The Route 66 Guide

Chicago to Santa Monica

Route 66 at 100: drive it like we did.

Route 66 was commissioned on November 11, 1926. On November 11, 2026 the Mother Road turns 100, and we spent June 2026 driving all of it, Chicago to Santa Monica, 2,500+ miles of historic Route 66. This guide is what we found, state by state, so you can plan your own run.

1926
Commissioned · Nov 11: 2,500+
Miles · Chicago to Santa Monica: 8
States on Route 66: June 2026
When we drove it

The Mother Road Run crew — we drove all 2,500+ miles, June 2026

Updated July 25, 2026

Chicago

Santa Monica

2,500+ miles of historic Route 66

ILIllinois, 301 mi
MOMissouri, 317 mi
KSKansas, 13 mi
OKOklahoma, 432 mi
TXTexas, 186 mi
NMNew Mexico, 487 mi
AZArizona, 401 mi
CACalifornia, 314 mi

The Route

Eight states, in the order we drove it.

Start anywhere. Each state carries the founder’s own telling from the road, how the driving actually goes, what to stop for, and the stops we wrote up.

01 · 301 miIllinois
02 · 317 miMissouri
03 · 13 miKansas
04 · 432 miOklahoma
05 · 186 miTexas
06 · 487 miNew Mexico
07 · 401 miArizona
08 · 314 miCalifornia

