in 1916, with revisions in 1921, but the government did not execute a national highway construction plan until Congress enacted an even more comprehensive version of the act in 1925. The original inspiration for a road between Chicago and Los Angeles was planned by entrepreneurs Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, Oklahoma and John T. Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri , who lobbied the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) for the creation of a route following the 1925 plans. [ 14 ] Birthplace and rise of US 66 [ edit ] The route sign from 1926 to 1948 in Arizona Route 66 marker outside the Woodruff Building in Springfield, MO. Modern 'historic' signage in Chicago The numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on April 30, 1926, [ 14 ] in Springfield, Missouri . A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the RouteĀ 66 Association of Missouri, [ 15 ] and traces of the "Mother Road" are still visible in downtown Springfield, along Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, College Street and St. Louis Street and on RouteĀ 266 to Halltown, Missouri . [ 16 ] Championed by Avery when the first talks about a national highway system began, USĀ 66 was first signed into law in 1927 as one of the original U.S. Highways , although it was not completely paved until 1938. Avery was adamant that the highway have a round number and had proposed number 60 to identify it. A controversy erupted over the number 60, largely from delegates from Kentucky who wanted a Virginia Beach ā€“Los Angeles highway to be USĀ 60 and USĀ 62 between Chicago, Illinois and Springfield, Missouri. [ 17 ] [ self-published source? ] Arguments and counterarguments continued throughout February, including a proposal to split the proposed route through Kentucky into Route 60 North (to Chicago) and Route 60 South (to Newport News ). [ 18 ] The final conclusion was to have USĀ 60 run between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Springfield, Missouri and the Chicagoā€“Los Angeles route be USĀ 62. [ 19 ] Avery and highway engineer John Page settled on "66", which was unassigned, despite the fact that in its entirety, US 66 was north of US 60. [ 20 ] The state of Missouri released its 1926 state highway map with the highway labeled as USĀ 60. [ 21 ] After the new federal highway system was officially created, Cyrus Avery called for the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to promote the complete paving of the highway from end-to-end and to promote travel down the highway. In 1927, in Tulsa, the association was officially established with John T. Woodruff of Springfield, Missouri, elected the first president. In 1928, the association made its first attempt at publicity, the " Bunion Derby ", a footrace from Los Angeles to New York City , of which the path from Los Angeles to Chicago would be on USĀ 66. [ 22 ] The publicity worked: several dignitaries, including Will Rogers , greeted the runners at certain points on the route. The race ended in Madison Square Garden , where the $25,000 first prize (equal to $468,750 in 2025) was awarded to Andy Hartley Payne , a Cherokee runner from Oklahoma. The U.S. Highway 66 Association also placed its first advertisement in the July 16, 1932, issue of the Saturday Evening Post . The ad invited Americans to take USĀ 66 to the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A U.S. Highway 66 Association office in Oklahoma received hundreds of requests for information after the ad was published. [ 23 ] The association went on to serve as a voice for businesses along the highway until it disbanded in 1976. Traffic grew on the highway because of the geography through which it passed. Much of the highway was essentially flat and this made the highway a popular truck route. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s saw many farming families, mainly from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas, heading west for agricultural jobs in California. USĀ 66 became the main road of travel for these people, often derogatorily called " Okies " or "Arkies". During the Depression, it gave some relief to communities located on the highway. The route passed through numerous small towns and, with the growing traffic on the highway, helped create the rise of mom-and-pop businesses , such as service stations , restaurants and motor courts , all readily accessible to passing motorists . [ 24 ] The Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi River was built to carry the growing traffic of USĀ 66 around the city of St. Louis. Restored Magnolia gasoline station museum on RouteĀ 66 in Shamrock in Wheeler County, Texas Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Highway 66 Association, in 1938 USĀ 66 became the first highway to be completely paved. Several places were dangerous: more than one part of the highway was nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these segments to remove dangerous curves. One section through the Black Mountains outside Oatman, Arizona , was fraught with hairpin turns and was the steepest along the entire route, so much so that some early travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially dangerous road, hired locals to navigate the winding grade. The section remained as USĀ 66 until 1953 and is still open to traffic today as the Oatman Highway. Despite such hazards in some areas, USĀ 66 continued to be a popular route. [ 24 ] Notable buildings include the art deco ā€“styled U-Drop Inn , constructed in 1936 in Shamrock , in Wheeler County east of Amarillo, Texas, listed on the National Register of Historic Places . [ 25 ] [ 26 ] A restored Magnolia fuel station is also located in Shamrock as well as Vega , in Oldham County , west of Amarillo. [ 27 ] During World War II , more migration west occurred because of war-related industries in California. USĀ 66, already popular and fully paved, became one of the main routes and also served for moving military equipment. Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri was located near the highway, which was locally upgraded quickly to a divided highway to help with military traffic. When Richard Feynman was working on the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos , he used to travel nearly 100 miles (160Ā km) to visit his wife, who was dying of tuberculosis , in a sanatorium located on USĀ 66 in Albuquerque . [ 28 ] In the 1950s, USĀ 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles. The road passed through the Painted Desert and near the Grand Canyon . Meteor Crater in Arizona was another popular stop. This sharp increase in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside attractions, including teepee - shaped motels , frozen custard stands, Indian curio shops and reptile farms. Meramec Caverns near St. Louis , began advertising on barns, billing itself as the " Jesse James hideout". The Big Texan advertised a free 72-ounce (2.0Ā kg) steak dinner to anyone who could consume the entire meal in one hour. It also marked the birth of the fast-food industry: Red's Giant Hamburg in Springfield, Missouri , site of the first drive-through restaurant and the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California . Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile. [ 24 ] [ 29 ] Modern-day sign in New Mexico , along a section of RouteĀ 66 named a National Scenic Byway In 1930, between the Illinois cities of Springfield and East St. Louis , USĀ 66 was shifted farther east to what is now roughly Interstate 55 (I-55). The original alignment, marked as Temporary 66, followed the current Illinois RouteĀ 4 (ILĀ 4). [ 30 ] From downtown St. Louis to Gray Summit, Missouri , USĀ 66 originally went down Market Street and Manchester Road, which is largely RouteĀ 100 . In 1932, this route was changed and the original alignment was never viewed as anything more than temporary. The planned route was down Watson Road, which is now RouteĀ 366 but Watson Road had not been completed yet. In Oklahoma, from west of El Reno to Bridgeport , USĀ 66 turned north to Calumet and then west to Geary , then southwest across the South Canadian River over a suspension toll bridge into Bridgeport. In 1933, a straighter cut-off route was completed from west of El Reno to one mile (1.6Ā km) south of Bridgeport, crossing over a 38-span steel pony truss bridge over the South Canadian River, bypassing Calumet and Geary by several miles. From Santa Rosa , to north of Los Lunas , in New Mexico, the road originally turned north from current I-40 along much of what is now USĀ 84 to near Las Vegas, New Mexico , followed (roughly) I-25 ā€”then the decertified USĀ 85 through Santa Fe and Albuquerque to Los Lunas and then turned northwest along the present New Mexico State RoadĀ 6 (NM 6) alignment to a point near Laguna. In 1937, a straight-line route was completed from Santa Rosa through Moriarty and eastā€“west through Albuquerque and west to Laguna. This newer routing saved travelers as much as four hours of travel through New Mexico. According to legend, the rerouting was done at the behest of Democratic Governor Arthur T. Hannett to punish the Republican Santa Fe Ring , which had long dominated New Mexico out of Santa Fe. [ 31 ] In 1936, USĀ 66 was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica to end at USĀ 101 Alt., today the intersection of Olympic and Lincoln Boulevards . Even though there is a plaque dedicating USĀ 66 as the Will Rogers Highway placed at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard , the highway never terminated there. In 1940, the first freeway in Los Angeles was incorporated into USĀ 66; this was the Arroyo Seco Parkway , later known as the Pasadena Freeway ; now again known as Arroyo Seco Parkway. [ 30 ] RouteĀ 66 just west of the Sitgreaves Pass between Oatman and Kingman In 1953, the Oatman Highway through the Black Mountains was completely bypassed by a new route between Kingman, Arizona and Needles, California ; [ 30 ] by the 1960s, Oatman, Arizona , was virtually abandoned as a ghost town . Since the 1950s, as Interstates were being constructed, sections of USĀ 66 not only saw the traffic drain to them, but often the route number itself was moved to the faster means of travel. In some cases, such as to the east of St. Louis, this was done as soon as the Interstate was finished to the next exit. The displacement of USĀ 66 signage to the new freeways, combined with restrictions in the 1965 Highway Beautification Act that often denied merchants on the old road access to signage on the freeway, became factors in the closure of many established USĀ 66 businesses as travelers could no longer easily find or reach them. [ 32 ] Abandoned, fire-damaged Whiting Brothers gas station. All along the route, preservation efforts are under way to preserve original buildings such as this. An abandoned early USĀ 66 alignment in Illinois , 2006 The ghost town of Two Guns, Arizona , once featured a zoo, gift shop, restaurant, campground, gas station and "death cave". The beginning of the decline for USĀ 66 came in 1956 with the signing of the Interstate Highway Act by President Dwight D. Eisenhower who was influenced by his experiences in 1919 as a young Army officer crossing the country in a truck convoy (following the route of the Lincoln Highway ) and his appreciation of the Autobahn network as a necessary component of a national defense system. [ 33 ] During its nearly 60-year existence, USĀ 66 was under constant change. As highway engineering became more sophisticated, engineers constantly sought more direct routes between cities and towns. Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of USĀ 66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following World War II when Illinois began widening USĀ 66 to four lanes through virtually the entire state from Chicago to the Mississippi River just east of St. Louis and included bypasses around virtually all of the towns. By the early to mid-1950s, Missouri also upgraded its sections of USĀ 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. Most of the newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded to freeway status in later years. One notable remnant of USĀ 66 is Veterans Parkway, signed as InterstateĀ 55 Business (I-55 Bus.), in Bloomington , Illinois. The sweeping curve on the southeast side of the city originally was intended to easily handle traffic at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160Ā km/h), as part of an effort to make US 66 an Autobahn equivalent for military transport. In 1953, the first major bypassing of USĀ 66 occurred in Oklahoma with the opening of the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The new 88-mile (142Ā km) toll road paralleled USĀ 66 for its entire length and bypassed each of the towns along US 66. The Turner Turnpike was joined in 1957 by the new Will Rogers Turnpike , which connected Tulsa with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of Joplin, Missouri , again paralleling USĀ 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in addition to its entire stretch through Kansas. Both Oklahoma turnpikes were soon designated as I-44 , along with the USĀ 66 bypass at Tulsa that connected the city with both turnpikes. In some cases, such as many areas in Illinois, the new Interstate Highway not only paralleled the old USĀ 66, it actually used much of the same roadway. A typical approach was to build one new set of lanes, then move one direction of traffic to it, while retaining the original set of lanes for traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Then a second set of lanes for traffic flowing in the other direction would be constructed, finally followed by abandoning the other old set of lanes or converting them into a frontage road . The same scenario was used in western Oklahoma, when USĀ 66 was initially upgraded to a four-lane highway such as from Sayre to Erick to the Texas border at Texola in 1957 and 1958 where the old paving was retained for westbound traffic and a new parallel lane built for eastbound traffic (much of this section was entirely bypassed by I-40 in 1975) and on two other sections; from Canute to Elk City in 1959 and Hydro to Weatherford in 1960, both of which were upgraded with the construction of a new westbound lane in 1966 to bring the highway up to full Interstate Standards and demoting the old USĀ 66 paving to frontage road status. In the initial process of constructing I-40 across western Oklahoma, the state also included projects to upgrade the through routes in El Reno , Weatherford, Clinton , Canute, Elk City, Sayre, Erick and Texola to four-lane highways not only to provide seamless transitions from the rural sections of I-40 from both ends of town but also to provide easy access to those cities in later years after the I-40 bypasses were completed. The Leaning Tower of Britten , east of Groom, Texas , along I-40 (old USĀ 66) In New Mexico, as in most other states, rural sections of I-40 were to be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later. However, some business and civic leaders in cities along USĀ 66 were completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax revenues. In 1963, the New Mexico Legislature enacted legislation that banned the construction of interstate bypasses around cities by local request. This legislation was short-lived, however, due to pressures from Washington and threat of loss of federal highway funds so it was rescinded by 1965. In 1964, Tucumcari and San Jon became the first cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for highway travelers to their localities. Other cities soon fell in line including Santa Rosa , Moriarty , Grants and Gallup although it wasn't until well into the 1970s that most of those cities would be bypassed by I-40. Old RouteĀ 66 near Amboy, California By the late 1960s, most of the rural sections of USĀ 66 had been replaced by I-40 across New Mexico with the most notable exception being the 40-mile (64Ā km) strip from the Texas border at Glenrio west through San Jon to Tucumcari, which was becoming increasingly treacherous due to heavier and heavier traffic on the narrow two-lane highway. During 1968 and 1969, this section of USĀ 66 was often referred to by locals and travelers as "Slaughter Lane" due to numerous injury and fatal accidents on this stretch. Local and area business and civic leaders and news media called upon state and federal highway officials to get I-40 built through the area. Disputes over proposed highway routing in the vicinity of San Jon held up construction plans for several years as federal officials proposed that I-40 run some five to six miles (8 to 10Ā km) north of that city while local and state officials insisted on following a proposed route that touched the northern city limits of San Jon. In November 1969, a truce was reached when federal highway officials agreed to build the I-40 route just outside the city, therefore providing local businesses dependent on highway traffic easy access to and from the freeway via the northā€“south highway that crossed old USĀ 66 in San Jon. I-40 was completed from Glenrio to the east side of San Jon in 1976 and extended west to Tucumcari in 1981, including the bypasses around both cities. USĀ 66, going to Oatman, Arizona , in 2007 Originally, highway officials planned for the last section of USĀ 66 to be bypassed by interstates in Texas, but as was the case in many places, lawsuits held up construction of the new interstates. The US Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the loss of their businesses. Since the interstates only provided access via ramps at interchanges, travelers could not pull directly off a highway into a business. At first, plans were laid out to allow mainly national chains to be placed in interstate medians. Such lawsuits effectively prevented this on all but toll roads. Some towns in Missouri threatened to sue the state if the USĀ 66 designation was removed from the road, though lawsuits never materialized. Several businesses were well known to be on USĀ 66 and fear of losing the number resulted in the state of Missouri officially requesting the designation "Interstate 66" for the St. Louis to Oklahoma City section of the route, but it was denied. As the interstates were built, US 66 was decertified in the west and east, and by 1979, the highway officially ran from Interstate 40 in Kingman, Arizona to Interstate 44 east of Joplin, Missouri. In 1984, Arizona also saw its final stretch of highway decommissioned with the completion of I-40 just north of Williams, Arizona . Finally, with decertification of the highway by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials the following year, USĀ 66 officially ceased to exist. [ 2 ] With the decommissioning of USĀ 66, no single interstate route was designated to replace it, with the route being covered by InterstateĀ 55 from Chicago to St. Louis ; InterstateĀ 44 from St. Louis to Oklahoma City ; InterstateĀ 40 from Oklahoma City to Barstow, California ; InterstateĀ 15 from Barstow to San Bernardino ; and InterstateĀ 10 from San Bernardino to Santa Monica . After decertification [ edit ] "Sidewalk highway" section of USĀ 66 near Miami, Oklahoma When the highway was decommissioned, sections of the road were disposed of in various ways. Within many cities, the route became a "business loop" for the interstate. Some sections became state roads, local roads, or private drives, or were abandoned completely. Although it is no longer possible to drive USĀ 66 uninterrupted all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, much of the original route and alternate alignments are still drivable with careful planning. Some stretches are quite well preserved, including one between Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some sections of USĀ 66 still retain their historic 9-foot-wide (2.7Ā m) "sidewalk highway" form, [ 34 ] never having been resurfaced to make them into full-width highways. These old sections have a single, paved lane, concrete curbs to mark the edge of the lane and gravel shoulders for passing. Some states have kept the 66 designation for parts of the highway, albeit as state roads. In Missouri, Routes 366 , 266 and 66 are all original sections of the highway. State Highway 66 (SH-66) in Oklahoma remains as the alternate "free" route near its turnpikes. "Historic RouteĀ 66" runs for a significant distance in and near Flagstaff, Arizona . Farther west, a long segment of USĀ 66 in Arizona runs significantly north of I-40 and much of it is designated as State RouteĀ 66 (SRĀ 66). This runs from Seligman to Kingman, Arizona , via Peach Springs . A surface street stretch between San Bernardino and La Verne (known as Foothill Boulevard ) to the east of Los Angeles retains its number as SRĀ 66 . Several county roads and city streets at various places along the old route have also retained the "66" number. Restored service station in Mt Olive, Illinois The first RouteĀ 66 associations were founded in Arizona in 1987 and, in 1989, Missouri (incorporated in 1990) [ 35 ] [ 36 ] and Illinois. [ 37 ] Other groups in the other USĀ 66 states soon followed. In 1990, the state of Missouri declared USĀ 66 in that state a "State Historic Route". The first "Historic RouteĀ 66" marker in Missouri was erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri (now replacedā€”the original sign has been placed at RouteĀ 66 State Park near Eureka ). [ 38 ] Other historic markers now lineā€”at times sporadicallyā€”the entire 2,400-mile (3,900Ā km) length of road. [ 24 ] In many communities, local groups have painted or stenciled the "66" and U.S. Route shield or outline directly onto the road surface , along with the state's name. [ 24 ] This is common in areas where conventional signage for "Historic RouteĀ 66" is a target of repeated theft by souvenir hunters. [ 39 ] Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In in Seligman, Arizona . The eatery is still a popular tourist stop. Various sections of the road itself have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and USĀ 66 in New Mexico have been made into National Scenic Byways. Williams Historic Business District and Urban Route 66, Williams were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and 1989, respectively. In 2005, the State of Missouri made the road a state scenic byway from Illinois to Kansas. In the cities of Rancho Cucamonga , Rialto and San Bernardino in California, there are USĀ 66 signs erected along Foothill Boulevard and also on Huntington Drive in the city of Arcadia . "Historic RouteĀ 66" signs may be found along the old route on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena and along Foothill Boulevard in San Dimas , La Verne and Claremont , California. The city of Glendora, California , renamed Alosta Avenue, its section of USĀ 66, by calling it "RouteĀ 66". Flagstaff, Arizona , renamed all but a few blocks of Santa Fe Avenue as "RouteĀ 66". Until 2017, when it was moved to the nearby Millennium Park , the annual June Chicago Blues Festival was held each year in Grant Park and included a "RouteĀ 66 Roadhouse" stage on Columbus Avenue, a few yards north of old USĀ 66/Jackson Boulevard (both closed to traffic for the festival) and a block west of the route's former eastern terminus at USĀ 41 ( Lake Shore Drive ). [ 40 ] [ 41 ] Many preservation groups have tried to save and even landmark the old motels and neon signs along the road in some states. [ 42 ] In 1999, President Bill Clinton signed a National RouteĀ 66 Preservation Bill that provided for $10 million in matching fund grants for preserving and restoring the historic features along the route. [ 43 ] Since 2001, Springfield, Illinois has annually held its "International RouteĀ 66 Mother Road Festival" in its downtown district surrounding the Old State Capitol . [ 44 ] In 2008, the World Monuments Fund added USĀ 66 to the World Monuments Watch as sites along the route such as gas stations, motels, cafĆ©s, trading posts and drive-in movie theaters are threatened by development in urban areas and by abandonment and decay in rural areas. [ 45 ] The National Park Service developed a Route 66 Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary describing over one hundred individual historic sites. [ 46 ] As the popularity and mythical stature of USĀ 66 has continued to grow, demands have begun to mount to improve signage, return USĀ 66 to road atlases and revive its status as a continuous routing. The U.S. RouteĀ 66 Recommissioning Initiative is a group that seeks to recertify USĀ 66 as a US Highway along a combination of historic and modern alignments. [ 47 ] The group's redesignation proposal does not enjoy universal support, as requirements that the route meet modern US Highway system specifications could force upgrades that compromise its historic integrity or require USĀ 66 signage be moved to Interstate highways for some portions of the route. In 2018, the AASHTO designated the first sections of U.S. Bicycle Route 66 , part of the United States Bicycle Route System , in Kansas and Missouri. [ 48 ] National Museum of American History [ edit ] The National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. has a section on USĀ 66 in its "America on the Move" exhibition. In the exhibit is a portion of pavement of the route taken from Bridgeport, Oklahoma and a restored car and truck of the type that would have been driven on the road in the 1930s. Also on display is a " Hamons Court " neon sign that hung at a gas station and tourist cabins near Hydro, Oklahoma, a "CABINS" neon sign that pointed to Ring's Rest tourist cabins in Muirkirk, Maryland , as well as several post cards a traveler sent back to his future wife while touring the route. [ 49 ] Museums and monuments in Oklahoma [ edit ] Elk City, Oklahoma has the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum, which encompasses all eight states through which the Mother Road ran. [ 50 ] Clinton has the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, designed to display the iconic ideas, images and myths of the Mother Road. [ 51 ] A memorial museum to the Route's namesake, Will Rogers , is located in Claremore , while his birthplace ranch is maintained in Oologah . [ 52 ] In Sapulpa , the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum features a 66-foot-high (20Ā m) replica gas pump, the world's tallest. [ 53 ] Tulsa has multiple sites, starting with the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, located at the east end of the historic 11th Street Bridge over which the route passed and which includes a giant sculpture weighing 20,000 pounds (9,100Ā kg) [ 54 ] called "East Meets West". The sculpture depicts the Avery family riding west in a Model T Ford meeting an eastbound horse-drawn carriage. [ 55 ] In 2020, Avery Plaza Southwest opened, at the west end of the bridge, which features a "neon park" with replicas of the neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels of the era, including the Tulsa Auto Court, the Oil Capital Motel and the famous bucking-bronco sign of the Will Rogers Motor Court. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] Future plans for that site also include a Route 66 Museum. [ 58 ] Also, Tulsa has installed "Route 66 Rising", a 70-by-30-foot (21.3 by 9.1Ā m) sculpture on the road's former eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road. [ 59 ] On Tulsa's Southwest Boulevard, between W. 23rd and W. 24th Streets there is a granite marker dedicated to Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway which features an image of namesake Will Rogers together with information on the route from Michael Wallis , author of Route 66: The Mother Road ; [ 60 ] and, at Howard Park just past W. 25th Street, three Indiana limestone pillars are dedicated to Route 66 through Tulsa, with Route 66 #1 devoted to Transportation, Route 66 #2 devoted to Tulsa Industry and Native American Heritage and Route 66 #3 devoted to Art Deco Architecture and American Culture. [ 61 ] At 3770 Southwest Blvd. is the Route 66 Historical Village, which includes a tourism information center modeled after a 1920s-1930s gas station and other period-appropriate artifacts such as the Frisco 4500 steam locomotive with train cars. [ 62 ] Elsewhere, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers. [ 63 ] The markers are mostly along the highway's post-1932 alignment down 11th Street, with some along the road's 1926 path down Admiral Place. [ 63 ] Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois [ edit ] The Route 66 Association of Illinois maintains their Museum and Hall of Fame in Pontiac . This free museum contains memorabilia and artifacts relating to Route 66, particularly in Illinois, as well as displays relating to the members of the Hall of Fame. Among items on display are the VW Microbus and "land yacht" belonging to the late Bob Waldmire . Over the years, USĀ 66 received numerous nicknames. Right after USĀ 66 was commissioned, it was known as "The Great Diagonal Way" because the Chicago-to-Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest. Later, USĀ 66 was advertised by the U.S. HighwayĀ 66 Association as "The Main Street of America". The title had also been claimed by supporters of USĀ 40 , but the USĀ 66 group was more successful. [ citation needed ] In the John Steinbeck novel The Grapes of Wrath , the highway is called "The Mother Road", its prevailing title today. [ 64 ] Lastly, USĀ 66 was unofficially named "The Will Rogers Highway" by the U.S. HighwayĀ 66 Association in 1952, although a sign along the road with that name appeared in the John Ford film, The Grapes of Wrath , which was released in 1940, twelve years before the association gave the road that name. A plaque dedicating the highway to Will Rogers is still located in Santa Monica, California . There are more plaques like this; one can be found in Galena, Kansas . It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001. [ 65 ] The replica of a movie prop sign found on the Santa Monica Pier . The western terminus of USĀ 66 is nine blocks east of this sign. USĀ 66 had its western terminus in California and covered 315 miles (507Ā km) in the state. [ 66 ] The terminus was located at the Pacific Coast Highway, then USĀ 101 Alternate and now SRĀ 1 , at Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards in Santa Monica, California . The highway ran through major cities such as Santa Monica, Los Angeles , Pasadena and San Bernardino . San Bernardino also contains one of the two surviving Wigwam Motels along USĀ 66. The highway had major intersections with USĀ 101 in Hollywood , I-5 in Los Angeles, I-15 and I-40 in Barstow and USĀ 95 in Needles . It also ran concurrent to I-40 at California's very eastern end. [ 67 ] USĀ 66 marker on the corner of Navajo Boulevard and Hopi Drive in Holbrook, Arizona In Arizona, the highway originally covered 401 miles (645Ā km) in the state. Along much of the way, USĀ 66 paralleled I-40 . It entered across the Topock Gorge , passing through Oatman along the way to Kingman . [ 68 ] Between Kingman and Seligman , the route is still signed as SRĀ 66 . Notably, just between Seligman and Flagstaff , Williams was the last point on USĀ 66 to be bypassed by an Interstate. The route also passed through the once-incorporated community of Winona . Holbrook contains one of the two surviving Wigwam Motels on the route. [ 69 ] USĀ 66 covered 380 miles (610Ā km) in the state and passed through many Indian reservations in the western half of New Mexico. [ 70 ] East of those reservations, the highway passed through Albuquerque , Santa Fe and Las Vegas . As in Arizona, in New Mexico, U.S.Ā 66 paralleled I-40 . [ 71 ] The Midpoint CafĆ© in Adrian, Texas , at the midpoint of the route USĀ 66 covered 178 miles (286Ā km) in the Texas Panhandle, travelling in an eastā€“west line between Glenrio and Texola . [ 72 ] Adrian , in the western Panhandle, was notable as the midpoint of the route. East of there, the highway passed through Amarillo (famous for the Cadillac Ranch ), Conway , Groom and Shamrock . Oklahoma and Kansas [ edit ] The highway covered 376 miles (605Ā km) [ 73 ] in Oklahoma. Today, it is marked by I-40 west of Oklahoma City and SH-66 east of there. After entering at Texola , USĀ 66 passed through Sayre , Elk City and Clinton before entering Oklahoma City. [ 74 ] Beyond Oklahoma City, the highway passed through Edmond on its way to Tulsa . Past there, USĀ 66 passed through Miami , North Miami , Commerce and Quapaw before entering Kansas where it covered only 13.2 miles (21.2Ā km). [ 75 ] Only three towns are located on the route in Kansas: Galena , Riverton and Baxter Springs . USĀ 66 covered 292 miles (470Ā km) in Missouri. Upon entering from Galena, Kansas , the highway passed through Joplin . From there, it passed through Carthage ; Springfield , where Red's Giant Hamburg , the world's first drive-thru was located; Lebanon ; Waynesville , Devils Elbow ; and Rolla before passing through St. Louis . [ 76 ] USĀ 66 covered 301 miles (484Ā km) in Illinois. It entered Illinois in East St. Louis after crossing the Mississippi River . Near there, it passed by Cahokia Mounds , a UNESCO World Heritage Site . The highway then passed through Hamel , Springfield (passing by the Illinois State Capitol }, Bloomington-Normal , Pontiac and Gardner . [ 77 ] It then entered the Chicago area , originally through Joliet and later through Plainfield . After passing through the suburbs, U.S.Ā 66 entered Chicago itself, where it terminated at Lake Shore Drive [ 78 ] starting in 1938, having originally ended at Michigan Avenue . Several alternate alignments of USĀ 66 occurred because of traffic issues. Business routes (BUS), bypass routes (BYP), alternate routes (ALT) and "optional routes" (OPT) (an early designation for alternate routes) came into being. An Alternate 66 existed in the Los Angeles area. Business routes also existed in San Bernardino , Amarillo , Clinton (OK) , Oklahoma City , and Tulsa . Various business, bypass, and alternate routes were located in the Joplin and Springfield (MO) areas and in several locations in Illinois. USĀ 66 has been a fixture in popular culture. American pop-culture artists publicized USĀ 66 and the experience, through song and television. Bobby Troup wrote " (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 ", which was popularized by Nat King Cole with the King Cole Trio and later covered by artists ranging from Chuck Berry and Glenn Frey to The Manhattan Transfer , John Mayer and Brian Setzer , as well as the Rolling Stones in their eponymous debut album . The highway lent its name to the Route 66 TV series in the 1960s, [ 79 ] which itself had a popular theme song written and arranged by Nelson Riddle . John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath , adapted to film in 1940 , depicts the Joad family traveling to California on USĀ 66 after being evicted from their small farm in Oklahoma . [ 80 ] 66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these the people are in flight and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight. [ 81 ] The 2006 animated film Cars had the working title Route 66 and described the decline of the fictional Radiator Springs , nearly a ghost town once its mother road, USĀ 66, was bypassed by Interstate 40 . The title was eventually changed to simply Cars to avoid confusion with the 1960s television series. [ 82 ] On April 30, 2022, the 96th anniversary of the route's numerical designation, Route 66 was honored with a video Google Doodle . [ 83 ] In 2026, the US Postal Service will issue a set of eight stamps honoring Route 66. [ 84 ] Inland Empire 66ers , named after US 66 List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66 List of Route 66 museums Phillips 66 , a petroleum company named for the route Southern Transcon railroad equivalent, runs parallel to USĀ 66 for significant portions of its length Tulsa 66ers , named after US 66 ^ Bureau of Public Roads & American Association of State Highway Officials (November 11, 1926). 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April 5, 1989. pp.Ā  25ā€“ 26. Archived from the original on September 12, 2021 . Retrieved September 13, 2022 . ^ Petroski, Henry (2006). "On the Road". American Scientist . Vol.Ā 94, no.Ā 5. pp.Ā  396ā€“ 399. doi : 10.1511/2006.61.396 . ISSN Ā  0003-0996 . ^ "RouteĀ 66 Sidewalk Highway" . Atlas Obscura . Archived from the original on August 28, 2017 . Retrieved August 26, 2017 . ^ Cobb, Nathan (May 3, 1992). "Searching for Route 66" . Boston Globe . p.Ā 18. {{ cite news }} : CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ( link ) ^ "Historic Route 66 Association of Missouri website" . Missouri66.org. April 14, 2012. Archived from the original on August 16, 2020 . Retrieved May 5, 2012 . ^ "Route 66 Association of Illinois history website" . il66assoc.org. June 23, 2017 . Retrieved January 8, 2024 . ^ Sonderman, Joe. "A Bit of Missouri 66 History" . 66Postcards.com . Archived from the original on November 5, 2014 . Retrieved November 18, 2014 . ^ "Finding Your Way on Route 66" . 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"Route 66 - Stamps Forever" . "Arizona Highways". Arizona Highways: The Window of the West . July 1981. ISSN Ā  0004-1521 . Entire issue about RouteĀ 66. Baker, T. Lindsay (2016). Portrait of Route 66: Images from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives . Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN Ā  978-0806153414 . OCLC Ā  932618601 . Bischoff, Matt D. (2005). Life in the Past Lane the Route 66 Experience: Historic Management Contexts for the Route 66 Corridor in California . Statistical Research, Inc. ISBN Ā  978-1879442887 . OCLC Ā  68569034 . Freeth, Nick (2001). RouteĀ 66 . St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. ISBN Ā  978-0-7603-0864-6 . Krim, Arthur ; Wood, Denis (2005). Route 66: Iconography of the American Highway (1stĀ ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Center for American Places. ISBN Ā  978-1930066359 . Mahar, Lisa (2002). American Signs: Form and Meaning on RouteĀ 66 . New York: Monacelli Press. ISBN Ā  97-81580931199 . Miller, Blue (2021). Abandoned Route 66 Arizona: Where the Road Came to an End . 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RouteĀ 66: The Mother Road . New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN Ā  978-0-312-28167-0 .