State 01 of 08301 mi of Route 66
Illinois
The starting line
ILDriven
Illinois is where the dream became real.
We started the adventure around Chicago and Joliet, kicking things off at Route 66 Raceway during Hot Rod Power Tour. This was the beginning of the trip, the beginning of the series, and the moment where all the planning finally turned into reality.
Illinois gave us the first taste of Route 66. We visited Wilmington, the Gemini Giant, the Polk-a-Dot Drive-In, Dwight, Pontiac, Atlanta, the American Giants Museum, old service stations, murals, diners, and classic small-town Route 66 energy.
The first few days were filled with rain, Hot Rod Power Tour traffic, old cars, new friends, and the realization that we had over 2,500 miles to go. Brownie was still fresh, and at the beginning I was honestly impressed with how well it was doing. But Illinois also started teaching us one of the biggest lessons of the whole trip: on Route 66, the journey is the destination.
Illinois surprised me. I did not expect it to be as cool as it was. There was so much history, so many great stops, and so much classic Route 66 character right from the start.
Driving Illinois
Out of Chicago through Joliet's restored neon, past the cornfields of Pontiac, through the political bones of Springfield, and over to Litchfield where the Ariston Cafe has fed Route 66 travelers since 1924. The terrain is gentle, the alignments are well marked, and the brown 'Historic Route 66' shields are everywhere if you look.
The alignments
Two living alignments, the original 1926 line through Joliet and the 1940s Will Rogers route through Plainfield. Both are drivable.
Notes from the road
Mostly two-lane through the small towns; the brown shields are reliable. The 1926 alignment dives into farm-section roads south of Joliet. Slow down for the gravel transitions. Springfield to Mitchell follows old Route 4 and is one of the most authentic stretches still drivable.
What we pulled over for in Illinois
- Route 66 Raceway
- Hot Rod Power Tour
- Gemini Giant
- Polk-a-Dot Drive-In
- Ambler / Texaco Station in Dwight
- Pontiac murals
- American Giants Museum in Atlanta
- Historic gas stations
- Old Route 66 road sections
Illinois stops, written up
5 stops
- Gemini GiantWilmington, Illinoisroadside giant
- Polk-a-Dot Drive-InBraidwood, Illinoisdinerguide entry coming
- American Giants MuseumAtlanta, Illinoismuseum
- Ambler's Texaco StationDwight, Illinoisgas stationguide entry coming
- Pontiac Murals & MuseumsPontiac, Illinoistownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Illinois
What’s on the road in Illinois
Begin Sign at Adams & MichiganChicagoThe official starting point. East-bound traffic only. There's a separate End sign one block south.
Lou Mitchell'sChicagoThe traditional Route 66 send-off breakfast since 1923. Free Milk Duds at the door, donut holes on the way out.
Gemini GiantWilmingtonA 30-foot fiberglass spaceman holding a rocket. One of the last surviving Muffler Men in original location.
Pontiac Route 66 Hall of FamePontiacMurals, memorabilia, and the Bob Waldmire VW van, the artist who mapped the road for a generation.
Cozy Dog Drive-InSpringfieldBirthplace of the corn dog on a stick (1949). Same family, same recipe, same red-and-white walls.
Ariston CafeLitchfieldOperating since 1924, the oldest restaurant on Route 66 still in its original location.
Soulsby's Service StationMt. OliveA 1926 Standard Oil station, restored. One of the oldest unaltered filling stations on the entire road.
Chain of Rocks BridgeMitchellThe pedestrian-only steel bridge over the Mississippi with its signature 22-degree mid-span bend.
American Giants MuseumAtlantaThe Muffler Men museum. Paul Bunyon Man with the giant hot dog out front, plus Lumi the apple-pie waitress (added 2024). The road's quirkiest archive.
Lauterbach Tire GiantSpringfieldA 19-foot Muffler Man at Lauterbach Tire & Auto, holding a U.S. flag (originally a tire). Roadside Illinois in one stop.
Where to eat and sleep in Illinois
Lou Mitchell'sChicagoSend-off breakfast. Get there before 9am or wait in line.
Cozy Dog Drive-InSpringfieldRoadside lunch. Order the Cozy Dog and a side of fries. That's the whole experience.
Funks Grove Pure Maple SirupFunks GroveSirup with an 'i', the original spelling. Stop, shake the family's hand, leave with a jar.
Worth stopping to photograph in Illinois
Begin Sign at Adams & Michigan, early morning, before the foot traffic
Gemini Giant in Wilmington, golden hour, low angle
Ariston Cafe neon at blue hour
Soulsby's Service Station front island, lights on
Chain of Rocks Bridge bend, drone or telephoto from the Missouri side
Did you know about Illinois
Cyrus Avery, the 'Father of Route 66', lobbied to route the highway through his hometown of Tulsa, but the road's first miles run east-to-west out of Chicago.
Funks Grove has been making maple sirup since 1824, a hundred years before Route 66 was numbered.
Illinois has more miles of original 1926 alignment still drivable than any state outside Oklahoma.
All eight states
State 02 of 08317 mi of Route 66
Missouri
Ozark country
MODriven
Missouri brought some of the biggest emotions of the trip.
This is where we visited Bigfoot 4x4 in Pacific, Missouri, which was one of the most personal stops for me. Bigfoot is one of the trucks that made me fall in love with dentside Fords and big lifted trucks when I was a kid. Seeing Bigfoot #1 in person, standing next to those trucks, and walking through that history was honestly mind-blowing.
Missouri also gave us the Red Cedar Inn, Campbell Service Station, Cuba, Springfield, and some of the first major Brownie problems. The truck started fighting us more, and the stress started becoming real. We were dealing with fuel problems, heat, roadside diagnosing, and the kind of old truck issues that make you question everything.
But Missouri also reminded me why this trip mattered. Every stop had character. Every person had a story. Every old sign, gas station, motel, and roadside attraction added another layer to the Route 66 experience.
Missouri felt like a turning point. The reality of what we were trying to do in an old truck started to hit hard.
Driving Missouri
Cross into St. Louis under the Gateway Arch, find your way through the city's tangled alignments, and break free into the Ozarks. Cuba's mural walls, Devil's Elbow's bluff river bend, Lebanon's Munger Moss neon. Springfield earns its 'Birthplace of Route 66' sign honestly. Then west through Carthage and Joplin to the line.
The alignments
St. Louis is a maze. At least four documented historical alignments cross the city. South of Rolla, the road settles into the Ozark roll.
Notes from the road
St. Louis is the trickiest navigation on the entire road. Pick your alignment and commit. The Ozark stretch from Rolla to Springfield is two-lane state highway, often paralleling I-44. Watch for deer at dusk in the cuts.
What we pulled over for in Missouri
- Bigfoot 4x4
- Bigfoot #1
- Red Cedar Inn
- Campbell Service Station
- Cuba, Missouri
- Springfield, Missouri
- Route 66 roadside stops
- Classic gas station and memorabilia collections
Missouri stops, written up
3 stops
- Bigfoot 4x4Pacific, Missourilandmark
- Red Cedar InnPacific, Missourimuseumguide entry coming
- Campbell 66 Service StationPacific, Missourigas stationguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Missouri
What’s on the road in Missouri
Chain of Rocks Bridge (west end)St. LouisThe bend you crossed from Illinois. Park on the Missouri side for the classic shot.
Ted Drewes Frozen CustardSt. LouisConcretes since 1929. The Route 66 stop you stand in line for, even on a Tuesday in February.
Meramec CavernsStantonLester Dill turned a cave into a Route 66 attraction with the original bumper-sticker marketing campaign.
Wagon Wheel MotelCubaThe oldest continuously operating motel on Route 66 (1934). Original stone cabins, restored neon.
Devil's Elbow BridgeDevil's Elbow1923 steel-truss bridge over the Big Piney. Park on the bluff above for the reveal.
Munger Moss MotelLebanonThe neon sign is one of the most photographed on the entire road. Owner Bob Boudewyn keeps it lit.
Birthplace of Route 66 ParkSpringfieldWhere the road's name was officially proposed in 1926. Small park, big plaque.
66 Drive-In TheaterCarthage1949 drive-in, fully restored, still showing first-run films on summer weekends.
Gay Parita SinclairParis Springs JunctionGary Turner's roadside recreation, a 1930s gas station built from love. Gary's gone, the family carries it.
Boots CourtCarthage1939 Streamline Moderne motel, NRHP. Each room had its own attached garage. Restored, taking guests, neon back on.
Red Oak IICarthageLowell Davis's full-size reconstruction of his vanished 1930s Missouri hometown. Outsider art and Mother Road folk-craft in one open-air village.
Where to eat and sleep in Missouri
Ted DrewesSt. LouisConcrete (the upside-down kind). Cash and a pen-and-paper line.
Wagon Wheel MotelCubaSleep in a 1934 stone cabin. Owner-restored, neon lit nightly.
Munger Moss MotelLebanonStay under the neon. Shag carpet is part of the charm.
Worth stopping to photograph in Missouri
Gateway Arch through Eads Bridge, early morning fog
Wagon Wheel neon at blue hour
Devil's Elbow Bridge from the bluff overlook
Munger Moss sign at full dark
Gay Parita pumps with a pickup parked at the island
Did you know about Missouri
Springfield is where Cyrus Avery and John Woodruff sent the telegram naming the highway 'Route 66' in April 1926.
Meramec Caverns invented the bumper sticker as we know it, 'See Meramec Caverns' stickers on every car at every gas station for decades.
Missouri has more documented Route 66 alignments through a single city (St. Louis) than any other state.
All eight states
State 03 of 0813 mi of Route 66
Kansas
Thirteen miles, three towns, big finds
KSDriven
Kansas is a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs in a lot of character.
One of the biggest highlights was Galena and Gearhead Curios. This place is exactly what Route 66 is about: personality, creativity, old gas station vibes, classic automotive culture, and people who care deeply about preserving the road.