Markdown
[Jump to content](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#bodyContent) Main menu Main menu move to sidebar hide Navigation - [Main page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page "Visit the main page [z]") - [Contents](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contents "Guides to browsing Wikipedia") - [Current events](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Current_events "Articles related to current events") - [Random article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random "Visit a randomly selected article [x]") - [About Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:About "Learn about Wikipedia and how it works") - [Contact us](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Contact_us "How to contact Wikipedia") Contribute - [Help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Contents "Guidance on how to use and edit Wikipedia") - [Learn to edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Introduction "Learn how to edit Wikipedia") - [Community portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Community_portal "The hub for editors") - [Recent changes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChanges "A list of recent changes to Wikipedia [r]") - [Upload file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_upload_wizard "Add images or other media for use on Wikipedia") - [Special pages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:SpecialPages "A list of all special pages [q]") [![](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/icons/enwiki-25.svg) ![Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-wordmark-en-25.svg) ![The Free Encyclopedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikipedia-tagline-en-25.svg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page) [Search](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search "Search Wikipedia [f]") Appearance - [Donate](https://donate.wikimedia.org/?wmf_source=donate&wmf_medium=sidebar&wmf_campaign=en.wikipedia.org&uselang=en) - [Create account](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=U.S.+Route+66 "You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory") - [Log in](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=U.S.+Route+66 "You're encouraged to log in; however, it's not mandatory. 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[o]") ## Contents move to sidebar hide - [(Top)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66) - [1 History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#History) Toggle History subsection - [1\.1 Before the U.S. Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Before_the_U.S._Highway_System) - [1\.2 Birthplace and rise of US 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Birthplace_and_rise_of_US_66) - [1\.3 Changes in routing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Changes_in_routing) - [1\.4 Decline](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Decline) - [1\.5 After decertification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#After_decertification) - [1\.6 Revival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Revival) - [1\.7 National Museum of American History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#National_Museum_of_American_History) - [1\.8 Museums and monuments in Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Museums_and_monuments_in_Oklahoma) - [1\.9 Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Museum_and_Hall_of_Fame_in_Illinois) - [2 Route description](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Route_description) Toggle Route description subsection - [2\.1 California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#California) - [2\.2 Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Arizona) - [2\.3 New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#New_Mexico) - [2\.4 Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Texas) - [2\.5 Oklahoma and Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Oklahoma_and_Kansas) - [2\.6 Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Missouri) - [2\.7 Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Illinois) - [3 Special routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Special_routes) - [4 In popular culture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#In_popular_culture) - [5 See also](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#See_also) - [6 References](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#References) - [7 Further reading](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Further_reading) - [8 External links](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#External_links) Toggle the table of contents # U.S. Route 66 43 languages - [Afrikaans](https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Afrikaans") - [Ų§Ł„Ų¹Ų±ŲØŁŠŲ©](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%A9_66 "Ų·Ų±ŁŠŁ‚ Ų§Ł„ŁˆŁ„Ų§ŁŠŲ§ŲŖ Ų§Ł„Ł…ŲŖŲ­ŲÆŲ© 66 ā€“ Arabic") - [Boarisch](https://bar.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Bavarian") - [Š‘ŃŠŠ»Š³Š°Ń€ŃŠŗŠø](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D1%8A%D1%82_66 "ŠŸŃŠŃ‚ 66 ā€“ Bulgarian") - [CatalĆ ](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruta_66 "Ruta 66 ā€“ Catalan") - [ČeÅ”tina](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Czech") - [Dansk](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Danish") - [Deutsch](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ German") - [Ī•Ī»Ī»Ī·Ī½Ī¹ĪŗĪ¬](https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Greek") - [Esperanto](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Coseo_66 "Ŝoseo 66 ā€“ Esperanto") - [EspaƱol](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruta_66_\(Estados_Unidos\) "Ruta 66 (Estados Unidos) ā€“ Spanish") - [Eesti](https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Estonian") - [Euskara](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Basque") - [ŁŲ§Ų±Ų³ŪŒ](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87_%DB%B6%DB%B6_%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA_%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%87 "Ų¬Ų§ŲÆŁ‡ Ū¶Ū¶ Ų§ŪŒŲ§Ł„Ų§ŲŖ Ł…ŲŖŲ­ŲÆŁ‡ ā€“ Persian") - [Suomi](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Finnish") - [FranƧais](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ French") - [עב×Øי×Ŗ](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9B%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A9_66_\(%D7%90%D7%A8%D7%A6%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%94%D7%91%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%AA\) "כביש 66 (א×Øצו×Ŗ הב×Øי×Ŗ) ā€“ Hebrew") - [Magyar](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Hungarian") - [Bahasa Indonesia](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Indonesian") - [Italiano](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Italian") - [ę—„ęœ¬čŖž](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9B%BD%E9%81%9366%E5%8F%B7%E7%B7%9A_\(%E3%82%A2%E3%83%A1%E3%83%AA%E3%82%AB%E5%90%88%E8%A1%86%E5%9B%BD\) "国道66号ē·š (ć‚¢ćƒ”ćƒŖć‚«åˆč”†å›½) ā€“ Japanese") - [ķ•œźµ­ģ–“](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EA%B5%AD%EB%8F%84_%EC%A0%9C66%ED%98%B8%EC%84%A0_\(%EB%AF%B8%EA%B5%AD\) "źµ­ė„ ģ œ66ķ˜øģ„  (ėÆøźµ­) ā€“ Korean") - [Latina](https://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_66 "Via 66 ā€“ Latin") - [LĆ«tzebuergesch](https://lb.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Luxembourgish") - [Lietuvių](https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Lithuanian") - [LatvieÅ”u](https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Latvian") - [Nederlands](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Dutch") - [Norsk bokmĆ„l](https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Norwegian BokmĆ„l") - [Occitan](https://oc.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rota_66_dels_EUA "Rota 66 dels EUA ā€“ Occitan") - [Polski](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66 "Route 66 ā€“ Polish") - [PortuguĆŖs](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Portuguese") - [RomĆ¢nă](https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Romanian") - [Š ŃƒŃŃŠŗŠøŠ¹](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_66 "US 66 ā€“ Russian") - [Srpskohrvatski / срŠæсŠŗŠ¾Ń…Ń€Š²Š°Ń‚сŠŗŠø](https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruta_SAD_66 "Ruta SAD 66 ā€“ Serbo-Croatian") - [Simple English](https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Simple English") - [Shqip](https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Albanian") - [Š”рŠæсŠŗŠø / srpski](https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D1%83%D1%82%D0%B0_66 "Š ŃƒŃ‚Š° 66 ā€“ Serbian") - [Svenska](https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Swedish") - [ą¹„ąø—ąø¢](https://th.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%B9%E0%B8%95_66 "ąø£ąø¹ąø• 66 ā€“ Thai") - [TĆ¼rkƧe](https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "U.S. Route 66 ā€“ Turkish") - [Š£ŠŗрŠ°Ń—Š½ŃŃŒŠŗŠ°](https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%90%D0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%88%D0%BB%D1%8F%D1%85_%D0%A1%D0%A8%D0%90_66 "ŠŠ²Ń‚Š¾ŃˆŠ»ŃŃ… Š”ŠØŠ 66 ā€“ Ukrainian") - [Ų§Ų±ŲÆŁˆ](https://ur.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B1%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%DB%81%D8%A7%D8%A6%DB%92_%D9%85%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%DB%81_%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%B9_66 "Ų±ŪŒŲ§Ų³ŲŖŪŲ§Ų¦Ū’ Ł…ŲŖŲ­ŲÆŪ Ų±ŁˆŁ¹ 66 ā€“ Urdu") - [äø­ę–‡](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/66%E5%8F%B7%E7%BE%8E%E5%9B%BD%E5%9B%BD%E9%81%93 "66号ē¾Žå›½å›½é“ ā€“ Chinese") [Edit links](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q79934#sitelinks-wikipedia "Edit interlanguage links") - [Article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66 "View the content page [c]") - [Talk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:U.S._Route_66 "Discuss improvements to the content page [t]") English - [Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66) - [Edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit "Edit this page [e]") - [View history](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=history "Past revisions of this page [h]") Tools Tools move to sidebar hide Actions - [Read](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66) - [Edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit "Edit this page [e]") - [View history](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=history) General - [What links here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/U.S._Route_66 "List of all English Wikipedia pages containing links to this page [j]") - [Related changes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/U.S._Route_66 "Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]") - [Upload file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:File_Upload_Wizard "Upload files [u]") - [Permanent link](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&oldid=1347746817 "Permanent link to this revision of this page") - [Page information](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=info "More information about this page") - [Cite this page](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=U.S._Route_66&id=1347746817&wpFormIdentifier=titleform "Information on how to cite this page") - [Get shortened URL](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FU.S._Route_66) Print/export - [Download as PDF](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=U.S._Route_66&action=show-download-screen "Download this page as a PDF file") - [Printable version](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&printable=yes "Printable version of this page [p]") In other projects - [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:U.S._Route_66) - [Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Route_66) - [Wikidata item](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q79934 "Structured data on this page hosted by Wikidata [g]") Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Former US Highway between Chicago and Santa Monica "Route 66" redirects here. For other highways with the same number, see [List of highways numbered 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highways_numbered_66 "List of highways numbered 66"). For other uses, see [Route 66 (disambiguation)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_\(disambiguation\) "Route 66 (disambiguation)"). | | | |---|---| | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Acap.svg/40px-Acap.svg.png) | This article **may require [copy editing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Basic_copyediting "Wikipedia:Basic copyediting") for rough language that has not been consistent over the years**. You can assist by [editing it](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/U.S._Route_66 "Special:EditPage/U.S. Route 66"). *(August 2025)* *([Learn how and when to remove this message](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal "Help:Maintenance template removal"))* | | [![U.S. Route 66 marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/US_66.svg/120px-US_66.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_66.svg) U.S. Route 66 | | | |---|---|---| | Will Rogers Memorial Highway | | | | [![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,a,a,a,290x240.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=U.S._Route_66&groups=_7e6440e36cd19fe187b14e4766746c32dbb1bcbc&parser=legacy)]()The final alignments of U.S. Route 66 in red, with older alignments in pink | | | | Route information | | | | Length | 2,448 mi (3,940 km) | | | Existed | November 11, 1926 (1926-11-11)[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-USH-1)ā€“June 26, 1985 (1985-06-26)[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) | | | Tourist routes | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/MUTCD_M10-1.svg/20px-MUTCD_M10-1.svg.png) Historic Route 66 [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") (selected segments)[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NSB-3) | | | Major junctions | | | | West end | [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"), California | | | East end | [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago"), Illinois | | | Location | | | | Country | [United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States "United States") | | | States | [California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California "California"), [Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona "Arizona"), [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"), [Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas "Texas"), [Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma "Oklahoma"), [Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas "Kansas"), [Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri "Missouri"), [Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois "Illinois") | | | Highway system | | | | **[United States Numbered Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "United States Numbered Highway System")** [List](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways "List of United States Numbered Highways") [Special](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_routes_of_the_United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System") [Divided](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_divided_U.S._Routes "List of divided U.S. Routes") | | | | | | | | ā† ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/US_65.svg/40px-US_65.svg.png) [US 65](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_65 "U.S. Route 65") | | ā†’ ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/US_67.svg/40px-US_67.svg.png) [US 67](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_67 "U.S. Route 67") | **U.S. Route 66** or **U.S. Highway 66** (**US 66** or **Route 66**) was one of the original highways in the [United States Numbered Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "United States Numbered Highway System"). It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-4) The highway ran from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago"), Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before terminating in [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"), California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-5) It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song "[(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/\(Get_Your_Kicks_on\)_Route_66 "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66")" and the *[Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_\(TV_series\) "Route 66 (TV series)")* television series, which aired on [CBS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS "CBS") from 1960 to 1964. It was also featured in the [Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company")/[Pixar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar "Pixar") animated feature film franchise *[Cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_\(franchise\) "Cars (franchise)"),* beginning in 2006. In [John Steinbeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck")'s novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")* (1939), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the **Mother Road**. Other designations and nicknames include the **Will Rogers Highway** and the **Main Street of America**, the latter nickname shared with [U.S. Route 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 "U.S. Route 40").[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-6) US 66 was a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the [Dust Bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl "Dust Bowl") of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous and they later fought to keep it alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the more advanced [freeways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-access_highway "Controlled-access highway") of the [Interstate Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System "Interstate Highway System") in the 1960s and 1970s. US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but it was officially [removed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decommissioned_highway "Decommissioned highway") from the United States Highway System in 1985[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) after it was entirely replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California have been communally designated a [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") by the name **Historic Route 66**,[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NSB-3) returning the name to some maps.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-7)[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-8) Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former US 66 into their state road networks as [State Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highways_numbered_66#United_States "List of highways numbered 66") and much of the former route within [San Bernardino County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_County,_California "San Bernardino County, California"), California, is designated as [County Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Route_66_\(San_Bernardino_County,_California\) "County Route 66 (San Bernardino County, California)"). The corridor is also being redeveloped into [U.S. Bicycle Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Bicycle_Route_66 "U.S. Bicycle Route 66"), a part of the [United States Bicycle Route System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bicycle_Route_System "United States Bicycle Route System") that was developed in the 2010s. ## History \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=1 "Edit section: History")\] | | | |---|---| | [![icon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/Question_book-new.svg/60px-Question_book-new.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Question_book-new.svg) | This section **needs additional citations for [verification](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability "Wikipedia:Verifiability")**. Please help [improve this article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/U.S._Route_66 "Special:EditPage/U.S. Route 66") by [adding citations to reliable sources](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Referencing_for_beginners "Help:Referencing for beginners") in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. *(October 2011)* *([Learn how and when to remove this message](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Maintenance_template_removal "Help:Maintenance template removal"))* | | | [mi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile "Mile")[\[9\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-9) | [km](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilometer "Kilometer") | |---|---|---| | [CA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_California "U.S. Route 66 in California") | 316 | 509 | | [AZ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Arizona "U.S. Route 66 in Arizona") | 401 | 645 | | [NM](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_New_Mexico "U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico") | 487 | 784 | | [TX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Texas "U.S. Route 66 in Texas") | 186 | 299 | | [OK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Oklahoma "U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma") | 432 | 695 | | [KS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Kansas "U.S. Route 66 in Kansas") | 13 | 21 | | [MO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Missouri "U.S. Route 66 in Missouri") | 317 | 510 | | [IL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Illinois "U.S. Route 66 in Illinois") | 301 | 484 | | Total | 2,448 | 3,940 | ### Before the U.S. Highway System \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Before the U.S. Highway System")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg/250px-Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg) A remnant of an original state right-of-way marker serves as a reminder of the early days of the road's construction. This was part of the 1927 construction of US 66. In 1857, Lt. [Edward Fitzgerald Beale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fitzgerald_Beale "Edward Fitzgerald Beale"), a naval officer in the service of the [U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_of_Topographical_Engineers "Corps of Topographical Engineers"), was ordered by the [War Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_War "United States Department of War") to build a government-funded wagon road along the [35th Parallel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35th_parallel_north "35th parallel north"). His secondary orders were to test the feasibility of the use of [camels as pack animals in the southwestern desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Camel_Corps "U.S. Camel Corps"). This road became part of US 66.[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-10) Parts of the original Route 66 from 1913, prior to its official naming and commissioning, can still be seen north of the [Cajon Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajon_Pass "Cajon Pass"). The paved road becomes a dirt road, south of Cajon, which was also the original Route 66.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-11) Before a nationwide network of numbered highways was adopted by the states, [auto trails](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_trail "Auto trail") were marked by private organizations. The route that became US 66 was covered by three highways: - The Lone Star Route passed through [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis") on its way from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") to [Cameron, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron,_Louisiana "Cameron, Louisiana") (although US 66 would take a shorter route through [Bloomington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomington,_Illinois "Bloomington, Illinois") rather than [Peoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoria,_Illinois "Peoria, Illinois")). - The transcontinental [National Old Trails Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Old_Trails_Road "National Old Trails Road") led via St. Louis to [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles"), but was not followed until [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"). Instead, US 66 used one of the main routes of the [Ozark Trails](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozark_Trail_\(auto_trail\) "Ozark Trail (auto trail)") system,[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-12) which ended at the National Old Trails Road just south of [Las Vegas, New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"). Again, a shorter route was taken, here following the Postal Highway between [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City,_Oklahoma "Oklahoma City, Oklahoma") and [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas"). - The National Old Trails Road became the rest of the route to Los Angeles.[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-1926_Rand_McNally-13) Legislation for public highways first appeared in 1916, with revisions in 1921, but the government did not execute a national highway construction plan until Congress enacted an even more comprehensive version of the act in 1925. The original inspiration for a road between Chicago and Los Angeles was planned by entrepreneurs [Cyrus Avery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Avery "Cyrus Avery") of [Tulsa, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma") and [John T. Woodruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Woodruff "John T. Woodruff") of [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), who lobbied the [American Association of State Highway Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials "American Association of State Highway Officials") (AASHO) for the creation of a route following the 1925 plans.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-tremeear-10-14) ### Birthplace and rise of US 66 \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Birthplace and rise of US 66")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/US_66_Arizona_1926.svg/250px-US_66_Arizona_1926.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_66_Arizona_1926.svg) The route sign from 1926 to 1948 in [Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona "Arizona") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg/250px-Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg) Route 66 marker outside the [Woodruff Building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodruff_Building "Woodruff Building") in [Springfield, MO.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg/250px-Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg) Modern 'historic' signage in Chicago The numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on April 30, 1926,[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-tremeear-10-14) in [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"). A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri,[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-15) and traces of the "Mother Road" are still visible in downtown Springfield, along Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, College Street and St. Louis Street and on [Route 266](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_266 "Missouri Route 266") to [Halltown, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halltown,_Missouri "Halltown, Missouri").[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-16) Championed by Avery when the first talks about a national highway system began, US 66 was first signed into law in 1927 as one of the original [U.S. Highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highways "United States Numbered Highways"), although it was not completely paved until 1938. Avery was adamant that the highway have a round number and had proposed number 60 to identify it. A controversy erupted over the number 60, largely from delegates from [Kentucky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky "Kentucky") who wanted a [Virginia Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Beach,_Virginia "Virginia Beach, Virginia")ā€“Los Angeles highway to be [US 60](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60 "U.S. Route 60") and [US 62](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_62 "U.S. Route 62") between [Chicago, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago,_Illinois "Chicago, Illinois") and Springfield, Missouri.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-birthandrise-17)\[*[self-published source?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published_sources "Wikipedia:Verifiability")*\] Arguments and counterarguments continued throughout February, including a proposal to split the proposed route through Kentucky into Route 60 North (to Chicago) and Route 60 South (to [Newport News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News,_Virginia "Newport News, Virginia")).[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-18) The final conclusion was to have US 60 run between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Springfield, Missouri and the Chicagoā€“Los Angeles route be US 62.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-FHWA_planning-19) Avery and highway engineer John Page settled on "66", which was unassigned, despite the fact that in its entirety, US 66 was north of US 60.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-20) The [state of Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Missouri "State of Missouri") released its 1926 state highway map with the highway labeled as US 60.[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-21) After the new federal highway system was officially created, Cyrus Avery called for the establishment of the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") to promote the complete paving of the highway from end-to-end and to promote travel down the highway. In 1927, in Tulsa, the association was officially established with [John T. Woodruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Woodruff "John T. Woodruff") of Springfield, Missouri, elected the first president. In 1928, the association made its first attempt at publicity, the "[Bunion Derby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunion_Derby "Bunion Derby")", a footrace from Los Angeles to [New York City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City "New York City"), of which the path from Los Angeles to Chicago would be on US 66.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-22) The publicity worked: several dignitaries, including [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers"), greeted the runners at certain points on the route. The race ended in [Madison Square Garden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden_\(1925\) "Madison Square Garden (1925)"), where the \$25,000 first prize (equal to \$468,750 in 2025) was awarded to [Andy Hartley Payne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Hartley_Payne "Andy Hartley Payne"), a Cherokee runner from Oklahoma. The [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") also placed its first advertisement in the July 16, 1932, issue of the *[Saturday Evening Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Evening_Post "Saturday Evening Post")*. The ad invited Americans to take US 66 to the [1932 Summer Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_Summer_Olympics "1932 Summer Olympics") in Los Angeles. A U.S. Highway 66 Association office in Oklahoma received hundreds of requests for information after the ad was published.[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-dedek-35-23) The association went on to serve as a voice for businesses along the highway until it disbanded in 1976. Traffic grew on the highway because of the geography through which it passed. Much of the highway was essentially flat and this made the highway a popular [truck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck "Truck") route. The [Dust Bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl "Dust Bowl") of the 1930s saw many farming families, mainly from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas, heading west for agricultural jobs in California. US 66 became the main road of travel for these people, often derogatorily called "[Okies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okie "Okie")" or "Arkies". During the Depression, it gave some relief to communities located on the highway. The route passed through numerous small towns and, with the growing traffic on the highway, helped create the rise of [mom-and-pop businesses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_business "Small business"), such as [service stations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station "Filling station"), [restaurants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant "Restaurant") and [motor courts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_court "Motor court"), all readily accessible to passing [motorists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorist "Motorist").[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Chain_of_Rocks.jpg/250px-Chain_of_Rocks.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chain_of_Rocks.jpg) The [Chain of Rocks Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_of_Rocks_Bridge "Chain of Rocks Bridge") across the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River") was built to carry the growing traffic of US 66 around the city of St. Louis. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Magnolia_gasoline_station%2C_Shamrock%2C_TX_IMG_6141.JPG/250px-Magnolia_gasoline_station%2C_Shamrock%2C_TX_IMG_6141.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Magnolia_gasoline_station,_Shamrock,_TX_IMG_6141.JPG) Restored Magnolia gasoline station museum on Route 66 in [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas") in [Wheeler County, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_County,_Texas "Wheeler County, Texas") Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Highway 66 Association, in 1938 US 66 became the first highway to be completely paved. Several places were dangerous: more than one part of the highway was nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these segments to remove dangerous curves. One section through the [Black Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountains_\(Arizona\) "Black Mountains (Arizona)") outside [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), was fraught with [hairpin turns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairpin_turn "Hairpin turn") and was the steepest along the entire route, so much so that some early travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially dangerous road, hired locals to navigate the winding grade. The section remained as US 66 until 1953 and is still open to traffic today as the Oatman Highway. Despite such hazards in some areas, US 66 continued to be a popular route.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) Notable buildings include the [art deco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_deco "Art deco")ā€“styled [U-Drop Inn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Drop_Inn "U-Drop Inn"), constructed in 1936 in [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas"), in [Wheeler County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_County,_Texas "Wheeler County, Texas") east of Amarillo, Texas, listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places").[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-RegistryListing-25)[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NRHP-26) A restored Magnolia fuel station is also located in Shamrock as well as [Vega](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega,_Texas "Vega, Texas"), in [Oldham County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldham_County,_Texas "Oldham County, Texas"), west of Amarillo.[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-27) During [World War II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"), more migration west occurred because of war-related industries in California. US 66, already popular and fully paved, became one of the main routes and also served for moving military equipment. [Fort Leonard Wood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Leonard_Wood "Fort Leonard Wood") in Missouri was located near the highway, which was locally upgraded quickly to a divided highway to help with military traffic. When [Richard Feynman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman "Richard Feynman") was working on the [Manhattan Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project "Manhattan Project") at [Los Alamos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamos_National_Laboratory "Los Alamos National Laboratory"), he used to travel nearly 100 miles (160 km) to visit his wife, who was dying of [tuberculosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis "Tuberculosis"), in a [sanatorium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanatorium "Sanatorium") located on US 66 in [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque "Albuquerque").[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-28) In the 1950s, US 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles. The road passed through the [Painted Desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Desert_\(Arizona\) "Painted Desert (Arizona)") and near the [Grand Canyon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon "Grand Canyon"). [Meteor Crater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_Crater "Meteor Crater") in Arizona was another popular stop. This sharp increase in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside attractions, including [teepee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teepee "Teepee")\-[shaped motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel"), [frozen custard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_custard "Frozen custard") stands, [Indian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States "Native Americans in the United States") curio shops and reptile farms. [Meramec Caverns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_Caverns "Meramec Caverns") near [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis"), began advertising on barns, billing itself as the "[Jesse James](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James "Jesse James") hideout". The [Big Texan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Texan "Big Texan") advertised a free 72-ounce (2.0 kg) steak dinner to anyone who could consume the entire meal in one hour. It also marked the birth of the [fast-food](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast-food "Fast-food") industry: [Red's Giant Hamburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%27s_Giant_Hamburg "Red's Giant Hamburg") in [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), site of the first [drive-through](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-through "Drive-through") restaurant and the first [McDonald's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s "McDonald's") in [San Bernardino, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California"). Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24)[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-R66-29) ### Changes in routing \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=4 "Edit section: Changes in routing")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Route66_sign.jpg/250px-Route66_sign.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route66_sign.jpg) Modern-day sign in [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"), along a section of Route 66 named a [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") In 1930, between the Illinois cities of [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") and [East St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis,_Illinois "East St. Louis, Illinois"), US 66 was shifted farther east to what is now roughly [Interstate 55](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55_in_Illinois "Interstate 55 in Illinois") (I-55). The original alignment, marked as Temporary 66, followed the current [Illinois Route 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_4 "Illinois Route 4") (IL 4).[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) From [downtown St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_St._Louis "Downtown St. Louis") to [Gray Summit, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Summit,_Missouri "Gray Summit, Missouri"), US 66 originally went down Market Street and Manchester Road, which is largely [Route 100](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_100 "Missouri Route 100"). In 1932, this route was changed and the original alignment was never viewed as anything more than temporary. The planned route was down Watson Road, which is now [Route 366](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_366 "Missouri Route 366") but Watson Road had not been completed yet. In Oklahoma, from west of [El Reno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Reno,_Oklahoma "El Reno, Oklahoma") to [Bridgeport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeport,_Oklahoma "Bridgeport, Oklahoma"), US 66 turned north to [Calumet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calumet,_Oklahoma "Calumet, Oklahoma") and then west to [Geary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geary,_Oklahoma "Geary, Oklahoma"), then southwest across the South Canadian River over a suspension toll bridge into Bridgeport. In 1933, a straighter cut-off route was completed from west of El Reno to one mile (1.6 km) south of Bridgeport, crossing over a 38-span steel pony [truss bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss_bridge "Truss bridge") over the South Canadian River, bypassing Calumet and Geary by several miles. From [Santa Rosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_New_Mexico "Santa Rosa, New Mexico"), to north of [Los Lunas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Lunas,_New_Mexico "Los Lunas, New Mexico"), in New Mexico, the road originally turned north from current I-40 along much of what is now [US 84](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_84 "U.S. Route 84") to near [Las Vegas, New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"), followed (roughly) [I-25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_25_in_New_Mexico "Interstate 25 in New Mexico")ā€”then the [decertified](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decommissioned_highway "Decommissioned highway") US 85 through [Santa Fe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico "Santa Fe, New Mexico") and Albuquerque to Los Lunas and then turned northwest along the present [New Mexico State Road 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_State_Road_6 "New Mexico State Road 6") (NM 6) alignment to a point near Laguna. In 1937, a straight-line route was completed from Santa Rosa through [Moriarty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty,_New_Mexico "Moriarty, New Mexico") and eastā€“west through [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque "Albuquerque") and west to Laguna. This newer routing saved travelers as much as four hours of travel through New Mexico. According to legend, the rerouting was done at the behest of Democratic Governor [Arthur T. Hannett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_T._Hannett "Arthur T. Hannett") to punish the Republican [Santa Fe Ring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Ring "Santa Fe Ring"), which had long dominated New Mexico out of Santa Fe.[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-31) In 1936, US 66 was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica to end at US 101 Alt., today the intersection of [Olympic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Olympic Boulevard (Los Angeles)") and [Lincoln Boulevards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Boulevard_\(Southern_California\) "Lincoln Boulevard (Southern California)"). Even though there is a plaque dedicating US 66 as the *Will Rogers Highway* placed at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and [Santa Monica Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Boulevard "Santa Monica Boulevard"), the highway never terminated there. In 1940, the first freeway in Los Angeles was incorporated into US 66; this was the [Arroyo Seco Parkway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroyo_Seco_Parkway "Arroyo Seco Parkway"), later known as the [Pasadena Freeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasadena_Freeway "Pasadena Freeway"); now again known as Arroyo Seco Parkway.[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG/250px-Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG) Route 66 just west of the [Sitgreaves Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitgreaves_Pass "Sitgreaves Pass") between [Oatman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona") and [Kingman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona") In 1953, the Oatman Highway through the Black Mountains was completely bypassed by a new route between [Kingman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona") and [Needles, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needles,_California "Needles, California");[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) by the 1960s, [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), was virtually abandoned as a [ghost town](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_town "Ghost town"). Since the 1950s, as Interstates were being constructed, sections of US 66 not only saw the traffic drain to them, but often the route number itself was moved to the faster means of travel. In some cases, such as to the east of St. Louis, this was done as soon as the Interstate was finished to the next exit. The displacement of US 66 signage to the new freeways, combined with restrictions in the 1965 [Highway Beautification Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_Beautification_Act "Highway Beautification Act") that often denied merchants on the old road access to signage on the freeway, became factors in the closure of many established US 66 businesses as travelers could no longer easily find or reach them.[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-32) ### Decline \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=5 "Edit section: Decline")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Whiting_bros.jpg/250px-Whiting_bros.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whiting_bros.jpg) Abandoned, fire-damaged [Whiting Brothers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiting_Brothers "Whiting Brothers") gas station. All along the route, preservation efforts are under way to preserve original buildings such as this. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/OldalignIL.jpg/250px-OldalignIL.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OldalignIL.jpg) An abandoned early US 66 alignment in [Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois "Illinois"), 2006 [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns%2C_Arizona.jpg/250px-Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns%2C_Arizona.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns,_Arizona.jpg) The ghost town of [Two Guns, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guns,_Arizona "Two Guns, Arizona"), once featured a zoo, gift shop, restaurant, campground, gas station and "death cave". The beginning of the decline for US 66 came in 1956 with the signing of the [Interstate Highway Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal-Aid_Highway_Act_of_1956 "Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956") by President [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower "Dwight D. Eisenhower") who was influenced by his experiences in 1919 as a young Army officer crossing the country in a truck convoy (following the route of the [Lincoln Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Highway "Lincoln Highway")) and his appreciation of the [Autobahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn "Autobahn") network as a necessary component of a national defense system.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-33) During its nearly 60-year existence, US 66 was under constant change. As highway engineering became more sophisticated, engineers constantly sought more direct routes between cities and towns. Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of US 66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following World War II when Illinois began widening US 66 to four lanes through virtually the entire state from Chicago to the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River") just east of [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis") and included bypasses around virtually all of the towns. By the early to mid-1950s, Missouri also upgraded its sections of US 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. Most of the newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded to freeway status in later years. One notable remnant of US 66 is Veterans Parkway, signed as [Interstate 55 Business](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55_Business_\(Bloomington%E2%80%93Normal,_Illinois\) "Interstate 55 Business (Bloomingtonā€“Normal, Illinois)") (I-55 Bus.), in [Bloomington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomington,_Illinois "Bloomington, Illinois"), Illinois. The sweeping curve on the southeast side of the city originally was intended to easily handle traffic at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), as part of an effort to make US 66 an *Autobahn* equivalent for military transport. In 1953, the first major bypassing of US 66 occurred in Oklahoma with the opening of the [Turner Turnpike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Turnpike "Turner Turnpike") between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The new 88-mile (142 km) toll road paralleled US 66 for its entire length and bypassed each of the towns along US 66. The Turner Turnpike was joined in 1957 by the new [Will Rogers Turnpike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers_Turnpike "Will Rogers Turnpike"), which connected Tulsa with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of [Joplin, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri"), again paralleling US 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in addition to its entire stretch through Kansas. Both Oklahoma turnpikes were soon designated as [I-44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_44 "Interstate 44"), along with the US 66 bypass at Tulsa that connected the city with both turnpikes. In some cases, such as many areas in Illinois, the new Interstate Highway not only paralleled the old US 66, it actually used much of the same roadway. A typical approach was to build one new set of lanes, then move one direction of traffic to it, while retaining the original set of lanes for traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Then a second set of lanes for traffic flowing in the other direction would be constructed, finally followed by abandoning the other old set of lanes or converting them into a [frontage road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontage_road "Frontage road"). The same scenario was used in western Oklahoma, when US 66 was initially upgraded to a four-lane highway such as from [Sayre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre,_Oklahoma "Sayre, Oklahoma") to [Erick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick,_Oklahoma "Erick, Oklahoma") to the Texas border at [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola "Texola") in 1957 and 1958 where the old paving was retained for westbound traffic and a new parallel lane built for eastbound traffic (much of this section was entirely bypassed by I-40 in 1975) and on two other sections; from [Canute](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute,_Oklahoma "Canute, Oklahoma") to [Elk City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") in 1959 and [Hydro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro,_Oklahoma "Hydro, Oklahoma") to [Weatherford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weatherford,_Oklahoma "Weatherford, Oklahoma") in 1960, both of which were upgraded with the construction of a new westbound lane in 1966 to bring the highway up to full [Interstate Standards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Standards "Interstate Standards") and demoting the old US 66 paving to frontage road status. In the initial process of constructing [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") across western Oklahoma, the state also included projects to upgrade the through routes in [El Reno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Reno,_Oklahoma "El Reno, Oklahoma"), Weatherford, [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma"), Canute, Elk City, Sayre, Erick and Texola to four-lane highways not only to provide seamless transitions from the rural sections of I-40 from both ends of town but also to provide easy access to those cities in later years after the I-40 bypasses were completed. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Groom%2C_Texas_03.jpg/250px-Groom%2C_Texas_03.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Groom,_Texas_03.jpg) The [Leaning Tower of Britten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Britten "Leaning Tower of Britten"), east of [Groom, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas "Groom, Texas"), along I-40 (old US 66) In New Mexico, as in most other states, rural sections of [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") were to be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later. However, some business and civic leaders in cities along US 66 were completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax revenues. In 1963, the New Mexico Legislature enacted legislation that banned the construction of interstate bypasses around cities by local request. This legislation was short-lived, however, due to pressures from Washington and threat of loss of federal highway funds so it was rescinded by 1965. In 1964, [Tucumcari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucumcari,_New_Mexico "Tucumcari, New Mexico") and [San Jon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jon,_New_Mexico "San Jon, New Mexico") became the first cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for highway travelers to their localities. Other cities soon fell in line including [Santa Rosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_New_Mexico "Santa Rosa, New Mexico"), [Moriarty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty,_New_Mexico "Moriarty, New Mexico"), [Grants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grants,_New_Mexico "Grants, New Mexico") and [Gallup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup,_New_Mexico "Gallup, New Mexico") although it wasn't until well into the 1970s that most of those cities would be bypassed by I-40. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Amboy_%28California%2C_USA%29%2C_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg/250px-Amboy_%28California%2C_USA%29%2C_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amboy_\(California,_USA\),_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg) Old Route 66 near [Amboy, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboy,_California "Amboy, California") By the late 1960s, most of the rural sections of US 66 had been replaced by I-40 across New Mexico with the most notable exception being the 40-mile (64 km) strip from the Texas border at [Glenrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrio,_New_Mexico_and_Texas "Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas") west through San Jon to Tucumcari, which was becoming increasingly treacherous due to heavier and heavier traffic on the narrow two-lane highway. During 1968 and 1969, this section of US 66 was often referred to by locals and travelers as "Slaughter Lane" due to numerous injury and fatal accidents on this stretch. Local and area business and civic leaders and news media called upon state and federal highway officials to get I-40 built through the area. Disputes over proposed highway routing in the vicinity of San Jon held up construction plans for several years as federal officials proposed that I-40 run some five to six miles (8 to 10 km) north of that city while local and state officials insisted on following a proposed route that touched the northern city limits of San Jon. In November 1969, a truce was reached when federal highway officials agreed to build the I-40 route just outside the city, therefore providing local businesses dependent on highway traffic easy access to and from the freeway via the northā€“south highway that crossed old US 66 in San Jon. I-40 was completed from Glenrio to the east side of San Jon in 1976 and extended west to Tucumcari in 1981, including the bypasses around both cities. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg/250px-Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg) US 66, going to [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), in 2007 Originally, highway officials planned for the last section of US 66 to be bypassed by interstates in Texas, but as was the case in many places, lawsuits held up construction of the new interstates. The US Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the loss of their businesses. Since the interstates only provided access via ramps at interchanges, travelers could not pull directly off a highway into a business. At first, plans were laid out to allow mainly national chains to be placed in interstate medians. Such lawsuits effectively prevented this on all but toll roads. Some towns in Missouri threatened to sue the state if the US 66 designation was removed from the road, though lawsuits never materialized. Several businesses were well known to be on US 66 and fear of losing the number resulted in the state of Missouri officially requesting the designation "Interstate 66" for the St. Louis to Oklahoma City section of the route, but it was denied. As the interstates were built, US 66 was decertified in the west and east, and by 1979, the highway officially ran from Interstate 40 in Kingman, Arizona to Interstate 44 east of Joplin, Missouri. In 1984, Arizona also saw its final stretch of highway decommissioned with the completion of [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") just north of [Williams, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams,_Arizona "Williams, Arizona"). Finally, with decertification of the highway by the [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials") the following year, US 66 officially ceased to exist.[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) With the decommissioning of US 66, no single interstate route was designated to replace it, with the route being covered by [Interstate 55](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55 "Interstate 55") from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") to [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis"); [Interstate 44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_44 "Interstate 44") from St. Louis to [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City"); [Interstate 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") from Oklahoma City to [Barstow, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barstow,_California "Barstow, California"); [Interstate 15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_15 "Interstate 15") from Barstow to [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino "San Bernardino"); and [Interstate 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_10 "Interstate 10") from San Bernardino to [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica "Santa Monica"). ### After decertification \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: After decertification")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Sidewalk_Highway_%283%29.jpg/250px-Sidewalk_Highway_%283%29.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sidewalk_Highway_\(3\).jpg) "Sidewalk highway" section of US 66 near [Miami, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma "Miami, Oklahoma") When the highway was decommissioned, sections of the road were disposed of in various ways. Within many cities, the route became a "business loop" for the interstate. Some sections became state roads, local roads, or private drives, or were abandoned completely. Although it is no longer possible to drive US 66 uninterrupted all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, much of the original route and alternate alignments are still drivable with careful planning. Some stretches are quite well preserved, including one between Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some sections of US 66 still retain their historic 9-foot-wide (2.7 m) "sidewalk highway" form,[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-34) never having been resurfaced to make them into full-width highways. These old sections have a single, paved lane, concrete curbs to mark the edge of the lane and gravel shoulders for passing. Some states have kept the 66 designation for parts of the highway, albeit as state roads. In Missouri, Routes [366](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_366 "Missouri Route 366"), [266](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_266 "Missouri Route 266") and [66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_66 "Missouri Route 66") are all original sections of the highway. [State Highway 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Highway_66_\(Oklahoma\) "State Highway 66 (Oklahoma)") (SH-66) in Oklahoma remains as the [alternate "free" route](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunpiking "Shunpiking") near its turnpikes. "Historic Route 66" runs for a significant distance in and near [Flagstaff, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"). Farther west, a long segment of US 66 in Arizona runs significantly north of I-40 and much of it is designated as [State Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_State_Route_66 "Arizona State Route 66") (SR 66). This runs from [Seligman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona") to [Kingman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona"), via [Peach Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Springs "Peach Springs"). A surface street stretch between [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California") and [La Verne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Verne,_California "La Verne, California") (known as [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)")) to the east of [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles") retains its number as [SR 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_66_\(California\) "State Route 66 (California)"). Several county roads and city streets at various places along the old route have also retained the "66" number. ### Revival \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=7 "Edit section: Revival")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg/250px-SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg) [Restored service station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulsby_Service_Station "Soulsby Service Station") in [Mt Olive, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olive,_Illinois "Mount Olive, Illinois") The first [Route 66 associations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_association "Route 66 association") were founded in Arizona in 1987 and, in 1989, Missouri (incorporated in 1990)[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-bosglobe-35)[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-mo66a-36) and Illinois.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-il66a-37) Other groups in the other US 66 states soon followed. In 1990, the state of Missouri declared US 66 in that state a "State Historic Route". The first "Historic Route 66" marker in Missouri was erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri (now replacedā€”the original sign has been placed at [Route 66 State Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_State_Park "Route 66 State Park") near [Eureka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka,_Missouri "Eureka, Missouri")).[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-38) Other historic markers now lineā€”at times sporadicallyā€”the entire 2,400-mile (3,900 km) length of road.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) In many communities, local groups have painted or stenciled the "66" and [U.S. Route shield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_shield "U.S. Route shield") or outline [directly onto the road surface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_shield_pavement_marking "Route shield pavement marking"), along with the state's name.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) This is common in areas where conventional signage for "Historic Route 66" is a target of repeated [theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_sign_theft "Street sign theft") by [souvenir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvenir "Souvenir") hunters.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-39) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Snow_cap_seligman.jpg/250px-Snow_cap_seligman.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_cap_seligman.jpg) [Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delgadillo%27s_Snow_Cap_Drive-In "Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In") in [Seligman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona"). The eatery is still a popular tourist stop. Various sections of the road itself have been placed on the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places"). The Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and US 66 in New Mexico have been made into National Scenic Byways. [Williams Historic Business District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_Historic_Business_District "Williams Historic Business District") and [Urban Route 66, Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Route_66,_Williams "Urban Route 66, Williams") were added to the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places") in 1984 and 1989, respectively. In 2005, the State of Missouri made the road a state scenic byway from Illinois to Kansas. In the cities of [Rancho Cucamonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Cucamonga,_California "Rancho Cucamonga, California"), [Rialto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto,_California "Rialto, California") and [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California") in California, there are US 66 signs erected along [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)") and also on Huntington Drive in the city of [Arcadia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia,_California "Arcadia, California"). "Historic Route 66" signs may be found along the old route on [Colorado Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Boulevard "Colorado Boulevard") in [Pasadena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasadena,_California "Pasadena, California") and along [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)") in [San Dimas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Dimas,_California "San Dimas, California"), [La Verne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Verne,_California "La Verne, California") and [Claremont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont,_California "Claremont, California"), California. The city of [Glendora, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendora,_California "Glendora, California"), renamed Alosta Avenue, its section of US 66, by calling it "Route 66". [Flagstaff, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"), renamed all but a few blocks of Santa Fe Avenue as "Route 66". Until 2017, when it was moved to the nearby [Millennium Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park "Millennium Park"), the annual June [Chicago Blues Festival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Blues_Festival "Chicago Blues Festival") was held each year in [Grant Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Park_\(Chicago\) "Grant Park (Chicago)") and included a "Route 66 Roadhouse" stage on Columbus Avenue, a few yards north of old US 66/Jackson Boulevard (both closed to traffic for the festival) and a block west of the route's former eastern terminus at [US 41](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_41_in_Illinois "U.S. Route 41 in Illinois") ([Lake Shore Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shore_Drive "Lake Shore Drive")).[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-40)[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-41) Many preservation groups have tried to save and even landmark the old [motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel "Motel") and [neon signs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_lighting "Neon lighting") along the road in some states.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-42) In 1999, President [Bill Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton "Bill Clinton") signed a *National Route 66 Preservation Bill* that provided for \$10 million in matching fund grants for preserving and restoring the historic features along the route.