Kansas reminded me that Route 66 is not always about how many miles you drive in a state. Sometimes the smallest stretch leaves a big impression.
Kansas may not have the longest part of Route 66, but it absolutely belongs in the story.
Driving Kansas
Cross from Joplin into Galena, the first town. Cars on the Route is the must-stop, the 1934 Kan-O-Tex station with the boom truck that became Tow Mater. Down the road in Riverton, Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store has been operating since 1925; the Route 66 Association of Kansas runs out of the back. Six miles further, Baxter Springs' restored 1930 Phillips 66 station holds the visitor center, and the Rainbow Curve Bridge, the only Marsh Arch left on Route 66, carries you over Brush Creek toward Oklahoma.
The alignments
The shortest Route 66 stretch of any state. Joplin to Commerce, through Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. The whole crossing is two hours with stops.
Notes from the road
Two hours start to finish with photo stops. Tight, well-marked alignment, single-lane in spots. Rainbow Curve Bridge is one-way for vehicles, walkable both directions.
What we pulled over for in Kansas
- Galena
- Gearhead Curios
- Historic service station energy
- Classic roadside personality
- Old signs, license plates, and automotive memorabilia
Kansas stops, written up
1 stop
- Gearhead CuriosGalena, Kansasshopguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Kansas
What’s on the road in Kansas
Cars on the RouteGalenaThe 1934 Kan-O-Tex station, restored. The International Harvester boom truck out front is the original inspiration for Tow Mater in Pixar's Cars.
Gearhead CuriosGalena1939 native-stone Texaco station, restored over five years and reopened June 2023. The only State of Kansas Tourist Information Center on Route 66.
Rainbow Curve BridgeBaxter Springs1923 Marsh Arch concrete bridge over Brush Creek. The only surviving Marsh Arch bridge on the entire 2,448-mile Route 66. NRHP listed 1983.
Eisler Brothers Old Riverton StoreRivertonOperating since 1925, a year before Route 66 was numbered. Deli, neon, gift shop, and the home of the Route 66 Association of Kansas.
Baxter Springs Phillips 66Baxter SpringsCirca-1930 cottage-style Phillips 66, restored as the city visitor center. NRHP 2003.
Route 66 Drive-Thru ArchGalenaSixteen-foot painted arch opened 2025 for the Route 66 centennial. Drive through, get the photo, keep moving.
Where to eat and sleep in Kansas
Eisler Brothers Old Riverton StoreRivertonDeli sandwiches, cold drinks, and a hundred years of country-store soul.
Cars on the RouteGalenaSnacks, souvenirs, and a parking lot full of Pixar-character replicas.
Worth stopping to photograph in Kansas
Cars on the Route boom truck, with the Tow Mater backstory plaque
Rainbow Curve Bridge in raking morning light
Eisler Brothers storefront with neon at blue hour
Gearhead Curios native-stone front, classic parked at the island
Galena's 2025 Drive-Thru Arch with sunflowers
Did you know about Kansas
Galena's tow truck inspired Pixar's Tow Mater. The original International Harvester sits at Cars on the Route on Main Street, and the studio team visited Galena while developing the film.
Rainbow Curve Bridge in Baxter Springs is the only remaining Marsh Arch concrete bridge on the entire 2,448-mile Route 66.
Eisler Brothers in Riverton has been continuously operating since 1925, predating Route 66 itself by a year.
All eight states
State 04 of 08432 mi of Route 66
Oklahoma
Where our route begins
OKDriven
Oklahoma was one of the states that felt like it really understood Route 66.
We passed through Tulsa, Elk City, Erick, Miami, and several other towns that carried a lot of Route 66 history and pride. The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City was a great way to start one of the days, and the state had so many pieces of history, architecture, and roadside attractions.
One of the biggest surprises of the entire trip was meeting Harley Russell at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Oklahoma. I drove by, saw the building covered in signs and memorabilia, and knew we had to stop. Inside, Harley treated us like family. He told stories, sang songs, and left a huge impression on me.
Oklahoma was also full of beautiful small towns, historic buildings, and people who seemed to understand the value of Route 66. It felt authentic. It felt alive. It felt like a state that knows what it has.
Oklahoma was one of my favorite Route 66 states.
Driving Oklahoma
Pick up the road at the Kansas line and follow it through Quapaw, Miami's restored Coleman Theatre, the totem pole at Foyil, and into Tulsa. From Tulsa, the road runs through Sapulpa, the round barn at Arcadia, Pops 66's neon arrow, and across the OKC metro. West of OKC, the prairie opens through Hydro, Weatherford, Clinton's Route 66 Museum, Elk City, and the long fade into the Texas line at Texola.
The alignments