[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-43) Since 2001, [Springfield, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") has annually held its "International Route 66 Mother Road Festival" in its downtown district surrounding the [Old State Capitol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_State_Capitol_State_Historic_Site_\(Illinois\) "Old State Capitol State Historic Site (Illinois)").[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-44) In 2008, the [World Monuments Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Monuments_Fund "World Monuments Fund") added US 66 to the [World Monuments Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_World_Monuments_Watch "2008 World Monuments Watch") as sites along the route such as gas stations, motels, cafĆ©s, trading posts and drive-in movie theaters are threatened by development in urban areas and by abandonment and decay in rural areas.[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-45) The National Park Service developed a Route 66 *Discover Our Shared Heritage* Travel Itinerary describing over one hundred individual historic sites.[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-46) As the popularity and mythical stature of US 66 has continued to grow, demands have begun to mount to improve signage, return US 66 to road atlases and revive its status as a continuous routing. The U.S. Route 66 Recommissioning Initiative is a group that seeks to recertify US 66 as a [US Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Highway "US Highway") along a combination of historic and modern alignments.[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-47) The group's redesignation proposal does not enjoy universal support, as requirements that the route meet modern US Highway system specifications could force upgrades that compromise its historic integrity or require US 66 signage be moved to [Interstate highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_highway "Interstate highway") for some portions of the route. In 2018, the [AASHTO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials") designated the first sections of [U.S. Bicycle Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Bicycle_Route_66 "U.S. Bicycle Route 66"), part of the [United States Bicycle Route System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bicycle_Route_System "United States Bicycle Route System"), in Kansas and Missouri.[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-48) ### National Museum of American History \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: National Museum of American History")\] The [National Museum of American History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_American_History "National Museum of American History") in [Washington, D.C.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. "Washington, D.C.") has a section on US 66 in its "America on the Move" exhibition. In the exhibit is a portion of pavement of the route taken from Bridgeport, Oklahoma and a restored car and truck of the type that would have been driven on the road in the 1930s. Also on display is a "[Hamons Court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provine_Service_Station "Provine Service Station")" neon sign that hung at a gas station and tourist cabins near Hydro, Oklahoma, a "CABINS" neon sign that pointed to Ring's Rest tourist cabins in [Muirkirk, Maryland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muirkirk,_Maryland "Muirkirk, Maryland"), as well as several post cards a traveler sent back to his future wife while touring the route.[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-49) ### Museums and monuments in Oklahoma \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=9 "Edit section: Museums and monuments in Oklahoma")\] [Elk City, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") has the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum, which encompasses all eight states through which the Mother Road ran.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-50) [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma") has the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, designed to display the iconic ideas, images and myths of the Mother Road.[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-51) A memorial museum to the Route's namesake, [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers"), is located in [Claremore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremore,_Oklahoma "Claremore, Oklahoma"), while his birthplace ranch is maintained in [Oologah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oologah,_Oklahoma "Oologah, Oklahoma").[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-52) In [Sapulpa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapulpa,_Oklahoma "Sapulpa, Oklahoma"), the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum features a 66-foot-high (20 m) replica gas pump, the world's tallest.[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-53) [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma") has multiple sites, starting with the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, located at the east end of the historic [11th Street Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Street_Bridge "11th Street Bridge") over which the route passed and which includes a giant sculpture weighing 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg)[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-54) called "East Meets West". The sculpture depicts the Avery family riding west in a Model T Ford meeting an eastbound horse-drawn carriage.[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Barber-55) In 2020, Avery Plaza Southwest opened, at the west end of the bridge, which features a "neon park" with replicas of the neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels of the era, including the Tulsa Auto Court, the Oil Capital Motel and the famous bucking-bronco sign of the Will Rogers Motor Court.[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-56)[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-57) Future plans for that site also include a Route 66 Museum.[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-58) Also, Tulsa has installed "Route 66 Rising", a 70-by-30-foot (21.3 by 9.1 m) sculpture on the road's former eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road.[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-59) On Tulsa's Southwest Boulevard, between W. 23rd and W. 24th Streets there is a granite marker dedicated to Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway which features an image of namesake [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers") together with information on the route from [Michael Wallis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wallis "Michael Wallis"), author of *Route 66: The Mother Road*;[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-60) and, at Howard Park just past W. 25th Street, three Indiana limestone pillars are dedicated to Route 66 through Tulsa, with Route 66 \#1 devoted to Transportation, Route 66 \#2 devoted to Tulsa Industry and Native American Heritage and Route 66 \#3 devoted to Art Deco Architecture and American Culture.[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-61) At 3770 Southwest Blvd. is the Route 66 Historical Village, which includes a tourism information center modeled after a 1920s-1930s gas station and other period-appropriate artifacts such as the [Frisco 4500 steam locomotive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis%E2%80%93San_Francisco_4500 "St. Louisā€“San Francisco 4500") with train cars.[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-62) Elsewhere, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Signs-63) The markers are mostly along the highway's post-1932 alignment down 11th Street, with some along the road's 1926 path down Admiral Place.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Signs-63) ### Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=10 "Edit section: Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois")\] The Route 66 Association of Illinois maintains their Museum and Hall of Fame in [Pontiac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac,_Illinois "Pontiac, Illinois"). This free museum contains memorabilia and artifacts relating to Route 66, particularly in Illinois, as well as displays relating to the members of the Hall of Fame. Among items on display are the VW Microbus and "land yacht" belonging to the late [Bob Waldmire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Waldmire "Bob Waldmire"). ## Route description \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=11 "Edit section: Route description")\] Over the years, US 66 received numerous nicknames. Right after US 66 was commissioned, it was known as "The Great Diagonal Way" because the Chicago-to-Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest. Later, US 66 was advertised by the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") as "The Main Street of America". The title had also been claimed by supporters of [US 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 "U.S. Route 40"), but the US 66 group was more successful.\[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")*\] In the [John Steinbeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck") novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")*, the highway is called "The Mother Road", its prevailing title today.[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-mother_road-64) Lastly, US 66 was unofficially named "The Will Rogers Highway" by the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") in 1952, although a sign along the road with that name appeared in the [John Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford "John Ford") film, *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_\(film\) "The Grapes of Wrath (film)"),* which was released in 1940, twelve years before the association gave the road that name. A plaque dedicating the highway to [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers") is still located in [Santa Monica, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"). There are more plaques like this; one can be found in [Galena, Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"). It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-65) ### California \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=12 "Edit section: California")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_California "U.S. Route 66 in California") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/End_of_Route_66.jpg/250px-End_of_Route_66.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:End_of_Route_66.jpg) The replica of a movie prop sign found on the [Santa Monica Pier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Pier "Santa Monica Pier"). The western terminus of US 66 is nine blocks east of this sign. US 66 had its western terminus in California and covered 315 miles (507 km) in the state.[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-66-California-66) The terminus was located at the Pacific Coast Highway, then US 101 Alternate and now [SR 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_1_\(California\) "State Route 1 (California)"), at Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards in [Santa Monica, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"). The highway ran through major cities such as Santa Monica, [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles"), Pasadena and [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California"). San Bernardino also contains one of the two surviving [Wigwam Motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel") along US 66. The highway had major intersections with [US 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_101_in_California "U.S. Route 101 in California") in [Hollywood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Los_Angeles "Hollywood, Los Angeles"), [I-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_California "Interstate 5 in California") in Los Angeles, [I-15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_15_in_California "Interstate 15 in California") and [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_California "Interstate 40 in California") in [Barstow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barstow,_California "Barstow, California") and [US 95](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_95_in_California "U.S. Route 95 in California") in [Needles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needles,_California "Needles, California"). It also ran concurrent to I-40 at California's very eastern end.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-67) ### Arizona \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=13 "Edit section: Arizona")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Arizona "U.S. Route 66 in Arizona") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG/250px-Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG) US 66 marker on the corner of Navajo Boulevard and Hopi Drive in [Holbrook, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbrook,_Arizona "Holbrook, Arizona") In Arizona, the highway originally covered 401 miles (645 km) in the state. Along much of the way, US 66 paralleled [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_Arizona "Interstate 40 in Arizona"). It entered across the [Topock Gorge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topock_Gorge "Topock Gorge"), passing through [Oatman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona") along the way to [Kingman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona").[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-68) Between Kingman and [Seligman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona"), the route is still signed as [SR 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_State_Route_66 "Arizona State Route 66"). Notably, just between Seligman and [Flagstaff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"), [Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams,_Arizona "Williams, Arizona") was the last point on US 66 to be bypassed by an Interstate. The route also passed through the once-incorporated community of [Winona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winona,_Arizona "Winona, Arizona"). [Holbrook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbrook,_Arizona "Holbrook, Arizona") contains one of the two surviving [Wigwam Motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel") on the route.[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-69) ### New Mexico \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=14 "Edit section: New Mexico")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_New_Mexico "U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico") US 66 covered 380 miles (610 km) in the state and passed through many Indian reservations in the western half of New Mexico.[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-70) East of those reservations, the highway passed through [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico "Albuquerque, New Mexico"), [Santa Fe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico "Santa Fe, New Mexico") and [Las Vegas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"). As in Arizona, in New Mexico, U.S. 66 paralleled [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_New_Mexico "Interstate 40 in New Mexico").[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-71) ### Texas \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=15 "Edit section: Texas")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Texas "U.S. Route 66 in Texas") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg/250px-US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg) The [Midpoint CafĆ©](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midpoint_Caf%C3%A9 "Midpoint CafĆ©") in [Adrian, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian,_Texas "Adrian, Texas"), at the midpoint of the route US 66 covered 178 miles (286 km) in the Texas Panhandle, travelling in an eastā€“west line between [Glenrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrio,_New_Mexico_and_Texas "Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas") and [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola,_Oklahoma "Texola, Oklahoma").[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-72) [Adrian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian,_Texas "Adrian, Texas"), in the western Panhandle, was notable as the midpoint of the route. East of there, the highway passed through [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas") (famous for the [Cadillac Ranch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Ranch "Cadillac Ranch")), [Conway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway,_Texas "Conway, Texas"), [Groom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas "Groom, Texas") and [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas"). ### Oklahoma and Kansas \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=16 "Edit section: Oklahoma and Kansas")\] Main articles: [U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Oklahoma "U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma") and [Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Kansas "U.S. Route 66 in Kansas") See also: [Oklahoma State Highway 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Highway_66 "Oklahoma State Highway 66") and [K-66 (Kansas highway)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-66_\(Kansas_highway\) "K-66 (Kansas highway)") The highway covered 376 miles (605 km)[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-73) in Oklahoma. Today, it is marked by [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_Oklahoma "Interstate 40 in Oklahoma") west of [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City") and [SH-66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Highway_66 "Oklahoma State Highway 66") east of there. After entering at [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola,_Oklahoma "Texola, Oklahoma"), US 66 passed through [Sayre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre,_Oklahoma "Sayre, Oklahoma"), [Elk City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") and [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma") before entering Oklahoma City.[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-74) Beyond Oklahoma City, the highway passed through [Edmond](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond,_Oklahoma "Edmond, Oklahoma") on its way to [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma"). Past there, US 66 passed through [Miami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma "Miami, Oklahoma"), [North Miami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Miami,_Oklahoma "North Miami, Oklahoma"), [Commerce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce,_Oklahoma "Commerce, Oklahoma") and [Quapaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quapaw,_Oklahoma "Quapaw, Oklahoma") before entering Kansas where it covered only 13.2 miles (21.2 km).[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-75) Only three towns are located on the route in Kansas: [Galena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"), [Riverton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverton,_Kansas "Riverton, Kansas") and [Baxter Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baxter_Springs,_Kansas "Baxter Springs, Kansas"). ### Missouri \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=17 "Edit section: Missouri")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Missouri "U.S. Route 66 in Missouri") US 66 covered 292 miles (470 km) in Missouri. Upon entering from [Galena, Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"), the highway passed through [Joplin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri"). From there, it passed through [Carthage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage,_Missouri "Carthage, Missouri"); [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), where [Red's Giant Hamburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%27s_Giant_Hamburg "Red's Giant Hamburg"), the world's first drive-thru was located; [Lebanon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon,_Missouri "Lebanon, Missouri"); [Waynesville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waynesville,_Missouri "Waynesville, Missouri"), [Devils Elbow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Elbow,_Missouri "Devils Elbow, Missouri"); and [Rolla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolla,_Missouri "Rolla, Missouri") before passing through [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis").[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-76) ### Illinois \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=18 "Edit section: Illinois")\] Main article: [U.S. Route 66 in Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66_in_Illinois "U.S. Route 66 in Illinois") US 66 covered 301 miles (484 km) in Illinois. It entered Illinois in [East St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis,_Illinois "East St. Louis, Illinois") after crossing the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River"). Near there, it passed by [Cahokia Mounds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahokia_Mounds "Cahokia Mounds"), a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site "UNESCO World Heritage Site"). The highway then passed through [Hamel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamel,_Illinois "Hamel, Illinois"), [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") (passing by the [Illinois State Capitol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_State_Capitol "Illinois State Capitol")}, [Bloomington-Normal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal,_Illinois "Normal, Illinois"), [Pontiac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac,_Illinois "Pontiac, Illinois") and [Gardner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardner,_Illinois "Gardner, Illinois").[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-77) It then entered the [Chicago area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicagoland "Chicagoland"), originally through [Joliet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet,_Illinois "Joliet, Illinois") and later through [Plainfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plainfield,_Illinois "Plainfield, Illinois"). After passing through the suburbs, U.S. 66 entered [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") itself, where it terminated at [Lake Shore Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shore_Drive "Lake Shore Drive")[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Ill1955-78) starting in 1938, having originally ended at [Michigan Avenue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Avenue_\(Chicago\) "Michigan Avenue (Chicago)"). ## Special routes \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=19 "Edit section: Special routes")\] Main article: [Special routes of U.S. Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_routes_of_U.S._Route_66 "Special routes of U.S. Route 66") Several alternate alignments of US 66 occurred because of traffic issues. [Business routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_route "Business route") (BUS), [bypass routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bypass_route "Bypass route") (BYP), [alternate routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_route_\(highway\) "Alternate route (highway)") (ALT) and "optional routes" (OPT) (an early designation for alternate routes) came into being. An Alternate 66 existed in the Los Angeles area. Business routes also existed in [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino "San Bernardino"), [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas"), [Clinton (OK)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma"), [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City"), and [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa "Tulsa"). Various business, bypass, and alternate routes were located in the [Joplin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri") and [Springfield (MO)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri") areas and in several locations in Illinois. ## In popular culture \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=20 "Edit section: In popular culture")\] US 66 has been a fixture in popular culture. American pop-culture artists publicized US 66 and the experience, through song and television. [Bobby Troup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Troup "Bobby Troup") wrote "[(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/\(Get_Your_Kicks_on\)_Route_66 "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66")", which was popularized by [Nat King Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole "Nat King Cole") with the King Cole Trio and later covered by artists ranging from [Chuck Berry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Berry "Chuck Berry") and [Glenn Frey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Frey "Glenn Frey") to [The Manhattan Transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manhattan_Transfer "The Manhattan Transfer"), [John Mayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayer "John Mayer") and [Brian Setzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Setzer "Brian Setzer"), as well as [the Rolling Stones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones "The Rolling Stones") in their eponymous [debut album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_\(album\) "The Rolling Stones (album)"). The highway lent its name to the *[Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_\(TV_series\) "Route 66 (TV series)")* TV series in the 1960s,[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-79) which itself had a [popular theme song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_Theme_and_Other_Great_TV_Themes "Route 66 Theme and Other Great TV Themes") written and arranged by [Nelson Riddle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Riddle "Nelson Riddle"). [John Steinbeck's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck") novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")*, adapted to [film in 1940](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_\(film\) "The Grapes of Wrath (film)"), depicts the Joad family traveling to [California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California "California") on US 66 after being evicted from their small farm in [Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma "Oklahoma").[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-80) > 66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these the people are in flight and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight.[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-81) The 2006 animated film *[Cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_\(film\) "Cars (film)")* had the [working title](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_title "Working title") *Route 66* and described the decline of the fictional [Radiator Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiator_Springs "Radiator Springs"), nearly a ghost town once its mother road, US 66, was bypassed by [Interstate 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40"). The title was eventually changed to simply *Cars* to avoid confusion with the 1960s television series.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-82) On April 30, 2022, the 96th anniversary of the route's numerical designation, Route 66 was honored with a video [Google Doodle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Doodle "Google Doodle").[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-83) In 2026, the [US Postal Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Postal_Service "US Postal Service") will issue a set of eight stamps honoring Route 66.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-84) ## See also \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=21 "Edit section: See also")\] - ![logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Blank_shield.svg/40px-Blank_shield.svg.png)[U.S. Roads portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:U.S._Roads "Portal:U.S. Roads") - ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/HistoricPlacesNationalRegisterPlaque.JPG/40px-HistoricPlacesNationalRegisterPlaque.JPG)[National Register of Historic Places portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:National_Register_of_Historic_Places "Portal:National Register of Historic Places") - [Inland Empire 66ers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Empire_66ers "Inland Empire 66ers"), named after US 66 - [List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_landmarks_on_U.S._Route_66 "List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66") - [List of Route 66 museums](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Route_66_museums "List of Route 66 museums") - [Phillips 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_66 "Phillips 66"), a petroleum company named for the route - [Southern Transcon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Transcon "Southern Transcon") railroad equivalent, runs parallel to US 66 for significant portions of its length - [Tulsa 66ers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_66ers "Tulsa 66ers"), named after US 66 ## References \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=22 "Edit section: References")\] 1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-USH_1-0)** [Bureau of Public Roads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Public_Roads "Bureau of Public Roads") & [American Association of State Highway Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials "American Association of State Highway Officials") (November 11, 1926). [*United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg) (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: [United States Geological Survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Geological_Survey "United States Geological Survey"). [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [32889555](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/32889555). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170413153913/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg) from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2013 ā€“ via [Wikimedia Commons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Commons "Wikimedia Commons"). 2. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-2) Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (June 26, 1985). ["Route Numbering Committee Agenda"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Route_Numbering_Committee_Agenda_1985-06-26) (Report). Washington, DC: [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials"). Retrieved April 16, 2014 ā€“ via [Wikisource](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikisource "Wikisource"). 3. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NSB_3-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NSB_3-1) ["Historic Route 66 National Scenic Byway Map"](https://fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/2489/map?mapId=561). *America's Byways*. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 5, 2025. 4. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-4)** ["Route 66 Timeline"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Timeline.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181225135450/https://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-timeline/) from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 5. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-5)** ["A Table of Mileposts for the Original US 66 Alignment of 1926"](http://www.stjo66.de/mileposts_1926.htm). *Route 66 Web & Atlas*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181225135451/http://www.stjo66.de/mileposts_1926.htm%20) from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 6. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-6)** Longfellow, Rickie (June 30, 2023). ["Route '66' The Mother Road"](https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/back-time/route-66-mother-road). Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 31, 2025. 7. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-7)** Illinois Department of Transportation (2007). [*Illinois Highway Map*](http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/ref/collection/isl9/id/201) (Map) (2007ā€“2008 ed.). \[1:762,500\]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [244286974](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/244286974). Retrieved May 26, 2012 ā€“ via Illinois Digital Archives. 8. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-8)** ["Bloomington, IL"](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bloomington+IL&hl=en&sll=41.512177,-88.092499&sspn=0.283822,0.392075&hnear=Bloomington,+McLean,+Illinois&t=m&z=12) (Map). *[Google Maps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps "Google Maps")*. Retrieved May 26, 2012. 9. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-9)** ["Historic Route 66: Description"](http://www.historic66.com/description/mileage.html). *Historic66.com*. Swa Frantzen. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129084152/http://www.historic66.com/description/mileage.html) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014. 10. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-10)** Weiser, Kathy (2014). ["Beale's Wagon Road from New Mexico to California"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129065152/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad.html) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 11. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-11)** ["Cajon Pass"](http://www.backroadswest.com/MonthTrips/BreezeCajon.htm). *BackRoadsWest.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150708125234/http://www.backroadswest.com/MonthTrips/BreezeCajon.htm) from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2016. 12. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-12)** Old Spanish Trail Association. [*Map of the Ozark Trails*](http://www.drivetheost.com/ozarkmap.html) (Map). Old Spanish Trail Association. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120416010408/http://www.drivetheost.com/ozarkmap.html) from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. \[*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include "Wikipedia:Citing sources")*\] 13. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-1926_Rand_McNally_13-0)** Rand McNally (1926). [*Auto Road Atlas*](http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/) (Map). Chicago: Rand McNally. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120427035609/http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/) from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012 ā€“ via Broer Maps Online. 14. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-tremeear-10_14-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-tremeear-10_14-1) \* Tremeear, Janice (2013). *Illinois' Haunted Route 66*. History Press. p. 10. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-626-19252-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-626-19252-2 "Special:BookSources/978-1-626-19252-2") . 15. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-15)** ["Route 66 Birthplace Festival Set for Springfield, Missouri"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129031245/http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/03/22/route-66-birthplace-festival-set-for-springfield-missouri/). *Hemmings Motor News*. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 16. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-16)** ["Then, Now and In Between"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129031701/http://www.springfieldmo.org/discover/springfield-history). Springfield, Missouri, Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from [the original](http://www.springfieldmo.org/discover/springfield-history) on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 17. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-birthandrise_17-0)** ["Exactly Where Is Route 66"](http://route66chamberofcommerce.homestead.com/Whereis66PAGE.html). *Route66 Chamber of Commerce*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150412060457/http://route66chamberofcommerce.homestead.com/Whereis66PAGE.html) from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2014. \[*[self-published source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published_sources "Wikipedia:Verifiability")*\] 18. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-18)** Kelly, Susan Croce (2014). *Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery*. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 159. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-806-14778-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-806-14778-9 "Special:BookSources/978-0-806-14778-9") . 19. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-FHWA_planning_19-0)** Weingroff, Richard F. (April 7, 2011). ["From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System"](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm). *Highway History*. [Federal Highway Administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Highway_Administration "Federal Highway Administration"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110521204506/http://wwwcf.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm) from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 20. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-20)** [Kelly (2014)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#CITEREFKelly2014), p. 170 21. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-21)** Missouri State Highway Commission (1926). [*Road Map of Missouri*](http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1926001_reduced.pdf) (PDF) (Map). Jefferson City: Missouri State Highway Commission. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111226130528/http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1926001_reduced.pdf) (PDF) from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 22. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-22)** ["The Great American Foot Race"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120422144247/http://archive.itvs.org/footrace/progress/progress.htm). Archived from [the original](http://archive.itvs.org/footrace/progress/progress.htm) on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 23. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-dedek-35_23-0)** Dedek, Peter B. (2007). *Hip to the Trip: A Cultural History of Route 66*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 35. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0826341945](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0826341945 "Special:BookSources/978-0826341945") . 24. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-3) [***e***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-4) ["Route 66 History"](http://www.route66world.com/66_history/). Route 66 World. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200823215839/http://www.route66world.com/66_history/) from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 25. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-RegistryListing_25-0)** ["Tower Station"](http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=2097001160&site_name=Tower+Station&class=2001). *Texas Historic Sites Atlas*. [Texas Historical Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Historical_Commission "Texas Historical Commission"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160123062046/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=2097001160&site_name=Tower+Station&class=2001) from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2010. 26. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NRHP_26-0)** [National Park Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service "National Park Service") (n.d.). ["Texas: Wheeler County"](http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/tx/Wheeler/state.html). *[National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places")*. National Park Service. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100615064334/http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/TX/Wheeler/state.html) from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2010. 27. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-27)** ["Vega, Texas"](http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Texas/vega.htm). *TheRoadWanderer.net*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150128031604/http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Texas/vega.htm) from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 28. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-28)** Gribbin, John; Feynman, Richard (1997). *A Life in Science*. p. 96. 29. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-R66_29-0)** Wallis, Michael. *Route 66: The Mother Road*. New York: St. Martin's. pp. 90ā€“92\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [0-312-08285-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-312-08285-1 "Special:BookSources/0-312-08285-1") . 30. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-2) National Park Service (n.d.). ["Route 66"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160920204858/https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/text_only.html#illinois_road_segments). National Park Service. Archived from [the original](http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/text_only.html#illinois_road_segments) on September 20, 2016. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 31. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-31)** ["Santa Fe, Pre 1938 Rt. 66 Alignment"](http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66NMex/santafe.htm). *Shadows of Old Route 66*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120504084124/http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66NMex/santafe.htm) from the original on May 4, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 32. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-32)** ["U.S. Route 66 in Arizona Multiple Property Submission"](https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/64500038_text). *National Register of Historic Places*. National Park Service. April 5, 1989. pp. 25ā€“26\. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210912225200/https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/64500038_text) from the original on September 12, 2021. Retrieved September 13, 2022. 33. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-33)** Petroski, Henry (2006). "On the Road". *American Scientist*. Vol. 94, no. 5. pp. 396ā€“399\. [doi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_\(identifier\) "Doi (identifier)"):[10\.1511/2006.61.396](https://doi.org/10.1511%2F2006.61.396). [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0003-0996](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0003-0996). 34. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-34)** ["Route 66 Sidewalk Highway"](http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/route-66-sidewalk-highway). *Atlas Obscura*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170828061853/http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/route-66-sidewalk-highway) from the original on August 28, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2017. 35. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-bosglobe_35-0)** Cobb, Nathan (May 3, 1992). ["Searching for Route 66"](https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/61756809.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current). *Boston Globe*. p. 18. `{{cite news}}`: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service "Category:CS1 maint: deprecated archival service")) 36. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-mo66a_36-0)** ["Historic Route 66 Association of Missouri website"](http://www.missouri66.org/). Missouri66.org. April 14, 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200816231636/https://missouri66.org/) from the original on August 16, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2012. 37. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-il66a_37-0)** ["Route 66 Association of Illinois history website"](https://www.il66assoc.org/association-history/). il66assoc.org. June 23, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2024. 38. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-38)** Sonderman, Joe. ["A Bit of Missouri 66 History"](http://www.66postcards.com/hist.html). *66Postcards.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141105154916/http://www.66postcards.com/hist.html) from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 39. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-39)** ["Finding Your Way on Route 66"](http://www.route-66.tv/finding-your-way-route66.html). *Route-66.tv*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141230172153/http://www.route-66.tv/finding-your-way-route66.html) from the original on December 30, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 40. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-40)** Matthews, David (March 28, 2017). ["Chicago Blues Festival 2017 Lineup, New Location Revealed"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170611145415/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170328/downtown/chicago-blues-festival-2017-lineup-new-location-revealed). *[DNAinfo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNAinfo "DNAinfo")*. 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["Route 66 Motels an Endangered Species"](https://oklahoman.com/article/3056671/route-66-motels-an-endangered-species). *[The Oklahoman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oklahoman "The Oklahoman")*. [Associated Press](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Press "Associated Press"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190818030244/https://oklahoman.com/article/3056671/route-66-motels-an-endangered-species) from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 17, 2019. 43. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-43)** Welch, Kevin (July 1, 1999). ["House OKs Route 66 Bill"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120325041510/http://amarillo.com/stories/070199/new_route.shtml). *[Amarillo Globe-News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo_Globe-News "Amarillo Globe-News")*. Archived from [the original](http://www.amarillo.com/stories/070199/new_route.shtml) on March 25, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 44. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-44)** ["13th Annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival & Car Show"](http://www.route66fest.com/). *Route66fest.com*. The Promotion Company. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129105832/http://www.route66fest.com/) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014. 45. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-45)** ["Historic Route 66"](http://www.wmf.org/project/historic-route-66). World Monuments Fund. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120416201825/http://www.wmf.org/project/historic-route-66) from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 46. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-46)** National Park Service (n.d.). ["List of Sites"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170706142429/https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/listofsites66.html). *Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary: Route 66*. National Park Service. Archived from [the original](http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/listofsites66.html) on July 6, 2017. Retrieved June 11, 2017. 47. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-47)** Cain, Fred M. ["The Plan"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120406080210/http://www.bringbackroute66.com/theplan.html). Route 66 Recommissioning Initiative. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2012. 48. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-48)** Charboneau, Michael (July 16, 2018). ["Get Your Kicks Biking Route 66"](https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/07/get-your-kicks-biking-route-66/565175/). *[CityLab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityLab_\(website\) "CityLab (website)")*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20180825184124/https://www.citylab.com/life/2018/07/get-your-kicks-biking-route-66/565175/) from the original on August 25, 2018. 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["Tulsa resurrects a lost piece of Route 66 history"](https://tulsaworld.com/news/michael-overall-tulsa-resurrects-a-lost-piece-of-route-66-history/article_c1908035-7cf1-5149-9daa-2f58d62216e1.html). *Tulsa World*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200824180522/https://tulsaworld.com/news/michael-overall-tulsa-resurrects-a-lost-piece-of-route-66-history/article_c1908035-7cf1-5149-9daa-2f58d62216e1.html) from the original on August 24, 2020. Retrieved August 23, 2020. 57. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-57)** Canfield, Kevin (January 30, 2019). ["It's a big part of our history: City should resurrect 11th Street bridge over Arkansas River, preservationists say"](https://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/it-s-a-big-part-of-our-history-city-should/article_d1cf1682-9115-5b96-8dd7-46a0ddd62d8b.html). *Tulsa World*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190130192942/https://www.tulsaworld.com/homepagelatest/it-s-a-big-part-of-our-history-city-should/article_d1cf1682-9115-5b96-8dd7-46a0ddd62d8b.html) from the original on January 30, 2019. Retrieved January 30, 2019. 58. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-58)** Christy, Erin (January 4, 2022). ["Interactive Route 66 museum, drive-in theater pushing for a 2022 groundbreaking"](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/interactive-route-66-museum-drive-in-theater-pushing-for-a-2022-groundbreaking/ar-AASqZjr?ocid=msedgntp). [KTUL-TV](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KTUL-TV "KTUL-TV"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220105185649/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/interactive-route-66-museum-drive-in-theater-pushing-for-a-2022-groundbreaking/ar-AASqZjr?ocid=msedgntp) from the original on January 5, 2022. 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[Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200915042206/https://www.travelok.com/listings/view.profile/id.19375) from the original on September 15, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020. 63. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-Signs_63-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-Signs_63-1) Overall, Michael (October 15, 2019). ["Sign seeing: Route 66 historical markers were 'a long time coming'"](https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/route66/sign-seeing-route-historical-markers-were-a-long-time-coming/article_a2ed21ce-bdab-57a5-b351-b16e7219105b.html). *Tulsa World*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20191015184115/https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/route66/sign-seeing-route-historical-markers-were-a-long-time-coming/article_a2ed21ce-bdab-57a5-b351-b16e7219105b.html) from the original on October 15, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019. 64. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-mother_road_64-0)** McClure, Rosemary (November 29, 2010). ["Get Your Kicks on Route 66ā€”and 499 Other Great Highways"](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-nov-29-la-trb-drives-20101124-story.html). *Los Angeles Times*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20101206073258/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/29/news/la-trb-drives-20101124) from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 7, 2010. 65. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-65)** Stokes, Keith. ["Historic Route 66: Galena, Kansas"](http://www.kansastravel.org/route66b.htm). *KansasTravel.org*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120614031722/http://www.kansastravel.org/route66b.htm) from the original on June 14, 2012. Retrieved June 12, 2012. 66. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-66-California_66-0)** ["Route 66 California"](http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/california/california.html). *Road Trip USA*. Avalon Travel. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150408064004/http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/california/california.html) from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved November 12, 2014. 67. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-67)** Weiser, Kathy (2010). ["About California Route 66 ā€“ Info & History"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-californiaroad.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129065359/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-californiaroad.html) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 68. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-68)** ["Old Route 66: Oatman"](http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/arizona/r66_oldroute66.html). *Road Trip USA*. Avalon Travel. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150512174824/http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/arizona/r66_oldroute66.html) from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 69. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-69)** ["Holbrook: Wigwam Village"](http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/arizona/r66_holbrook.html). *Road Trip USA*. Avalon Travel. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060522194903/http://www.roadtripusa.com/routes/route66/arizona/r66_holbrook.html) from the original on May 22, 2006. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 70. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-70)** ["Route 66"](http://www.americansouthwest.net/new_mexico/route_66/). *AmericanSouthwest.net*. John Crossley. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160617025009/http://www.americansouthwest.net/new_mexico/route_66/) from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 71. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-71)** ["Route 66 History"](http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/albuquerque/route-66/history/). Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160629112509/http://www.visitalbuquerque.org/albuquerque/route-66/history/) from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 72. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-72)** Weiser, Kathy (2011). ["About Texas Route 66 ā€“ Info & History"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-texasroad.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160702064803/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-texasroad.html) from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 73. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-73)** ["Oklahoma: Route 66"](https://www.theroute-66.com/oklahoma.html). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190501180104/https://www.theroute-66.com/oklahoma.html) from the original on May 1, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2019. 74. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-74)** Weiser, Kathy (2013). ["Route 66 Through Oklahoma"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129065403/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-oklahomaroad2.html). *Legends of America*. p. 2. Archived from [the original](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-oklahomaroad2.html) on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 75. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-75)** ["Kansas Route 66 Main Page"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-kansas.html). *Legends of America*. 2012. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160715150325/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-kansas.html) from the original on July 15, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 76. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-76)** Weiser, Kathy (2012). ["About Missouri Route 66: Info & History"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-missouriroad.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160629143447/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-missouriroad.html) from the original on June 29, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 77. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-77)** ["Historic Route 66: Illinois"](http://www.historic66.com/illinois/). *Historic66.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160623184752/http://www.historic66.com/illinois/) from the original on June 23, 2016. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 78. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-Ill1955_78-0)** Illinois Division of Highways (April 1, 1955). [*Illinois Official Highway Map*](http://www.idaillinois.org/u?/isl9,84) (Map). 1:805,000. Springfield: Illinois Division of Highways. Chicago and Vicinity inset. [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [713840599](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/713840599). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201203210744/http://www.idaillinois.org/digital/collection/isl9/id/84) from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2014 ā€“ via Illinois Digital Collections. 79. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-79)** Snyder, Tom (2000). *Welcome to the Old Road*. New York: St Martin's Press. p. xii. 80. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-80)** McGreal, Chris (August 27, 2009). ["*The Grapes of Wrath* Revisited: Same Road, Same Grim Story, Same Sense of Optimism"](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/28/us-grapes-wrath-route-66). *The Guardian*. London. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20161003143111/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/aug/28/us-grapes-wrath-route-66) from the original on October 3, 2016. Retrieved October 2, 2016. 81. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-81)** *Grapes of Wrath*, chapter 12.\[*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include "Wikipedia:Citing sources")*\] 82. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-82)** drmcreif; paladin-64; preshusbane (2014). ["Synopsis for *Cars* (2006)"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317219/synopsis). *IMDb*. Amazon. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150609060358/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317219/synopsis) from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved November 18, 2014. `{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list "Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list")) 83. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-83)** ["Celebrating Route 66"](https://doodles.google/doodle/celebrating-route-66/). *www.google.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220429225637/http://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-route-66) from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022. 84. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-84)** USPS. ["Route 66 - Stamps Forever"](https://www.stampsforever.com/stamps/route-66). ## Further reading \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=23 "Edit section: Further reading")\] - "Arizona Highways". *Arizona Highways: The Window of the West*. July 1981. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0004-1521](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0004-1521). Entire issue about Route 66. - Baker, T. Lindsay (2016). *Portrait of Route 66: Images from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives*. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0806153414](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0806153414 "Special:BookSources/978-0806153414") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [932618601](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/932618601). - Bischoff, Matt D. (2005). *Life in the Past Lane the Route 66 Experience: Historic Management Contexts for the Route 66 Corridor in California*. Statistical Research, Inc. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1879442887](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1879442887 "Special:BookSources/978-1879442887") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [68569034](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/68569034). - Freeth, Nick (2001). *Route 66*. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-7603-0864-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-0864-6 "Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-0864-6") . - [Krim, Arthur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._Krim "Arthur J. Krim"); Wood, Denis (2005). [*Route 66: Iconography of the American Highway*](https://archive.org/details/route66iconograp0000krim) (1st ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Center for American Places. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1930066359](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1930066359 "Special:BookSources/978-1930066359") . - Mahar, Lisa (2002). *American Signs: Form and Meaning on Route 66*. New York: Monacelli Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [97-81580931199](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/97-81580931199 "Special:BookSources/97-81580931199") . - Miller, Blue (2021). *Abandoned Route 66 Arizona: Where the Road Came to an End*. America Through Time. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1634993043](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1634993043 "Special:BookSources/978-1634993043") . - Rittenhouse, Jack D. (1989) \[1946\]. *A Guide Book to Highway 66*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8263-1148-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1148-1 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1148-1") . - Robson, Ellen; Freeman, Dianne (1999). *Haunted highway : the spirits of Route 66*. Phoenix: Golden West Publishers. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [9781885590435](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781885590435 "Special:BookSources/9781885590435") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [40964950](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/40964950). - Ross, Jim; Graham, Shellee (2017). *Secret Route 66: a guide to the weird, wonderful and obscure*. St. Louis, MO: Reedy Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1681061078](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1681061078 "Special:BookSources/978-1681061078") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [980845474](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/980845474). - Schneider, Jill (1991). *Route 66 Across New Mexico: A Wanderer's Guide*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8263-1280-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1280-8 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1280-8") . - Scott, Quinta; Kelly, Susan Croce (1988). [*Route 66: A Highway and Its People*](https://archive.org/details/route6600susa). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8061-2291-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8061-2291-5 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8061-2291-5") . - Taseer, Aatish; Moore, Andrew (May 15, 2025). ["What a New American Citizen Learned on Route 66"](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/t-magazine/american-road-trip-route-66.html). *The New York Times*. - [Wallis, Michael](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wallis "Michael Wallis") (2001). [*Route 66: The Mother Road*](https://archive.org/details/route6675thanniv00mich). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-312-28167-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-312-28167-0 "Special:BookSources/978-0-312-28167-0") . ## External links \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=24 "Edit section: External links")\] - [![Wikimedia Commons logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/20px-Commons-logo.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Commons-logo.svg) Media related to [U.S. Route 66](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:U.S._Route_66 "commons:Category:U.S. Route 66") at Wikimedia Commons - [![Wikivoyage logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dd/Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg/20px-Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wikivoyage-Logo-v3-icon.svg) [U.S. Route 66](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Route_66#Q79934 "voy:Route 66") travel guide from Wikivoyage | [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:U.S._Routes "Template:U.S. Routes") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:U.S._Routes "Template talk:U.S. Routes") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:U.S._Routes "Special:EditPage/Template:U.S. Routes")[![Click for the article on the U.S. Route shield](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/US_blank_cutout.svg/20px-US_blank_cutout.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_shield "U.S. Route shield") [United States Numbered Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "United States Numbered Highway System") | |---| | [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_1 "U.S. Route 1") [2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_2 "U.S. Route 2") [3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_3 "U.S. Route 3") [4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_4 "U.S. Route 4") [5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_5 "U.S. Route 5") [6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_6 "U.S. Route 6") [7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_7 "U.S. Route 7") [8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_8 "U.S. Route 8") [9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_9 "U.S. Route 9") [10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_10 "U.S. Route 10") [11](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_11 "U.S. Route 11") [12](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_12 "U.S. Route 12") [13](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_13 "U.S. Route 13") [14](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_14 "U.S. Route 14") [15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_15 "U.S. Route 15") [16](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_16 "U.S. Route 16") [17](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_17 "U.S. Route 17") [18](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_18 "U.S. Route 18") [19](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_19 "U.S. Route 19") [20](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_20 "U.S. Route 20") [21](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_21 "U.S. Route 21") [22](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_22 "U.S. Route 22") [23](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_23 "U.S. Route 23") [24](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_24 "U.S. Route 24") [25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_25 "U.S. Route 25") [26](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_26 "U.S. Route 26") [27](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_27 "U.S. Route 27") *[28](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_28 "U.S. Route 28")* [29](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_29 "U.S. Route 29") [30](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_30 "U.S. Route 30") [31](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_31 "U.S. Route 31") *[32](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_6 "U.S. Route 6")* [33](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_33 "U.S. Route 33") [34](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_34 "U.S. Route 34") [35](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_35 "U.S. Route 35") [36](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_36 "U.S. Route 36") *[37](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_31E "U.S. Route 31E")* *[38](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_6 "U.S. Route 6")* [40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 "U.S. Route 40") [41](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_41 "U.S. Route 41") [42](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_42 "U.S. Route 42") [43](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_43 "U.S. Route 43") [44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_44 "U.S. Route 44") [45](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_45 "U.S. Route 45") [46](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_46 "U.S. Route 46") [48](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_48 "U.S. Route 48") [49](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_49 "U.S. Route 49") [50](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_50 "U.S. Route 50") [51](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_51 "U.S. Route 51") [52](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_52 "U.S. Route 52") [53](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_53 "U.S. Route 53") [54](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_54 "U.S. Route 54") *[55](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_55 "U.S. Route 55")* [56](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_56 "U.S. Route 56") [57](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_57 "U.S. Route 57") [58](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_58 "U.S. Route 58") [59](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_59 "U.S. Route 59") [60](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60 "U.S. Route 60") [61](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_61 "U.S. Route 61") [62](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_62 "U.S. Route 62") [63](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_63 "U.S. Route 63") [64](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_64 "U.S. Route 64") [65](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_65 "U.S. Route 65") *[66]()* [67](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_67 "U.S. Route 67") [68](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_68 "U.S. Route 68") [69](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_69 "U.S. Route 69") [70](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_70 "U.S. Route 70") [71](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_71 "U.S. Route 71") [72](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_72 "U.S. Route 72") [73](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_73 "U.S. Route 73") [74](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_74 "U.S. Route 74") [75](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_75 "U.S. Route 75") [76](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_76 "U.S. Route 76") [77](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_77 "U.S. Route 77") [78](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_78 "U.S. Route 78") [79](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_79 "U.S. Route 79") [80](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_80 "U.S. Route 80") [81](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_81 "U.S. Route 81") [82](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_82 "U.S. Route 82") [83](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_83 "U.S. Route 83") [84](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_84 "U.S. Route 84") [85](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_85 "U.S. Route 85") [87](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_87 "U.S. Route 87") [89](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_89 "U.S. Route 89") [90](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_90 "U.S. Route 90") [91](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_91 "U.S. Route 91") [92](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_92 "U.S. Route 92") [93](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_93 "U.S. Route 93") *[94](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiami_Trail "Tamiami Trail")* [95](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_95 "U.S. Route 95") [96](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_96 "U.S. Route 96") [97](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_97 "U.S. Route 97") [98](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_98 "U.S. Route 98") *[99](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_99 "U.S. Route 99")* [101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_101 "U.S. Route 101") [163](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_163 "U.S. Route 163") [400](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_400 "U.S. Route 400") [412](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_412 "U.S. Route 412") [425](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_425 "U.S. Route 425") | | [Mainline highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways "List of United States Numbered Highways") [Divided routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_divided_U.S._Routes "List of divided U.S. Routes") [Special routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_routes_of_the_United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System") | | Routes in *italics* are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system. | | [v](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:US_66 "Template:US 66") [t](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template_talk:US_66 "Template talk:US 66") [e](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:EditPage/Template:US_66 "Special:EditPage/Template:US 66")U.S. Routes related to [US 66]() | | | |---|---|---| | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7b/US_66_%281961_cutout%29.svg/40px-US_66_%281961_cutout%29.svg.png) | [US 166](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_166 "U.S. Route 166") [US 266](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_266 "U.S. Route 266") US 366 *[1927ā€“1932](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_366_\(1927%E2%80%931932\) "U.S. Route 366 (1927ā€“1932)")* *[1932ā€“1939](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_366_\(1932%E2%80%931939\) "U.S. Route 366 (1932ā€“1939)")* *[US 466](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_466 "U.S. Route 466")* *[US 566](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_380 "U.S. Route 380")* *[US 666](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_491 "U.S. Route 491")* [Special](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_routes_of_U.S._Route_66 "Special routes of U.S. Route 66") | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/US_66.svg/40px-US_66.svg.png) | | *Italics* denotes former route | | | | [Authority control databases](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Authority_control "Help:Authority control") [![Edit this at Wikidata](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/8a/OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg/20px-OOjs_UI_icon_edit-ltr-progressive.svg.png)](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79934#identifiers "Edit this at Wikidata") | | |---|---| | International | [VIAF](https://viaf.org/viaf/239123146) [2](https://viaf.org/viaf/315527102) [GND](https://d-nb.info/gnd/4290117-0) [FAST](https://id.worldcat.org/fast/1247736) [WorldCat](https://id.oclc.org/worldcat/entity/E39PBJmdyqpCk4tpTVFtjVbDbd) | | National | [United States](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/sh88002477) [France](https://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb125515150) [BnF data](https://data.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb125515150) [Czech Republic](https://aleph.nkp.cz/F/?func=find-c&local_base=aut&ccl_term=ica=ge687926&CON_LNG=ENG) [Spain](https://datos.bne.es/resource/XX5648871) [Israel](https://www.nli.org.il/en/authorities/987007539113305171) | | Other | [IdRef](https://www.idref.fr/08612773X) [Yale LUX](https://lux.collections.yale.edu/view/place/3879a49c-6e57-4f29-9d87-3250c615735b) | ![](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?useformat=desktop&type=1x1&usesul3=1) Retrieved from "<https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&oldid=1347746817>" [Categories](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Category "Help:Category"): - 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Readable Markdown