Oklahoma holds more drivable original Route 66 than any other state. Much of the 1926 concrete is still under your tires.
Notes from the road
Long, flat, and forgiving. The original 1926 concrete is signed and well maintained from Sapulpa west. Watch for the curb-style 'sidewalk highway' between Miami and Afton, nine feet of concrete, two-way traffic, the oldest surviving Route 66 alignment in the country.
What we pulled over for in Oklahoma
- Elk City
- National Route 66 Museum
- Erick, Oklahoma
- Sandhills Curiosity Shop
- Miami, Oklahoma
- Tulsa
- Small towns and historic downtowns
- Route 66 pride and preservation
Oklahoma stops, written up
2 stops
- Sandhills Curiosity ShopErick, Oklahomashop
- National Route 66 MuseumElk City, Oklahomamuseumguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Oklahoma
What’s on the road in Oklahoma
Coleman TheatreMiami1929 Spanish Colonial Revival vaudeville house. The Wurlitzer organ still plays.
Galloway's Totem Pole ParkFoyilEd Galloway's 90-foot concrete totem pole, the world's tallest, hand-built over 11 years.
Blue Whale of CatoosaCatoosaHugh Davis built it as an anniversary gift to his wife. 80 feet of smiling roadside concrete.
Cyrus Avery Centennial PlazaTulsaEleven Cents Bridge over the Arkansas, plus the bronze sculpture of the Avery family in their Model T.
Round BarnArcadia1898 hand-built circular barn. The acoustics inside are unreal, try a clap.
Pops 66ArcadiaA 66-foot illuminated soda bottle and 700+ varieties of pop. The neon at night reads as a film set.
Lucille's Service StationHydroLucille Hamons ran this station for 60 years. She called Route 66 her 'highway in time'.
National Route 66 & Transportation MuseumElk CitySix buildings, full Old Town village. The most thorough single Route 66 museum on the road.
Threatt Filling StationLuther1915 native-stone station, owned and operated by the Threatt family during segregation, one of the only safe Black-owned stops on this stretch. National Trust 11 Most Endangered, restoration underway.
Pony BridgeBridgeport1933, 38 pony-truss spans, 3,944 feet. The longest pony-truss bridge in America and Oklahoma's longest highway bridge. Reopened May 2024 after a multi-year rebuild, still load-bearing.
Rock CafeStroud1939, built from rocks excavated during Route 66's paving. NRHP listed. Popularly credited as the inspiration for Sally Carrera in Pixar's Cars.
Buck Atom's Cosmic CuriosTulsaA 21-foot Muffler Man space cowboy plus Stella Atom companion. Tulsa's most-photographed contemporary install.
Meadow Gold SignTulsa1934 neon, 30-by-30 foot, restored 2004 and re-anchored on its original 11th Street block.
Where to eat and sleep in Oklahoma
Tally's CafeTulsaDiner classic. Open late. Photographed for every Route 66 documentary that's been made.
Mother Road MarketTulsaCurated food hall in a Route 66 building. Good coffee, better signage.
Pops 66ArcadiaBurgers, pop you've never heard of, and that 66-foot bottle outside.
Worth stopping to photograph in Oklahoma
Avery Plaza Eleven Cents Bridge, golden hour
Round Barn in raking morning light
Pops 66 bottle at full dark, lights on
Blue Whale reflected in the pond
Did you know about Oklahoma
Cyrus Avery ran a service station in Tulsa and used his political clout to bend the new federal highway through Oklahoma.
The 'sidewalk highway' between Miami and Afton is just nine feet wide. When two cars met, both put two wheels in the dirt.
Will Rogers, Oklahoma's most famous son, has the Will Rogers Highway named for him, Route 66's official designation in California.
All eight states
State 05 of 08186 mi of Route 66
Texas
Panhandle horizons
TXDriven
Texas was wide open, iconic, hot, and full of major Route 66 stops.
We went through Shamrock, Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch, Adrian, and the Big Texan. Shamrock was a huge highlight because of the U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station, which helped inspire the world of Cars. It is one of those Route 66 stops that looks just as cool as you hope it will.
Cadillac Ranch was another major stop. It is wild, strange, artistic, and kind of sad at the same time because you realize those Cadillacs were once beautiful cars and are now completely covered in layers of spray paint. But that is also part of the Route 66 experience. It is weird, iconic, interactive, and unforgettable.
Texas also brought heat, stress, and one of the scariest mechanical moments. In Amarillo, after topping off coolant, I did not fully tighten the radiator cap. Brownie started overheating badly, and I thought we might be done. We were talking about getting a trailer and towing the truck. Then we noticed the cap was not all the way on. We filled the radiator with PEAK coolant, tightened the cap correctly, and kept going.
That moment was one of the most overwhelming points of the entire trip.
Texas felt big, hot, iconic, and very Route 66.
Driving Texas