| [![U.S. Route 66 marker](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d4/US_66.svg/120px-US_66.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_66.svg) U.S. Route 66 | | | |---|---|---| | Will Rogers Memorial Highway | | | | [![Map](https://maps.wikimedia.org/img/osm-intl,a,a,a,290x240.png?lang=en&domain=en.wikipedia.org&title=U.S._Route_66&groups=_7e6440e36cd19fe187b14e4766746c32dbb1bcbc&parser=legacy)]()The final alignments of U.S. Route 66 in red, with older alignments in pink | | | | Route information | | | | Length | 2,448 mi (3,940 km) | | | Existed | November 11, 1926[\[1\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-USH-1)ā€“June 26, 1985[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) | | | Tourist routes | ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/MUTCD_M10-1.svg/20px-MUTCD_M10-1.svg.png) Historic Route 66 [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") (selected segments)[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NSB-3) | | | Major junctions | | | | West end | [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"), California | | | East end | [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago"), Illinois | | | Location | | | | Country | [United States](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States "United States") | | | States | [California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California "California"), [Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona "Arizona"), [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"), [Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas "Texas"), [Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma "Oklahoma"), [Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansas "Kansas"), [Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri "Missouri"), [Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois "Illinois") | | | Highway system | | | | **[United States Numbered Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "United States Numbered Highway System")** [List](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Numbered_Highways "List of United States Numbered Highways") [Special](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_special_routes_of_the_United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "List of special routes of the United States Numbered Highway System") [Divided](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_divided_U.S._Routes "List of divided U.S. Routes") | | | | | | | | ā† ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/US_65.svg/40px-US_65.svg.png) [US 65](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_65 "U.S. Route 65") | | ā†’ ![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6c/US_67.svg/40px-US_67.svg.png) [US 67](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_67 "U.S. Route 67") | **U.S. Route 66** or **U.S. Highway 66** (**US 66** or **Route 66**) was one of the original highways in the [United States Numbered Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highway_System "United States Numbered Highway System"). It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year.[\[4\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-4) The highway ran from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago"), Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona before terminating in [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"), California, covering a total of 2,448 miles (3,940 km).[\[5\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-5) It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song "[(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/\(Get_Your_Kicks_on\)_Route_66 "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66")" and the *[Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_\(TV_series\) "Route 66 (TV series)")* television series, which aired on [CBS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CBS "CBS") from 1960 to 1964. It was also featured in the [Disney](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walt_Disney_Company "The Walt Disney Company")/[Pixar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixar "Pixar") animated feature film franchise *[Cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_\(franchise\) "Cars (franchise)"),* beginning in 2006. In [John Steinbeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck")'s novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")* (1939), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the **Mother Road**. Other designations and nicknames include the **Will Rogers Highway** and the **Main Street of America**, the latter nickname shared with [U.S. Route 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 "U.S. Route 40").[\[6\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-6) US 66 was a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the [Dust Bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl "Dust Bowl") of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous and they later fought to keep it alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the more advanced [freeways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled-access_highway "Controlled-access highway") of the [Interstate Highway System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System "Interstate Highway System") in the 1960s and 1970s. US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but it was officially [removed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decommissioned_highway "Decommissioned highway") from the United States Highway System in 1985[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) after it was entirely replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California have been communally designated a [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") by the name **Historic Route 66**,[\[3\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NSB-3) returning the name to some maps.[\[7\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-7)[\[8\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-8) Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former US 66 into their state road networks as [State Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highways_numbered_66#United_States "List of highways numbered 66") and much of the former route within [San Bernardino County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_County,_California "San Bernardino County, California"), California, is designated as [County Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_Route_66_\(San_Bernardino_County,_California\) "County Route 66 (San Bernardino County, California)"). The corridor is also being redeveloped into [U.S. Bicycle Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Bicycle_Route_66 "U.S. Bicycle Route 66"), a part of the [United States Bicycle Route System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bicycle_Route_System "United States Bicycle Route System") that was developed in the 2010s. ### Before the U.S. Highway System \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=2 "Edit section: Before the U.S. Highway System")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg/250px-Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rte66RightOfWayMarker.jpg) A remnant of an original state right-of-way marker serves as a reminder of the early days of the road's construction. This was part of the 1927 construction of US 66. In 1857, Lt. [Edward Fitzgerald Beale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Fitzgerald_Beale "Edward Fitzgerald Beale"), a naval officer in the service of the [U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corps_of_Topographical_Engineers "Corps of Topographical Engineers"), was ordered by the [War Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_War "United States Department of War") to build a government-funded wagon road along the [35th Parallel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35th_parallel_north "35th parallel north"). His secondary orders were to test the feasibility of the use of [camels as pack animals in the southwestern desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Camel_Corps "U.S. Camel Corps"). This road became part of US 66.[\[10\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-10) Parts of the original Route 66 from 1913, prior to its official naming and commissioning, can still be seen north of the [Cajon Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajon_Pass "Cajon Pass"). The paved road becomes a dirt road, south of Cajon, which was also the original Route 66.[\[11\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-11) Before a nationwide network of numbered highways was adopted by the states, [auto trails](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_trail "Auto trail") were marked by private organizations. The route that became US 66 was covered by three highways: - The Lone Star Route passed through [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis") on its way from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") to [Cameron, Louisiana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameron,_Louisiana "Cameron, Louisiana") (although US 66 would take a shorter route through [Bloomington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomington,_Illinois "Bloomington, Illinois") rather than [Peoria](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoria,_Illinois "Peoria, Illinois")). - The transcontinental [National Old Trails Road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Old_Trails_Road "National Old Trails Road") led via St. Louis to [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles"), but was not followed until [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"). Instead, US 66 used one of the main routes of the [Ozark Trails](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozark_Trail_\(auto_trail\) "Ozark Trail (auto trail)") system,[\[12\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-12) which ended at the National Old Trails Road just south of [Las Vegas, New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"). Again, a shorter route was taken, here following the Postal Highway between [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City,_Oklahoma "Oklahoma City, Oklahoma") and [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas"). - The National Old Trails Road became the rest of the route to Los Angeles.[\[13\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-1926_Rand_McNally-13) Legislation for public highways first appeared in 1916, with revisions in 1921, but the government did not execute a national highway construction plan until Congress enacted an even more comprehensive version of the act in 1925. The original inspiration for a road between Chicago and Los Angeles was planned by entrepreneurs [Cyrus Avery](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyrus_Avery "Cyrus Avery") of [Tulsa, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma") and [John T. Woodruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Woodruff "John T. Woodruff") of [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), who lobbied the [American Association of State Highway Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials "American Association of State Highway Officials") (AASHO) for the creation of a route following the 1925 plans.[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-tremeear-10-14) ### Birthplace and rise of US 66 \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=3 "Edit section: Birthplace and rise of US 66")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d9/US_66_Arizona_1926.svg/250px-US_66_Arizona_1926.svg.png)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_66_Arizona_1926.svg) The route sign from 1926 to 1948 in [Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona "Arizona") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg/250px-Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Woodruff_Building_Springfield_MO_Sept2025_A.jpg) Route 66 marker outside the [Woodruff Building](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodruff_Building "Woodruff Building") in [Springfield, MO.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri") [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bb/Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg/250px-Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Adams_Street_WB_past_Michigan_Avenue_Chicago.jpeg) Modern 'historic' signage in Chicago The numerical designation 66 was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on April 30, 1926,[\[14\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-tremeear-10-14) in [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"). A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri,[\[15\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-15) and traces of the "Mother Road" are still visible in downtown Springfield, along Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, College Street and St. Louis Street and on [Route 266](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_266 "Missouri Route 266") to [Halltown, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halltown,_Missouri "Halltown, Missouri").[\[16\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-16) Championed by Avery when the first talks about a national highway system began, US 66 was first signed into law in 1927 as one of the original [U.S. Highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Numbered_Highways "United States Numbered Highways"), although it was not completely paved until 1938. Avery was adamant that the highway have a round number and had proposed number 60 to identify it. A controversy erupted over the number 60, largely from delegates from [Kentucky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kentucky "Kentucky") who wanted a [Virginia Beach](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Beach,_Virginia "Virginia Beach, Virginia")ā€“Los Angeles highway to be [US 60](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60 "U.S. Route 60") and [US 62](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_62 "U.S. Route 62") between [Chicago, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago,_Illinois "Chicago, Illinois") and Springfield, Missouri.[\[17\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-birthandrise-17)\[*[self-published source?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published_sources "Wikipedia:Verifiability")*\] Arguments and counterarguments continued throughout February, including a proposal to split the proposed route through Kentucky into Route 60 North (to Chicago) and Route 60 South (to [Newport News](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newport_News,_Virginia "Newport News, Virginia")).[\[18\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-18) The final conclusion was to have US 60 run between Virginia Beach, Virginia and Springfield, Missouri and the Chicagoā€“Los Angeles route be US 62.[\[19\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-FHWA_planning-19) Avery and highway engineer John Page settled on "66", which was unassigned, despite the fact that in its entirety, US 66 was north of US 60.[\[20\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-20) The [state of Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Missouri "State of Missouri") released its 1926 state highway map with the highway labeled as US 60.[\[21\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-21) After the new federal highway system was officially created, Cyrus Avery called for the establishment of the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") to promote the complete paving of the highway from end-to-end and to promote travel down the highway. In 1927, in Tulsa, the association was officially established with [John T. Woodruff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_T._Woodruff "John T. Woodruff") of Springfield, Missouri, elected the first president. In 1928, the association made its first attempt at publicity, the "[Bunion Derby](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunion_Derby "Bunion Derby")", a footrace from Los Angeles to [New York City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City "New York City"), of which the path from Los Angeles to Chicago would be on US 66.[\[22\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-22) The publicity worked: several dignitaries, including [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers"), greeted the runners at certain points on the route. The race ended in [Madison Square Garden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison_Square_Garden_\(1925\) "Madison Square Garden (1925)"), where the \$25,000 first prize (equal to \$468,750 in 2025) was awarded to [Andy Hartley Payne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Hartley_Payne "Andy Hartley Payne"), a Cherokee runner from Oklahoma. The [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") also placed its first advertisement in the July 16, 1932, issue of the *[Saturday Evening Post](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Evening_Post "Saturday Evening Post")*. The ad invited Americans to take US 66 to the [1932 Summer Olympics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1932_Summer_Olympics "1932 Summer Olympics") in Los Angeles. A U.S. Highway 66 Association office in Oklahoma received hundreds of requests for information after the ad was published.[\[23\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-dedek-35-23) The association went on to serve as a voice for businesses along the highway until it disbanded in 1976. Traffic grew on the highway because of the geography through which it passed. Much of the highway was essentially flat and this made the highway a popular [truck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truck "Truck") route. The [Dust Bowl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_Bowl "Dust Bowl") of the 1930s saw many farming families, mainly from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas and Texas, heading west for agricultural jobs in California. US 66 became the main road of travel for these people, often derogatorily called "[Okies](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okie "Okie")" or "Arkies". During the Depression, it gave some relief to communities located on the highway. The route passed through numerous small towns and, with the growing traffic on the highway, helped create the rise of [mom-and-pop businesses](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_business "Small business"), such as [service stations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station "Filling station"), [restaurants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant "Restaurant") and [motor courts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_court "Motor court"), all readily accessible to passing [motorists](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorist "Motorist").[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Chain_of_Rocks.jpg/250px-Chain_of_Rocks.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chain_of_Rocks.jpg) The [Chain of Rocks Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chain_of_Rocks_Bridge "Chain of Rocks Bridge") across the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River") was built to carry the growing traffic of US 66 around the city of St. Louis. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e2/Magnolia_gasoline_station%2C_Shamrock%2C_TX_IMG_6141.JPG/250px-Magnolia_gasoline_station%2C_Shamrock%2C_TX_IMG_6141.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Magnolia_gasoline_station,_Shamrock,_TX_IMG_6141.JPG) Restored Magnolia gasoline station museum on Route 66 in [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas") in [Wheeler County, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_County,_Texas "Wheeler County, Texas") Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the U.S. Highway 66 Association, in 1938 US 66 became the first highway to be completely paved. Several places were dangerous: more than one part of the highway was nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these segments to remove dangerous curves. One section through the [Black Mountains](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Mountains_\(Arizona\) "Black Mountains (Arizona)") outside [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), was fraught with [hairpin turns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairpin_turn "Hairpin turn") and was the steepest along the entire route, so much so that some early travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially dangerous road, hired locals to navigate the winding grade. The section remained as US 66 until 1953 and is still open to traffic today as the Oatman Highway. Despite such hazards in some areas, US 66 continued to be a popular route.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) Notable buildings include the [art deco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_deco "Art deco")ā€“styled [U-Drop Inn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U-Drop_Inn "U-Drop Inn"), constructed in 1936 in [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas"), in [Wheeler County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheeler_County,_Texas "Wheeler County, Texas") east of Amarillo, Texas, listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places").[\[25\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-RegistryListing-25)[\[26\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-NRHP-26) A restored Magnolia fuel station is also located in Shamrock as well as [Vega](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vega,_Texas "Vega, Texas"), in [Oldham County](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oldham_County,_Texas "Oldham County, Texas"), west of Amarillo.[\[27\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-27) During [World War II](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II "World War II"), more migration west occurred because of war-related industries in California. US 66, already popular and fully paved, became one of the main routes and also served for moving military equipment. [Fort Leonard Wood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Leonard_Wood "Fort Leonard Wood") in Missouri was located near the highway, which was locally upgraded quickly to a divided highway to help with military traffic. When [Richard Feynman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Feynman "Richard Feynman") was working on the [Manhattan Project](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project "Manhattan Project") at [Los Alamos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Alamos_National_Laboratory "Los Alamos National Laboratory"), he used to travel nearly 100 miles (160 km) to visit his wife, who was dying of [tuberculosis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuberculosis "Tuberculosis"), in a [sanatorium](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanatorium "Sanatorium") located on US 66 in [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque "Albuquerque").[\[28\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-28) In the 1950s, US 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading to Los Angeles. The road passed through the [Painted Desert](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_Desert_\(Arizona\) "Painted Desert (Arizona)") and near the [Grand Canyon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon "Grand Canyon"). [Meteor Crater](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteor_Crater "Meteor Crater") in Arizona was another popular stop. This sharp increase in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all manner of roadside attractions, including [teepee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teepee "Teepee")\-[shaped motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel"), [frozen custard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_custard "Frozen custard") stands, [Indian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_Americans_in_the_United_States "Native Americans in the United States") curio shops and reptile farms. [Meramec Caverns](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meramec_Caverns "Meramec Caverns") near [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis"), began advertising on barns, billing itself as the "[Jesse James](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_James "Jesse James") hideout". The [Big Texan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Texan "Big Texan") advertised a free 72-ounce (2.0 kg) steak dinner to anyone who could consume the entire meal in one hour. It also marked the birth of the [fast-food](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fast-food "Fast-food") industry: [Red's Giant Hamburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%27s_Giant_Hamburg "Red's Giant Hamburg") in [Springfield, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), site of the first [drive-through](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-through "Drive-through") restaurant and the first [McDonald's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s "McDonald's") in [San Bernardino, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California"). Changes like these to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24)[\[29\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-R66-29) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Route66_sign.jpg/250px-Route66_sign.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route66_sign.jpg) Modern-day sign in [New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico "New Mexico"), along a section of Route 66 named a [National Scenic Byway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Scenic_Byway "National Scenic Byway") In 1930, between the Illinois cities of [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") and [East St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis,_Illinois "East St. Louis, Illinois"), US 66 was shifted farther east to what is now roughly [Interstate 55](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55_in_Illinois "Interstate 55 in Illinois") (I-55). The original alignment, marked as Temporary 66, followed the current [Illinois Route 4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_Route_4 "Illinois Route 4") (IL 4).[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) From [downtown St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downtown_St._Louis "Downtown St. Louis") to [Gray Summit, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_Summit,_Missouri "Gray Summit, Missouri"), US 66 originally went down Market Street and Manchester Road, which is largely [Route 100](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_100 "Missouri Route 100"). In 1932, this route was changed and the original alignment was never viewed as anything more than temporary. The planned route was down Watson Road, which is now [Route 366](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_366 "Missouri Route 366") but Watson Road had not been completed yet. In Oklahoma, from west of [El Reno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Reno,_Oklahoma "El Reno, Oklahoma") to [Bridgeport](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeport,_Oklahoma "Bridgeport, Oklahoma"), US 66 turned north to [Calumet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calumet,_Oklahoma "Calumet, Oklahoma") and then west to [Geary](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geary,_Oklahoma "Geary, Oklahoma"), then southwest across the South Canadian River over a suspension toll bridge into Bridgeport. In 1933, a straighter cut-off route was completed from west of El Reno to one mile (1.6 km) south of Bridgeport, crossing over a 38-span steel pony [truss bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truss_bridge "Truss bridge") over the South Canadian River, bypassing Calumet and Geary by several miles. From [Santa Rosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_New_Mexico "Santa Rosa, New Mexico"), to north of [Los Lunas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Lunas,_New_Mexico "Los Lunas, New Mexico"), in New Mexico, the road originally turned north from current I-40 along much of what is now [US 84](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_84 "U.S. Route 84") to near [Las Vegas, New Mexico](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"), followed (roughly) [I-25](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_25_in_New_Mexico "Interstate 25 in New Mexico")ā€”then the [decertified](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decommissioned_highway "Decommissioned highway") US 85 through [Santa Fe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico "Santa Fe, New Mexico") and Albuquerque to Los Lunas and then turned northwest along the present [New Mexico State Road 6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_State_Road_6 "New Mexico State Road 6") (NM 6) alignment to a point near Laguna. In 1937, a straight-line route was completed from Santa Rosa through [Moriarty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty,_New_Mexico "Moriarty, New Mexico") and eastā€“west through [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque "Albuquerque") and west to Laguna. This newer routing saved travelers as much as four hours of travel through New Mexico. According to legend, the rerouting was done at the behest of Democratic Governor [Arthur T. Hannett](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_T._Hannett "Arthur T. Hannett") to punish the Republican [Santa Fe Ring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe_Ring "Santa Fe Ring"), which had long dominated New Mexico out of Santa Fe.[\[31\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-31) In 1936, US 66 was extended from downtown Los Angeles to Santa Monica to end at US 101 Alt., today the intersection of [Olympic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Olympic Boulevard (Los Angeles)") and [Lincoln Boulevards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Boulevard_\(Southern_California\) "Lincoln Boulevard (Southern California)"). Even though there is a plaque dedicating US 66 as the *Will Rogers Highway* placed at the intersection of Ocean Boulevard and [Santa Monica Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Boulevard "Santa Monica Boulevard"), the highway never terminated there. In 1940, the first freeway in Los Angeles was incorporated into US 66; this was the [Arroyo Seco Parkway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroyo_Seco_Parkway "Arroyo Seco Parkway"), later known as the [Pasadena Freeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasadena_Freeway "Pasadena Freeway"); now again known as Arroyo Seco Parkway.[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG/250px-Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rte66btwnOatmanAndKingman.JPG) Route 66 just west of the [Sitgreaves Pass](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sitgreaves_Pass "Sitgreaves Pass") between [Oatman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona") and [Kingman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona") In 1953, the Oatman Highway through the Black Mountains was completely bypassed by a new route between [Kingman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona") and [Needles, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needles,_California "Needles, California");[\[30\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-nps-30) by the 1960s, [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), was virtually abandoned as a [ghost town](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_town "Ghost town"). Since the 1950s, as Interstates were being constructed, sections of US 66 not only saw the traffic drain to them, but often the route number itself was moved to the faster means of travel. In some cases, such as to the east of St. Louis, this was done as soon as the Interstate was finished to the next exit. The displacement of US 66 signage to the new freeways, combined with restrictions in the 1965 [Highway Beautification Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_Beautification_Act "Highway Beautification Act") that often denied merchants on the old road access to signage on the freeway, became factors in the closure of many established US 66 businesses as travelers could no longer easily find or reach them.[\[32\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-32) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/Whiting_bros.jpg/250px-Whiting_bros.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whiting_bros.jpg) Abandoned, fire-damaged [Whiting Brothers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiting_Brothers "Whiting Brothers") gas station. All along the route, preservation efforts are under way to preserve original buildings such as this. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/OldalignIL.jpg/250px-OldalignIL.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:OldalignIL.jpg) An abandoned early US 66 alignment in [Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois "Illinois"), 2006 [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns%2C_Arizona.jpg/250px-Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns%2C_Arizona.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Abandoned_gas_station_-_Two_Guns,_Arizona.jpg) The ghost town of [Two Guns, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Guns,_Arizona "Two Guns, Arizona"), once featured a zoo, gift shop, restaurant, campground, gas station and "death cave". The beginning of the decline for US 66 came in 1956 with the signing of the [Interstate Highway Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal-Aid_Highway_Act_of_1956 "Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956") by President [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower "Dwight D. Eisenhower") who was influenced by his experiences in 1919 as a young Army officer crossing the country in a truck convoy (following the route of the [Lincoln Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Highway "Lincoln Highway")) and his appreciation of the [Autobahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn "Autobahn") network as a necessary component of a national defense system.[\[33\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-33) During its nearly 60-year existence, US 66 was under constant change. As highway engineering became more sophisticated, engineers constantly sought more direct routes between cities and towns. Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of US 66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following World War II when Illinois began widening US 66 to four lanes through virtually the entire state from Chicago to the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River") just east of [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis") and included bypasses around virtually all of the towns. By the early to mid-1950s, Missouri also upgraded its sections of US 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. Most of the newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded to freeway status in later years. One notable remnant of US 66 is Veterans Parkway, signed as [Interstate 55 Business](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55_Business_\(Bloomington%E2%80%93Normal,_Illinois\) "Interstate 55 Business (Bloomingtonā€“Normal, Illinois)") (I-55 Bus.), in [Bloomington](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomington,_Illinois "Bloomington, Illinois"), Illinois. The sweeping curve on the southeast side of the city originally was intended to easily handle traffic at speeds up to 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), as part of an effort to make US 66 an *Autobahn* equivalent for military transport. In 1953, the first major bypassing of US 66 occurred in Oklahoma with the opening of the [Turner Turnpike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turner_Turnpike "Turner Turnpike") between Tulsa and Oklahoma City. The new 88-mile (142 km) toll road paralleled US 66 for its entire length and bypassed each of the towns along US 66. The Turner Turnpike was joined in 1957 by the new [Will Rogers Turnpike](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers_Turnpike "Will Rogers Turnpike"), which connected Tulsa with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of [Joplin, Missouri](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri"), again paralleling US 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in addition to its entire stretch through Kansas. Both Oklahoma turnpikes were soon designated as [I-44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_44 "Interstate 44"), along with the US 66 bypass at Tulsa that connected the city with both turnpikes. In some cases, such as many areas in Illinois, the new Interstate Highway not only paralleled the old US 66, it actually used much of the same roadway. A typical approach was to build one new set of lanes, then move one direction of traffic to it, while retaining the original set of lanes for traffic flowing in the opposite direction. Then a second set of lanes for traffic flowing in the other direction would be constructed, finally followed by abandoning the other old set of lanes or converting them into a [frontage road](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontage_road "Frontage road"). The same scenario was used in western Oklahoma, when US 66 was initially upgraded to a four-lane highway such as from [Sayre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre,_Oklahoma "Sayre, Oklahoma") to [Erick](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erick,_Oklahoma "Erick, Oklahoma") to the Texas border at [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola "Texola") in 1957 and 1958 where the old paving was retained for westbound traffic and a new parallel lane built for eastbound traffic (much of this section was entirely bypassed by I-40 in 1975) and on two other sections; from [Canute](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canute,_Oklahoma "Canute, Oklahoma") to [Elk City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") in 1959 and [Hydro](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro,_Oklahoma "Hydro, Oklahoma") to [Weatherford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weatherford,_Oklahoma "Weatherford, Oklahoma") in 1960, both of which were upgraded with the construction of a new westbound lane in 1966 to bring the highway up to full [Interstate Standards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Standards "Interstate Standards") and demoting the old US 66 paving to frontage road status. In the initial process of constructing [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") across western Oklahoma, the state also included projects to upgrade the through routes in [El Reno](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Reno,_Oklahoma "El Reno, Oklahoma"), Weatherford, [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma"), Canute, Elk City, Sayre, Erick and Texola to four-lane highways not only to provide seamless transitions from the rural sections of I-40 from both ends of town but also to provide easy access to those cities in later years after the I-40 bypasses were completed. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Groom%2C_Texas_03.jpg/250px-Groom%2C_Texas_03.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Groom,_Texas_03.jpg) The [Leaning Tower of Britten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaning_Tower_of_Britten "Leaning Tower of Britten"), east of [Groom, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas "Groom, Texas"), along I-40 (old US 66) In New Mexico, as in most other states, rural sections of [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") were to be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later. However, some business and civic leaders in cities along US 66 were completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax revenues. In 1963, the New Mexico Legislature enacted legislation that banned the construction of interstate bypasses around cities by local request. This legislation was short-lived, however, due to pressures from Washington and threat of loss of federal highway funds so it was rescinded by 1965. In 1964, [Tucumcari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucumcari,_New_Mexico "Tucumcari, New Mexico") and [San Jon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jon,_New_Mexico "San Jon, New Mexico") became the first cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for highway travelers to their localities. Other cities soon fell in line including [Santa Rosa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa,_New_Mexico "Santa Rosa, New Mexico"), [Moriarty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriarty,_New_Mexico "Moriarty, New Mexico"), [Grants](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grants,_New_Mexico "Grants, New Mexico") and [Gallup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallup,_New_Mexico "Gallup, New Mexico") although it wasn't until well into the 1970s that most of those cities would be bypassed by I-40. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Amboy_%28California%2C_USA%29%2C_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg/250px-Amboy_%28California%2C_USA%29%2C_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Amboy_\(California,_USA\),_Hist._Route_66_--_2012_--_1.jpg) Old Route 66 near [Amboy, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amboy,_California "Amboy, California") By the late 1960s, most of the rural sections of US 66 had been replaced by I-40 across New Mexico with the most notable exception being the 40-mile (64 km) strip from the Texas border at [Glenrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrio,_New_Mexico_and_Texas "Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas") west through San Jon to Tucumcari, which was becoming increasingly treacherous due to heavier and heavier traffic on the narrow two-lane highway. During 1968 and 1969, this section of US 66 was often referred to by locals and travelers as "Slaughter Lane" due to numerous injury and fatal accidents on this stretch. Local and area business and civic leaders and news media called upon state and federal highway officials to get I-40 built through the area. Disputes over proposed highway routing in the vicinity of San Jon held up construction plans for several years as federal officials proposed that I-40 run some five to six miles (8 to 10 km) north of that city while local and state officials insisted on following a proposed route that touched the northern city limits of San Jon. In November 1969, a truce was reached when federal highway officials agreed to build the I-40 route just outside the city, therefore providing local businesses dependent on highway traffic easy access to and from the freeway via the northā€“south highway that crossed old US 66 in San Jon. I-40 was completed from Glenrio to the east side of San Jon in 1976 and extended west to Tucumcari in 1981, including the bypasses around both cities. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg/250px-Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route_66_2073773569_7b3fae3b91_b.jpg) US 66, going to [Oatman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona"), in 2007 Originally, highway officials planned for the last section of US 66 to be bypassed by interstates in Texas, but as was the case in many places, lawsuits held up construction of the new interstates. The US Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the loss of their businesses. Since the interstates only provided access via ramps at interchanges, travelers could not pull directly off a highway into a business. At first, plans were laid out to allow mainly national chains to be placed in interstate medians. Such lawsuits effectively prevented this on all but toll roads. Some towns in Missouri threatened to sue the state if the US 66 designation was removed from the road, though lawsuits never materialized. Several businesses were well known to be on US 66 and fear of losing the number resulted in the state of Missouri officially requesting the designation "Interstate 66" for the St. Louis to Oklahoma City section of the route, but it was denied. As the interstates were built, US 66 was decertified in the west and east, and by 1979, the highway officially ran from Interstate 40 in Kingman, Arizona to Interstate 44 east of Joplin, Missouri. In 1984, Arizona also saw its final stretch of highway decommissioned with the completion of [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") just north of [Williams, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams,_Arizona "Williams, Arizona"). Finally, with decertification of the highway by the [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials") the following year, US 66 officially ceased to exist.[\[2\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-AASHTO85-2) With the decommissioning of US 66, no single interstate route was designated to replace it, with the route being covered by [Interstate 55](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_55 "Interstate 55") from [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") to [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis"); [Interstate 44](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_44 "Interstate 44") from St. Louis to [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City"); [Interstate 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40") from Oklahoma City to [Barstow, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barstow,_California "Barstow, California"); [Interstate 15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_15 "Interstate 15") from Barstow to [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino "San Bernardino"); and [Interstate 10](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_10 "Interstate 10") from San Bernardino to [Santa Monica](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica "Santa Monica"). ### After decertification \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=6 "Edit section: After decertification")\] [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Sidewalk_Highway_%283%29.jpg/250px-Sidewalk_Highway_%283%29.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sidewalk_Highway_\(3\).jpg) "Sidewalk highway" section of US 66 near [Miami, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma "Miami, Oklahoma") When the highway was decommissioned, sections of the road were disposed of in various ways. Within many cities, the route became a "business loop" for the interstate. Some sections became state roads, local roads, or private drives, or were abandoned completely. Although it is no longer possible to drive US 66 uninterrupted all the way from Chicago to Los Angeles, much of the original route and alternate alignments are still drivable with careful planning. Some stretches are quite well preserved, including one between Springfield, Missouri and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Some sections of US 66 still retain their historic 9-foot-wide (2.7 m) "sidewalk highway" form,[\[34\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-34) never having been resurfaced to make them into full-width highways. These old sections have a single, paved lane, concrete curbs to mark the edge of the lane and gravel shoulders for passing. Some states have kept the 66 designation for parts of the highway, albeit as state roads. In Missouri, Routes [366](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_366 "Missouri Route 366"), [266](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_266 "Missouri Route 266") and [66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri_Route_66 "Missouri Route 66") are all original sections of the highway. [State Highway 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Highway_66_\(Oklahoma\) "State Highway 66 (Oklahoma)") (SH-66) in Oklahoma remains as the [alternate "free" route](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shunpiking "Shunpiking") near its turnpikes. "Historic Route 66" runs for a significant distance in and near [Flagstaff, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"). Farther west, a long segment of US 66 in Arizona runs significantly north of I-40 and much of it is designated as [State Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_State_Route_66 "Arizona State Route 66") (SR 66). This runs from [Seligman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona") to [Kingman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona"), via [Peach Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peach_Springs "Peach Springs"). A surface street stretch between [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California") and [La Verne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Verne,_California "La Verne, California") (known as [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)")) to the east of [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles") retains its number as [SR 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_66_\(California\) "State Route 66 (California)"). Several county roads and city streets at various places along the old route have also retained the "66" number. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg/250px-SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SoulsbyServiceStation_MtOliveIL.jpg) [Restored service station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulsby_Service_Station "Soulsby Service Station") in [Mt Olive, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Olive,_Illinois "Mount Olive, Illinois") The first [Route 66 associations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_association "Route 66 association") were founded in Arizona in 1987 and, in 1989, Missouri (incorporated in 1990)[\[35\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-bosglobe-35)[\[36\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-mo66a-36) and Illinois.[\[37\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-il66a-37) Other groups in the other US 66 states soon followed. In 1990, the state of Missouri declared US 66 in that state a "State Historic Route". The first "Historic Route 66" marker in Missouri was erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri (now replacedā€”the original sign has been placed at [Route 66 State Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_State_Park "Route 66 State Park") near [Eureka](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka,_Missouri "Eureka, Missouri")).[\[38\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-38) Other historic markers now lineā€”at times sporadicallyā€”the entire 2,400-mile (3,900 km) length of road.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) In many communities, local groups have painted or stenciled the "66" and [U.S. Route shield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_shield "U.S. Route shield") or outline [directly onto the road surface](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_shield_pavement_marking "Route shield pavement marking"), along with the state's name.[\[24\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-route66world-24) This is common in areas where conventional signage for "Historic Route 66" is a target of repeated [theft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_sign_theft "Street sign theft") by [souvenir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvenir "Souvenir") hunters.[\[39\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-39) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Snow_cap_seligman.jpg/250px-Snow_cap_seligman.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Snow_cap_seligman.jpg) [Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delgadillo%27s_Snow_Cap_Drive-In "Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In") in [Seligman, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona"). The eatery is still a popular tourist stop. Various sections of the road itself have been placed on the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places"). The Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and US 66 in New Mexico have been made into National Scenic Byways. [Williams Historic Business District](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_Historic_Business_District "Williams Historic Business District") and [Urban Route 66, Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_Route_66,_Williams "Urban Route 66, Williams") were added to the [National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places") in 1984 and 1989, respectively. In 2005, the State of Missouri made the road a state scenic byway from Illinois to Kansas. In the cities of [Rancho Cucamonga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rancho_Cucamonga,_California "Rancho Cucamonga, California"), [Rialto](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rialto,_California "Rialto, California") and [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California") in California, there are US 66 signs erected along [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)") and also on Huntington Drive in the city of [Arcadia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcadia,_California "Arcadia, California"). "Historic Route 66" signs may be found along the old route on [Colorado Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Boulevard "Colorado Boulevard") in [Pasadena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasadena,_California "Pasadena, California") and along [Foothill Boulevard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foothill_Boulevard_\(Los_Angeles\) "Foothill Boulevard (Los Angeles)") in [San Dimas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Dimas,_California "San Dimas, California"), [La Verne](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Verne,_California "La Verne, California") and [Claremont](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremont,_California "Claremont, California"), California. The city of [Glendora, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glendora,_California "Glendora, California"), renamed Alosta Avenue, its section of US 66, by calling it "Route 66". [Flagstaff, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"), renamed all but a few blocks of Santa Fe Avenue as "Route 66". Until 2017, when it was moved to the nearby [Millennium Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_Park "Millennium Park"), the annual June [Chicago Blues Festival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Blues_Festival "Chicago Blues Festival") was held each year in [Grant Park](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Park_\(Chicago\) "Grant Park (Chicago)") and included a "Route 66 Roadhouse" stage on Columbus Avenue, a few yards north of old US 66/Jackson Boulevard (both closed to traffic for the festival) and a block west of the route's former eastern terminus at [US 41](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_41_in_Illinois "U.S. Route 41 in Illinois") ([Lake Shore Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shore_Drive "Lake Shore Drive")).[\[40\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-40)[\[41\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-41) Many preservation groups have tried to save and even landmark the old [motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motel "Motel") and [neon signs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neon_lighting "Neon lighting") along the road in some states.[\[42\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-42) In 1999, President [Bill Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Clinton "Bill Clinton") signed a *National Route 66 Preservation Bill* that provided for \$10 million in matching fund grants for preserving and restoring the historic features along the route.[\[43\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-43) Since 2001, [Springfield, Illinois](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") has annually held its "International Route 66 Mother Road Festival" in its downtown district surrounding the [Old State Capitol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_State_Capitol_State_Historic_Site_\(Illinois\) "Old State Capitol State Historic Site (Illinois)").[\[44\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-44) In 2008, the [World Monuments Fund](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Monuments_Fund "World Monuments Fund") added US 66 to the [World Monuments Watch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_World_Monuments_Watch "2008 World Monuments Watch") as sites along the route such as gas stations, motels, cafĆ©s, trading posts and drive-in movie theaters are threatened by development in urban areas and by abandonment and decay in rural areas.[\[45\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-45) The National Park Service developed a Route 66 *Discover Our Shared Heritage* Travel Itinerary describing over one hundred individual historic sites.[\[46\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-46) As the popularity and mythical stature of US 66 has continued to grow, demands have begun to mount to improve signage, return US 66 to road atlases and revive its status as a continuous routing. The U.S. Route 66 Recommissioning Initiative is a group that seeks to recertify US 66 as a [US Highway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Highway "US Highway") along a combination of historic and modern alignments.[\[47\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-47) The group's redesignation proposal does not enjoy universal support, as requirements that the route meet modern US Highway system specifications could force upgrades that compromise its historic integrity or require US 66 signage be moved to [Interstate highways](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_highway "Interstate highway") for some portions of the route. In 2018, the [AASHTO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials") designated the first sections of [U.S. Bicycle Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Bicycle_Route_66 "U.S. Bicycle Route 66"), part of the [United States Bicycle Route System](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bicycle_Route_System "United States Bicycle Route System"), in Kansas and Missouri.[\[48\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-48) ### National Museum of American History \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=8 "Edit section: National Museum of American History")\] The [National Museum of American History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_American_History "National Museum of American History") in [Washington, D.C.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. "Washington, D.C.") has a section on US 66 in its "America on the Move" exhibition. In the exhibit is a portion of pavement of the route taken from Bridgeport, Oklahoma and a restored car and truck of the type that would have been driven on the road in the 1930s. Also on display is a "[Hamons Court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provine_Service_Station "Provine Service Station")" neon sign that hung at a gas station and tourist cabins near Hydro, Oklahoma, a "CABINS" neon sign that pointed to Ring's Rest tourist cabins in [Muirkirk, Maryland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muirkirk,_Maryland "Muirkirk, Maryland"), as well as several post cards a traveler sent back to his future wife while touring the route.[\[49\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-49) ### Museums and monuments in Oklahoma \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=9 "Edit section: Museums and monuments in Oklahoma")\] [Elk City, Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") has the National Route 66 & Transportation Museum, which encompasses all eight states through which the Mother Road ran.[\[50\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-50) [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma") has the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum, designed to display the iconic ideas, images and myths of the Mother Road.[\[51\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-51) A memorial museum to the Route's namesake, [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers"), is located in [Claremore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claremore,_Oklahoma "Claremore, Oklahoma"), while his birthplace ranch is maintained in [Oologah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oologah,_Oklahoma "Oologah, Oklahoma").[\[52\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-52) In [Sapulpa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapulpa,_Oklahoma "Sapulpa, Oklahoma"), the Heart of Route 66 Auto Museum features a 66-foot-high (20 m) replica gas pump, the world's tallest.[\[53\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-53) [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma") has multiple sites, starting with the Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, located at the east end of the historic [11th Street Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/11th_Street_Bridge "11th Street Bridge") over which the route passed and which includes a giant sculpture weighing 20,000 pounds (9,100 kg)[\[54\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-54) called "East Meets West". The sculpture depicts the Avery family riding west in a Model T Ford meeting an eastbound horse-drawn carriage.[\[55\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Barber-55) In 2020, Avery Plaza Southwest opened, at the west end of the bridge, which features a "neon park" with replicas of the neon signs from Tulsa-area Route 66 motels of the era, including the Tulsa Auto Court, the Oil Capital Motel and the famous bucking-bronco sign of the Will Rogers Motor Court.[\[56\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-56)[\[57\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-57) Future plans for that site also include a Route 66 Museum.[\[58\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-58) Also, Tulsa has installed "Route 66 Rising", a 70-by-30-foot (21.3 by 9.1 m) sculpture on the road's former eastern approach to town at East Admiral Place and Mingo Road.[\[59\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-59) On Tulsa's Southwest Boulevard, between W. 23rd and W. 24th Streets there is a granite marker dedicated to Route 66 as the Will Rogers Highway which features an image of namesake [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers") together with information on the route from [Michael Wallis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wallis "Michael Wallis"), author of *Route 66: The Mother Road*;[\[60\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-60) and, at Howard Park just past W. 25th Street, three Indiana limestone pillars are dedicated to Route 66 through Tulsa, with Route 66 \#1 devoted to Transportation, Route 66 \#2 devoted to Tulsa Industry and Native American Heritage and Route 66 \#3 devoted to Art Deco Architecture and American Culture.[\[61\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-61) At 3770 Southwest Blvd. is the Route 66 Historical Village, which includes a tourism information center modeled after a 1920s-1930s gas station and other period-appropriate artifacts such as the [Frisco 4500 steam locomotive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis%E2%80%93San_Francisco_4500 "St. Louisā€“San Francisco 4500") with train cars.[\[62\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-62) Elsewhere, Tulsa has constructed twenty-nine historical markers scattered along the 26-mile route of the highway through Tulsa, containing tourist-oriented stories, historical photos and a map showing the location of historical sites and the other markers.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Signs-63) The markers are mostly along the highway's post-1932 alignment down 11th Street, with some along the road's 1926 path down Admiral Place.[\[63\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Signs-63) ### Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=10 "Edit section: Museum and Hall of Fame in Illinois")\] The Route 66 Association of Illinois maintains their Museum and Hall of Fame in [Pontiac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac,_Illinois "Pontiac, Illinois"). This free museum contains memorabilia and artifacts relating to Route 66, particularly in Illinois, as well as displays relating to the members of the Hall of Fame. Among items on display are the VW Microbus and "land yacht" belonging to the late [Bob Waldmire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Waldmire "Bob Waldmire"). Over the years, US 66 received numerous nicknames. Right after US 66 was commissioned, it was known as "The Great Diagonal Way" because the Chicago-to-Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest. Later, US 66 was advertised by the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") as "The Main Street of America". The title had also been claimed by supporters of [US 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_40 "U.S. Route 40"), but the US 66 group was more successful.\[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed "Wikipedia:Citation needed")*\] In the [John Steinbeck](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck") novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")*, the highway is called "The Mother Road", its prevailing title today.[\[64\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-mother_road-64) Lastly, US 66 was unofficially named "The Will Rogers Highway" by the [U.S. Highway 66 Association](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Highway_66_Association "U.S. Highway 66 Association") in 1952, although a sign along the road with that name appeared in the [John Ford](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford "John Ford") film, *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_\(film\) "The Grapes of Wrath (film)"),* which was released in 1940, twelve years before the association gave the road that name. A plaque dedicating the highway to [Will Rogers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Will_Rogers "Will Rogers") is still located in [Santa Monica, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"). There are more plaques like this; one can be found in [Galena, Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"). It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001.[\[65\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-65) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/End_of_Route_66.jpg/250px-End_of_Route_66.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:End_of_Route_66.jpg) The replica of a movie prop sign found on the [Santa Monica Pier](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica_Pier "Santa Monica Pier"). The western terminus of US 66 is nine blocks east of this sign. US 66 had its western terminus in California and covered 315 miles (507 km) in the state.