Cross from Texola into Shamrock under the U-Drop Inn's vertical green tower. McLean's Phillips 66 is the oldest in Texas. Past Groom's leaning water tower and the Slug Bug Ranch, into Amarillo for the Big Texan steak challenge and Cadillac Ranch's painted sunset. Out through Vega and Adrian, the official Route 66 midpoint, and across the high plains to Glenrio.
The alignments
186 miles straight across the Panhandle (sometimes cited as 178 depending on alignment). Most of the original alignment parallels I-40, often as the frontage road.
Notes from the road
Flat, fast, and exposed. Wind comes from the south or the north, so pick your tarp lashing accordingly. The frontage road of I-40 is your Route 66 most of the way; the brown shields are reliable.
What we pulled over for in Texas
- Shamrock
- U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station
- Big Texan
- Cadillac Ranch
- Adrian Route 66 Midpoint
- Wide open Texas driving
- Major heat and mechanical drama
Texas stops, written up
4 stops
- U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower StationShamrock, Texasgas station
- The Big Texan Steak RanchAmarillo, Texasdinerguide entry coming
- Cadillac RanchAmarillo, Texasart
- Route 66 MidpointAdrian, Texaslandmarkguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Texas
What’s on the road in Texas
U-Drop InnShamrock1936 Conoco station. The geometric Art Deco tower was the model for Ramone's body shop in Cars.
Phillips 66 Service StationMcLeanThe first Phillips 66 in Texas, restored to its 1929 cottage style. Free to walk through.
Devil's Rope MuseumMcLeanBarbed wire, Route 66 history, and Old West relics in a single small-town museum.
Leaning Water TowerGroomAn intentional roadside curiosity. Tilted by design, photographed forever.
Slug Bug RanchConwayFive Volkswagen Beetles half-buried, nose-down, waiting for paint. Bring your spray cans.
Cadillac RanchAmarilloStanley Marsh 3 and Ant Farm planted ten Cadillacs in 1974. Spray-painted daily, still standing.
The Big TexanAmarilloFree 72oz steak if you finish in an hour. Limousines that look like longhorns. 1960s neon outside.
Midpoint CafeAdrian1,139 miles to Chicago, 1,139 miles to Santa Monica. The pie and the photograph are both essential.
Russell's Travel CenterGlenrioFree vintage-car museum inside a working truck stop on the TX-NM line. Mid-century chrome and Elvis memorabilia, no admission.
2nd Amendment CowboyAmarilloA 24-foot Muffler Man cowboy at Cadillac RV Park, just down from Cadillac Ranch. Texas distilled into one statue.
Where to eat and sleep in Texas
The Big TexanAmarilloSteak, beans, the whole experience. Stay in the connected Big Texan Motel, pool shaped like Texas.
Midpoint CafeAdrianUgly Crust Pies. Order one slice or take a whole pie home.
Cadillac RV RanchAmarilloPark overnight near the half-buried Caddies. Wake up to the sound of paint cans rattling.
Worth stopping to photograph in Texas
U-Drop Inn at full dark, green and orange neon against black sky
Cadillac Ranch at golden hour, silhouettes against orange
Slug Bug Ranch with a vintage VW driving past
Midpoint Cafe sign with your odometer at exactly 1,139 from Chicago
Glenrio ghost town at the New Mexico line
Did you know about Texas
Cadillac Ranch is moved every couple of decades when the highway encroaches, but always in the same general field.
Adrian's Midpoint Cafe sign was repainted in 2002 by Cars (2006) production designers as gift, then later restored.
Texas spent more on Route 66 markers in the 1990s revival than any other state outside Missouri.
All eight states
State 06 of 08487 mi of Route 66
New Mexico
High desert, neon
NMDriven
New Mexico was one of the most visually interesting states on the trip.
The landscapes changed, and the old Route 66 towns had so much character. We went through Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, Santa Rosa, and several other stops along the way.
Tucumcari was loaded with neon signs, motels, old buildings, and that classic Route 66 feel. Tee Pee Curios had the perfect roadside architecture and gift shop vibe. There were abandoned motels, old gas stations, vintage signs, and places that looked like they were frozen in time.
Gallup became one of the big mechanical chapters of the trip. We were still fighting fuel delivery issues, and at one point we ended up at O’Reilly’s doing a roadkill-style repair. We ran fuel line through the fuel filler, around the bumper, and down to the fuel pump to bypass what we thought was the issue. It was stressful, but it also became one of those memories that makes the trip unforgettable.
New Mexico also reminded me how big God’s creation is. Coming from Miami, where everything is flat and city life can make you forget how massive the world is.
New Mexico was beautiful, rugged, stressful, and full of real Route 66 soul.
Driving New Mexico
From Glenrio across the Llano Estacado into Tucumcari, Motel Row at sundown is a cinematographer's reel. Across to Santa Rosa's Blue Hole, then west to Albuquerque's Central Avenue, the longest unbroken stretch of urban Route 66 in the country. Out through Grants's lava country and over the Continental Divide. Gallup's El Rancho Hotel, Hollywood's western base camp, holds the line until Arizona.
The alignments
Two distinct alignments. The 1926 original ran 487 miles via the Santa Fe loop; the 1937 'Laguna Cutoff' shortened it to about 380 miles through Albuquerque. Both are drivable.
Notes from the road
Mostly two-lane state highway. Watch for sand drifts on the shoulders east of Tucumcari after wind. The Albuquerque urban stretch is full speed limits and stoplights, give yourself the afternoon. Continental Divide is the high point at 7,275 feet; older carbureted vehicles may want a tune.
What we pulled over for in New Mexico
- Tucumcari
- Blue Swallow Motel
- Tee Pee Curios
- Russell’s Travel Center
- Albuquerque
- Grants
- Gallup
- Continental Divide
- Old motels and neon signs
- O’Reilly’s roadside fuel line fix
- Desert and mountain landscapes
New Mexico stops, written up
3 stops
- Blue Swallow MotelTucumcari, New Mexicomotel
- Tee Pee CuriosTucumcari, New Mexicoshopguide entry coming
- Gallup's Route 66 NeonGallup, New Mexicotownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning New Mexico
What’s on the road in New Mexico
Blue Swallow MotelTucumcari1939, restored. Each room has its own attached garage. Owner-curated neon light show every dusk.
Tee Pee CuriosTucumcariConcrete tepee storefront, 1944. The neon arrow is one of the most photographed on Route 66.
Motel SafariTucumcari1959, restored by current owner. Camel sign at sundown is essential viewing.
Blue HoleSanta RosaAn 81-foot artesian well, cold and impossibly clear. Scuba divers train here year-round.
Route 66 Casino & Wheels MuseumAlbuquerqueDocuments the 'Laguna Cutoff' history and houses ABQ-region transportation artifacts.
Central AvenueAlbuquerque18 miles of unbroken urban Route 66, diners, neon, and KiMo Theatre's Pueblo-Deco facade.
Continental DivideThoreauMarker at 7,275 feet. From here water flows west to the Pacific.
El Rancho HotelGallupHollywood's western HQ from 1937. Reagan, Bogart, Hepburn all signed the registry.
Continental Divide Trading PostContinental DivideRoadside trading post with a serious turquoise selection. Bring patience and cash.
Route 66 Auto MuseumSanta RosaThirty-plus classic cars, free coffee, no admission. Pure Route 66 hospitality on the road shoulder.
Route 66 Drive-Thru ArchGrantsA natural sandstone arch on the alignment, drivable and photographable. Grants's overlooked gem.
Lumberjack ManAlbuquerqueA 27-foot Muffler Man with an axe at the May Cafe / Shofner Lumber site, on a 20-foot platform. Visible from the freeway.
Where to eat and sleep in New Mexico
Blue Swallow MotelTucumcariSleep in 1939. The neon stays on all night.
Joseph's Bar & GrillSanta RosaPixar's Cars team based their fictional 'Ramone's' on this menu and its red booths.
El Rancho HotelGallupStay in the John Wayne suite, or any of the named-after-stars rooms.
Worth stopping to photograph in New Mexico
Blue Swallow neon at full dark, green tubes lit
Tee Pee Curios at blue hour
Motel Row Tucumcari panorama from a slight elevation
KiMo Theatre facade in flat morning light
Continental Divide sign with a vintage hood ornament in foreground
Did you know about New Mexico
The Blue Swallow Motel's owner, at any given time, is also its handyman, neon technician, and night clerk.
Albuquerque's Central Avenue carries both the 1926 north-south alignment and the 1937 east-west alignment, the only place where the two crossed.
El Rancho Hotel's lobby has a free-standing wagon wheel chandelier R.D. Griffith built specifically for the room.
All eight states
State 07 of 08401 mi of Route 66
Arizona
Painted desert to the edge
AZDriven
Arizona may have been the most beautiful state of the whole trip.
From Holbrook to Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, and Kingman, Arizona gave us some of the best driving, best towns, and most dramatic landscape changes. The mountains, desert, pine trees, red rocks, and Route 66 towns made this part of the trip feel special.
Holbrook had the Wigwam Motel, which is one of those classic Route 66 places everyone should see. Winslow was exactly what I hoped it would be. Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona was one of those touristy things that still felt completely worth it.
Flagstaff was special because we got to visit KC HiLiTES. KC was a huge part of my childhood. Seeing KC lights on big trucks helped shape the way I loved trucks, so visiting their facility while Brownie was covered in KC lights was a full-circle moment.
Williams was probably my favorite town of the entire trip. It was clean, alive, tourist-friendly, well cared for, and beautifully presented. A lot of Route 66 towns have only a few cool stops and then a lot of abandonment, but Williams felt like the whole town cared. I could have spent several days there.
Arizona was one of the biggest highlights of the trip and a major part of what I would build around next time.
Driving Arizona