[\[66\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-66-California-66) The terminus was located at the Pacific Coast Highway, then US 101 Alternate and now [SR 1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Route_1_\(California\) "State Route 1 (California)"), at Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards in [Santa Monica, California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Monica,_California "Santa Monica, California"). The highway ran through major cities such as Santa Monica, [Los Angeles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles "Los Angeles"), Pasadena and [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California "San Bernardino, California"). San Bernardino also contains one of the two surviving [Wigwam Motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel") along US 66. The highway had major intersections with [US 101](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_101_in_California "U.S. Route 101 in California") in [Hollywood](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood,_Los_Angeles "Hollywood, Los Angeles"), [I-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_5_in_California "Interstate 5 in California") in Los Angeles, [I-15](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_15_in_California "Interstate 15 in California") and [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_California "Interstate 40 in California") in [Barstow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barstow,_California "Barstow, California") and [US 95](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_95_in_California "U.S. Route 95 in California") in [Needles](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needles,_California "Needles, California"). It also ran concurrent to I-40 at California's very eastern end.[\[67\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-67) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG/250px-Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Route_66_in_Holbrook.JPG) US 66 marker on the corner of Navajo Boulevard and Hopi Drive in [Holbrook, Arizona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbrook,_Arizona "Holbrook, Arizona") In Arizona, the highway originally covered 401 miles (645 km) in the state. Along much of the way, US 66 paralleled [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_Arizona "Interstate 40 in Arizona"). It entered across the [Topock Gorge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topock_Gorge "Topock Gorge"), passing through [Oatman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oatman,_Arizona "Oatman, Arizona") along the way to [Kingman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingman,_Arizona "Kingman, Arizona").[\[68\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-68) Between Kingman and [Seligman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seligman,_Arizona "Seligman, Arizona"), the route is still signed as [SR 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona_State_Route_66 "Arizona State Route 66"). Notably, just between Seligman and [Flagstaff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flagstaff,_Arizona "Flagstaff, Arizona"), [Williams](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams,_Arizona "Williams, Arizona") was the last point on US 66 to be bypassed by an Interstate. The route also passed through the once-incorporated community of [Winona](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winona,_Arizona "Winona, Arizona"). [Holbrook](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holbrook,_Arizona "Holbrook, Arizona") contains one of the two surviving [Wigwam Motels](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wigwam_Motel "Wigwam Motel") on the route.[\[69\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-69) US 66 covered 380 miles (610 km) in the state and passed through many Indian reservations in the western half of New Mexico.[\[70\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-70) East of those reservations, the highway passed through [Albuquerque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albuquerque,_New_Mexico "Albuquerque, New Mexico"), [Santa Fe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Fe,_New_Mexico "Santa Fe, New Mexico") and [Las Vegas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas,_New_Mexico "Las Vegas, New Mexico"). As in Arizona, in New Mexico, U.S. 66 paralleled [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_New_Mexico "Interstate 40 in New Mexico").[\[71\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-71) [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg/250px-US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US66_midpoint_caf%C3%A9_Adrian_TX.jpg) The [Midpoint CafĆ©](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midpoint_Caf%C3%A9 "Midpoint CafĆ©") in [Adrian, Texas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian,_Texas "Adrian, Texas"), at the midpoint of the route US 66 covered 178 miles (286 km) in the Texas Panhandle, travelling in an eastā€“west line between [Glenrio](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenrio,_New_Mexico_and_Texas "Glenrio, New Mexico and Texas") and [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola,_Oklahoma "Texola, Oklahoma").[\[72\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-72) [Adrian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian,_Texas "Adrian, Texas"), in the western Panhandle, was notable as the midpoint of the route. East of there, the highway passed through [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas") (famous for the [Cadillac Ranch](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Ranch "Cadillac Ranch")), [Conway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conway,_Texas "Conway, Texas"), [Groom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groom,_Texas "Groom, Texas") and [Shamrock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamrock,_Texas "Shamrock, Texas"). ### Oklahoma and Kansas \[[edit](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=U.S._Route_66&action=edit&section=16 "Edit section: Oklahoma and Kansas")\] The highway covered 376 miles (605 km)[\[73\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-73) in Oklahoma. Today, it is marked by [I-40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40_in_Oklahoma "Interstate 40 in Oklahoma") west of [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City") and [SH-66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Highway_66 "Oklahoma State Highway 66") east of there. After entering at [Texola](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texola,_Oklahoma "Texola, Oklahoma"), US 66 passed through [Sayre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sayre,_Oklahoma "Sayre, Oklahoma"), [Elk City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elk_City,_Oklahoma "Elk City, Oklahoma") and [Clinton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma") before entering Oklahoma City.[\[74\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-74) Beyond Oklahoma City, the highway passed through [Edmond](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmond,_Oklahoma "Edmond, Oklahoma") on its way to [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa,_Oklahoma "Tulsa, Oklahoma"). Past there, US 66 passed through [Miami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami,_Oklahoma "Miami, Oklahoma"), [North Miami](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Miami,_Oklahoma "North Miami, Oklahoma"), [Commerce](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerce,_Oklahoma "Commerce, Oklahoma") and [Quapaw](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quapaw,_Oklahoma "Quapaw, Oklahoma") before entering Kansas where it covered only 13.2 miles (21.2 km).[\[75\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-75) Only three towns are located on the route in Kansas: [Galena](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"), [Riverton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverton,_Kansas "Riverton, Kansas") and [Baxter Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baxter_Springs,_Kansas "Baxter Springs, Kansas"). US 66 covered 292 miles (470 km) in Missouri. Upon entering from [Galena, Kansas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galena,_Kansas "Galena, Kansas"), the highway passed through [Joplin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri"). From there, it passed through [Carthage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carthage,_Missouri "Carthage, Missouri"); [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri"), where [Red's Giant Hamburg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red%27s_Giant_Hamburg "Red's Giant Hamburg"), the world's first drive-thru was located; [Lebanon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon,_Missouri "Lebanon, Missouri"); [Waynesville](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waynesville,_Missouri "Waynesville, Missouri"), [Devils Elbow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devils_Elbow,_Missouri "Devils Elbow, Missouri"); and [Rolla](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolla,_Missouri "Rolla, Missouri") before passing through [St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis "St. Louis").[\[76\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-76) US 66 covered 301 miles (484 km) in Illinois. It entered Illinois in [East St. Louis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis,_Illinois "East St. Louis, Illinois") after crossing the [Mississippi River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River "Mississippi River"). Near there, it passed by [Cahokia Mounds](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cahokia_Mounds "Cahokia Mounds"), a [UNESCO World Heritage Site](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Site "UNESCO World Heritage Site"). The highway then passed through [Hamel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamel,_Illinois "Hamel, Illinois"), [Springfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Illinois "Springfield, Illinois") (passing by the [Illinois State Capitol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illinois_State_Capitol "Illinois State Capitol")}, [Bloomington-Normal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal,_Illinois "Normal, Illinois"), [Pontiac](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac,_Illinois "Pontiac, Illinois") and [Gardner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardner,_Illinois "Gardner, Illinois").[\[77\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-77) It then entered the [Chicago area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicagoland "Chicagoland"), originally through [Joliet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joliet,_Illinois "Joliet, Illinois") and later through [Plainfield](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plainfield,_Illinois "Plainfield, Illinois"). After passing through the suburbs, U.S. 66 entered [Chicago](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago "Chicago") itself, where it terminated at [Lake Shore Drive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Shore_Drive "Lake Shore Drive")[\[78\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-Ill1955-78) starting in 1938, having originally ended at [Michigan Avenue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Avenue_\(Chicago\) "Michigan Avenue (Chicago)"). Several alternate alignments of US 66 occurred because of traffic issues. [Business routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_route "Business route") (BUS), [bypass routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bypass_route "Bypass route") (BYP), [alternate routes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_route_\(highway\) "Alternate route (highway)") (ALT) and "optional routes" (OPT) (an early designation for alternate routes) came into being. An Alternate 66 existed in the Los Angeles area. Business routes also existed in [San Bernardino](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino "San Bernardino"), [Amarillo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarillo,_Texas "Amarillo, Texas"), [Clinton (OK)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton,_Oklahoma "Clinton, Oklahoma"), [Oklahoma City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City "Oklahoma City"), and [Tulsa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa "Tulsa"). Various business, bypass, and alternate routes were located in the [Joplin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joplin,_Missouri "Joplin, Missouri") and [Springfield (MO)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Missouri "Springfield, Missouri") areas and in several locations in Illinois. US 66 has been a fixture in popular culture. American pop-culture artists publicized US 66 and the experience, through song and television. [Bobby Troup](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Troup "Bobby Troup") wrote "[(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/\(Get_Your_Kicks_on\)_Route_66 "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66")", which was popularized by [Nat King Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nat_King_Cole "Nat King Cole") with the King Cole Trio and later covered by artists ranging from [Chuck Berry](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Berry "Chuck Berry") and [Glenn Frey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Frey "Glenn Frey") to [The Manhattan Transfer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Manhattan_Transfer "The Manhattan Transfer"), [John Mayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mayer "John Mayer") and [Brian Setzer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Setzer "Brian Setzer"), as well as [the Rolling Stones](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones "The Rolling Stones") in their eponymous [debut album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rolling_Stones_\(album\) "The Rolling Stones (album)"). The highway lent its name to the *[Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_\(TV_series\) "Route 66 (TV series)")* TV series in the 1960s,[\[79\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-79) which itself had a [popular theme song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_66_Theme_and_Other_Great_TV_Themes "Route 66 Theme and Other Great TV Themes") written and arranged by [Nelson Riddle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Riddle "Nelson Riddle"). [John Steinbeck's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck "John Steinbeck") novel *[The Grapes of Wrath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath "The Grapes of Wrath")*, adapted to [film in 1940](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath_\(film\) "The Grapes of Wrath (film)"), depicts the Joad family traveling to [California](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California "California") on US 66 after being evicted from their small farm in [Oklahoma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma "Oklahoma").[\[80\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-80) > 66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these the people are in flight and they come into 66 from the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads. 66 is the mother road, the road of flight.[\[81\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-81) The 2006 animated film *[Cars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cars_\(film\) "Cars (film)")* had the [working title](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_title "Working title") *Route 66* and described the decline of the fictional [Radiator Springs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiator_Springs "Radiator Springs"), nearly a ghost town once its mother road, US 66, was bypassed by [Interstate 40](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_40 "Interstate 40"). The title was eventually changed to simply *Cars* to avoid confusion with the 1960s television series.[\[82\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-82) On April 30, 2022, the 96th anniversary of the route's numerical designation, Route 66 was honored with a video [Google Doodle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Doodle "Google Doodle").[\[83\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-83) In 2026, the [US Postal Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Postal_Service "US Postal Service") will issue a set of eight stamps honoring Route 66.[\[84\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_note-84) - [Inland Empire 66ers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inland_Empire_66ers "Inland Empire 66ers"), named after US 66 - [List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_landmarks_on_U.S._Route_66 "List of landmarks on U.S. Route 66") - [List of Route 66 museums](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Route_66_museums "List of Route 66 museums") - [Phillips 66](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_66 "Phillips 66"), a petroleum company named for the route - [Southern Transcon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Transcon "Southern Transcon") railroad equivalent, runs parallel to US 66 for significant portions of its length - [Tulsa 66ers](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulsa_66ers "Tulsa 66ers"), named after US 66 1. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-USH_1-0)** [Bureau of Public Roads](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bureau_of_Public_Roads "Bureau of Public Roads") & [American Association of State Highway Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials "American Association of State Highway Officials") (November 11, 1926). [*United States System of Highways Adopted for Uniform Marking by the American Association of State Highway Officials*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg) (Map). 1:7,000,000. Washington, DC: [United States Geological Survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Geological_Survey "United States Geological Survey"). [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [32889555](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/32889555). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20170413153913/https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:United_States_System_of_Highways_Adopted_for_Uniform_Marking_by_the_American_Association_of_State_Highway_Officials.jpg) from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2013 ā€“ via [Wikimedia Commons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Commons "Wikimedia Commons"). 2. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-AASHTO85_2-2) Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (June 26, 1985). ["Route Numbering Committee Agenda"](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Route_Numbering_Committee_Agenda_1985-06-26) (Report). Washington, DC: [American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Association_of_State_Highway_and_Transportation_Officials "American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials"). Retrieved April 16, 2014 ā€“ via [Wikisource](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikisource "Wikisource"). 3. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NSB_3-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NSB_3-1) ["Historic Route 66 National Scenic Byway Map"](https://fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/2489/map?mapId=561). *America's Byways*. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved June 5, 2025. 4. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-4)** ["Route 66 Timeline"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-Timeline.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181225135450/https://www.legendsofamerica.com/66-timeline/) from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 5. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-5)** ["A Table of Mileposts for the Original US 66 Alignment of 1926"](http://www.stjo66.de/mileposts_1926.htm). *Route 66 Web & Atlas*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20181225135451/http://www.stjo66.de/mileposts_1926.htm%20) from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 6. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-6)** Longfellow, Rickie (June 30, 2023). ["Route '66' The Mother Road"](https://highways.dot.gov/highway-history/general-highway-history/back-time/route-66-mother-road). Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 31, 2025. 7. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-7)** Illinois Department of Transportation (2007). [*Illinois Highway Map*](http://www.idaillinois.org/cdm/ref/collection/isl9/id/201) (Map) (2007ā€“2008 ed.). \[1:762,500\]. Springfield: Illinois Department of Transportation. [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [244286974](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/244286974). Retrieved May 26, 2012 ā€“ via Illinois Digital Archives. 8. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-8)** ["Bloomington, IL"](https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Bloomington+IL&hl=en&sll=41.512177,-88.092499&sspn=0.283822,0.392075&hnear=Bloomington,+McLean,+Illinois&t=m&z=12) (Map). *[Google Maps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps "Google Maps")*. Retrieved May 26, 2012. 9. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-9)** ["Historic Route 66: Description"](http://www.historic66.com/description/mileage.html). *Historic66.com*. Swa Frantzen. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129084152/http://www.historic66.com/description/mileage.html) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014. 10. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-10)** Weiser, Kathy (2014). ["Beale's Wagon Road from New Mexico to California"](http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad.html). *Legends of America*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129065152/http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-bealeroad.html) from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 11. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-11)** ["Cajon Pass"](http://www.backroadswest.com/MonthTrips/BreezeCajon.htm). *BackRoadsWest.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150708125234/http://www.backroadswest.com/MonthTrips/BreezeCajon.htm) from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved March 29, 2016. 12. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-12)** Old Spanish Trail Association. [*Map of the Ozark Trails*](http://www.drivetheost.com/ozarkmap.html) (Map). Old Spanish Trail Association. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120416010408/http://www.drivetheost.com/ozarkmap.html) from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. \[*[full citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include "Wikipedia:Citing sources")*\] 13. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-1926_Rand_McNally_13-0)** Rand McNally (1926). [*Auto Road Atlas*](http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/) (Map). Chicago: Rand McNally. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20120427035609/http://www.broermapsonline.org/members/) from the original on April 27, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012 ā€“ via Broer Maps Online. 14. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-tremeear-10_14-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-tremeear-10_14-1) \* Tremeear, Janice (2013). *Illinois' Haunted Route 66*. History Press. p. 10. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1-626-19252-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-626-19252-2 "Special:BookSources/978-1-626-19252-2") . 15. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-15)** ["Route 66 Birthplace Festival Set for Springfield, Missouri"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129031245/http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2013/03/22/route-66-birthplace-festival-set-for-springfield-missouri/). *Hemmings Motor News*. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 16. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-16)** ["Then, Now and In Between"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141129031701/http://www.springfieldmo.org/discover/springfield-history). Springfield, Missouri, Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archived from [the original](http://www.springfieldmo.org/discover/springfield-history) on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 17. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-birthandrise_17-0)** ["Exactly Where Is Route 66"](http://route66chamberofcommerce.homestead.com/Whereis66PAGE.html). *Route66 Chamber of Commerce*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150412060457/http://route66chamberofcommerce.homestead.com/Whereis66PAGE.html) from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2014. \[*[self-published source](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Verifiability#Self-published_sources "Wikipedia:Verifiability")*\] 18. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-18)** Kelly, Susan Croce (2014). *Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery*. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 159. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-806-14778-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-806-14778-9 "Special:BookSources/978-0-806-14778-9") . 19. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-FHWA_planning_19-0)** Weingroff, Richard F. (April 7, 2011). ["From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System"](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm). *Highway History*. [Federal Highway Administration](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Highway_Administration "Federal Highway Administration"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110521204506/http://wwwcf.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm) from the original on May 21, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 20. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-20)** [Kelly (2014)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#CITEREFKelly2014), p. 170 21. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-21)** Missouri State Highway Commission (1926). [*Road Map of Missouri*](http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1926001_reduced.pdf) (PDF) (Map). Jefferson City: Missouri State Highway Commission. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20111226130528/http://www.modot.org/historicmaps/documents/1926001_reduced.pdf) (PDF) from the original on December 26, 2011. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 22. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-22)** ["The Great American Foot Race"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120422144247/http://archive.itvs.org/footrace/progress/progress.htm). Archived from [the original](http://archive.itvs.org/footrace/progress/progress.htm) on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 15, 2012. 23. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-dedek-35_23-0)** Dedek, Peter B. (2007). *Hip to the Trip: A Cultural History of Route 66*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p. 35. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0826341945](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0826341945 "Special:BookSources/978-0826341945") . 24. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-2) [***d***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-3) [***e***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-route66world_24-4) ["Route 66 History"](http://www.route66world.com/66_history/). Route 66 World. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200823215839/http://www.route66world.com/66_history/) from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2014. 25. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-RegistryListing_25-0)** ["Tower Station"](http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=2097001160&site_name=Tower+Station&class=2001). *Texas Historic Sites Atlas*. [Texas Historical Commission](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Historical_Commission "Texas Historical Commission"). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20160123062046/http://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/viewform.asp?atlas_num=2097001160&site_name=Tower+Station&class=2001) from the original on January 23, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2010. 26. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-NRHP_26-0)** [National Park Service](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service "National Park Service") (n.d.). ["Texas: Wheeler County"](http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/tx/Wheeler/state.html). *[National Register of Historic Places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places "National Register of Historic Places")*. National Park Service. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100615064334/http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/TX/Wheeler/state.html) from the original on June 15, 2010. Retrieved March 25, 2010. 27. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-27)** ["Vega, Texas"](http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Texas/vega.htm). *TheRoadWanderer.net*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150128031604/http://www.theroadwanderer.net/66Texas/vega.htm) from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2014. 28. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-28)** Gribbin, John; Feynman, Richard (1997). *A Life in Science*. p. 96. 29. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-R66_29-0)** Wallis, Michael. *Route 66: The Mother Road*. New York: St. Martin's. pp. 90ā€“92\. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [0-312-08285-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-312-08285-1 "Special:BookSources/0-312-08285-1") . 30. ^ [***a***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-0) [***b***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-1) [***c***](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-nps_30-2) National Park Service (n.d.). ["Route 66"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160920204858/https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/text_only.html#illinois_road_segments). National Park Service. 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Retrieved November 18, 2014. `{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list "Category:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list")) 83. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-83)** ["Celebrating Route 66"](https://doodles.google/doodle/celebrating-route-66/). *www.google.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220429225637/http://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-route-66) from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022. 84. **[^](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#cite_ref-84)** USPS. ["Route 66 - Stamps Forever"](https://www.stampsforever.com/stamps/route-66). - "Arizona Highways". *Arizona Highways: The Window of the West*. July 1981. [ISSN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN_\(identifier\) "ISSN (identifier)") [0004-1521](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0004-1521). Entire issue about Route 66. - Baker, T. Lindsay (2016). *Portrait of Route 66: Images from the Curt Teich Postcard Archives*. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0806153414](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0806153414 "Special:BookSources/978-0806153414") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [932618601](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/932618601). - Bischoff, Matt D. (2005). *Life in the Past Lane the Route 66 Experience: Historic Management Contexts for the Route 66 Corridor in California*. Statistical Research, Inc. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1879442887](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1879442887 "Special:BookSources/978-1879442887") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [68569034](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/68569034). - Freeth, Nick (2001). *Route 66*. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-7603-0864-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-0864-6 "Special:BookSources/978-0-7603-0864-6") . - [Krim, Arthur](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_J._Krim "Arthur J. Krim"); Wood, Denis (2005). [*Route 66: Iconography of the American Highway*](https://archive.org/details/route66iconograp0000krim) (1st ed.). Santa Fe, NM: Center for American Places. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1930066359](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1930066359 "Special:BookSources/978-1930066359") . - Mahar, Lisa (2002). *American Signs: Form and Meaning on Route 66*. New York: Monacelli Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [97-81580931199](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/97-81580931199 "Special:BookSources/97-81580931199") . - Miller, Blue (2021). *Abandoned Route 66 Arizona: Where the Road Came to an End*. America Through Time. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1634993043](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1634993043 "Special:BookSources/978-1634993043") . - Rittenhouse, Jack D. (1989) \[1946\]. *A Guide Book to Highway 66*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8263-1148-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1148-1 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1148-1") . - Robson, Ellen; Freeman, Dianne (1999). *Haunted highway : the spirits of Route 66*. Phoenix: Golden West Publishers. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [9781885590435](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781885590435 "Special:BookSources/9781885590435") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [40964950](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/40964950). - Ross, Jim; Graham, Shellee (2017). *Secret Route 66: a guide to the weird, wonderful and obscure*. St. Louis, MO: Reedy Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-1681061078](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1681061078 "Special:BookSources/978-1681061078") . [OCLC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OCLC_\(identifier\) "OCLC (identifier)") [980845474](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/980845474). - Schneider, Jill (1991). *Route 66 Across New Mexico: A Wanderer's Guide*. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8263-1280-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1280-8 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8263-1280-8") . - Scott, Quinta; Kelly, Susan Croce (1988). [*Route 66: A Highway and Its People*](https://archive.org/details/route6600susa). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-8061-2291-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-8061-2291-5 "Special:BookSources/978-0-8061-2291-5") . - Taseer, Aatish; Moore, Andrew (May 15, 2025). ["What a New American Citizen Learned on Route 66"](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/15/t-magazine/american-road-trip-route-66.html). *The New York Times*. - [Wallis, Michael](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Wallis "Michael Wallis") (2001). [*Route 66: The Mother Road*](https://archive.org/details/route6675thanniv00mich). New York: St. Martin's Press. [ISBN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISBN_\(identifier\) "ISBN (identifier)") [978-0-312-28167-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-312-28167-0 "Special:BookSources/978-0-312-28167-0") .
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