From Lupton's red rocks into Holbrook's Wigwam Motel courtyard, past the Painted Desert turnoff, into Winslow to stand on the corner that Eagles wrote about. Flagstaff's pine country, then Williams, the last town the interstate bypassed in 1984. From Seligman, the road runs uninterrupted for 158 miles through Peach Springs, Hackberry's neon-loaded general store, into Kingman, and over Sitgreaves Pass into Oatman where the burros walk the streets.
The alignments
Arizona has the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66 still drivable, 158 miles from Seligman to Topock. Angel Delgadillo's 1985 lobbying saved this section and started the historic-preservation movement.
Notes from the road
The Seligman-to-Topock stretch is the gem of the entire road, 158 miles of original alignment, no interstate parallel for most of it. Cool Springs to Oatman is steep and switchbacked; older trucks should drop a gear early. Burros at Oatman ignore traffic, drive the streets at idle.
What we pulled over for in Arizona
- Holbrook
- Wigwam Motel
- Winslow
- Standin’ on the Corner
- Flagstaff
- KC HiLiTES
- Williams
- Seligman
- Kingman
- Mountain roads
- Pine country
- Desert views
Arizona stops, written up
6 stops
- Wigwam MotelHolbrook, Arizonamotel
- Standin' on the Corner ParkWinslow, Arizonalandmark
- KC HiLiTESFlagstaff, Arizonalandmarkguide entry coming
- Williams, ArizonaWilliams, Arizonatownguide entry coming
- Seligman, ArizonaSeligman, Arizonatown
- Kingman, ArizonaKingman, Arizonatownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Arizona
What’s on the road in Arizona
Wigwam Motel #6Holbrook15 concrete tepee cabins, 1950. Vintage cars parked in front of every unit. Sleep with the neon on.
Jackrabbit Trading PostJoseph City'Here it is', the most parodied roadside billboard in Route 66 history.
Standin' on a Corner ParkWinslowThe Eagles immortalized it; the town built the corner. Glenn Frey statue, flatbed Ford, and all.
Snow Cap Drive-InSeligmanJuan Delgadillo's prank-laden drive-in, run by his family since 1953. Order with care.
Hackberry General StoreHackberryRoadside time capsule run by Bob Boze Bell-era restorers. Petroliana, vintage cars, free history.
Cool Springs CampCool SpringsRestored 1927 stone gas station at the foot of Sitgreaves Pass. Cinematic in any direction.
Sitgreaves Pass / Oatman HighwayOatmanSwitchbacks through the Black Mountains. Old burros work the streets of Oatman at the bottom.
Twin Arrows Trading PostTwin ArrowsTwo giant arrows planted in the dirt, the most photographed ruined trading post on Route 66.
Painted Desert spurHolbrook20-mile detour into Petrified Forest National Park. Worth the half-day for the colors alone.
La Posada HotelWinslow1930 Mary Colter masterpiece, the last great Fred Harvey hotel, fully restored. Einstein, Earhart, and three generations of stars stayed here.
Powerhouse Visitor Center & Route 66 MuseumKingman1907 power plant restored as the central museum and visitor center for the 158-mile unbroken Seligman-to-Topock stretch.
Louie the LumberjackFlagstaffA 20-foot Muffler Man with an axe, NAU's mascot. A pair stationed inside and outside the Walkup Skydome.
Where to eat and sleep in Arizona
Wigwam Motel #6HolbrookSleep in concrete. Wave to the vintage cars in the morning.
Snow Cap Drive-InSeligmanCheeseburger, fries, dead chicken. Read the menu twice.
El Trovatore MotelKingman1937 motor court, fully restored. Each room themed to a celebrity who stayed.
Worth stopping to photograph in Arizona
Wigwam Motel courtyard at blue hour with vintage cars
Standin' on a Corner, front of the flatbed Ford
Jackrabbit Trading Post billboard with sky behind
Hackberry General Store front porch with parked classic
Sitgreaves Pass switchback overlook at dawn
Did you know about Arizona
Angel Delgadillo, the barber of Seligman, started the movement that got Arizona Route 66 designated 'historic' in 1987, saving 158 miles from being abandoned.
The Wigwam Motel chain originally had seven locations; only three survive, Holbrook, San Bernardino, and Cave City KY.
The Jackrabbit Trading Post billboard inspired countless imitators, including the one in Cars' Radiator Springs.
All eight states
State 08 of 08314 mi of Route 66
California
Pacific finish
CADriven
California was the final stretch.
We came into California through Needles, crossed the desert, stopped in Amboy, visited Roy’s Motel & Cafe, made our way to Barstow, Victorville, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, and finally the Santa Monica Pier.
Needles was hot. Roy’s Motel & Cafe is one of those places that looks like Route 66 in your imagination. The sign, the abandoned motel, the old school, the post office, the church, the desert, the heat, it all felt like another era.
The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino was one of the best surprises of the trip. The property was clean, colorful, well maintained, and full of great Route 66 energy. It was one of the places that looked even better in person than I expected.
The final push through Los Angeles was one of the most stressful stretches. We were on surface streets, hitting red lights, surrounded by traffic, and getting closer and closer to the end. The closer we got to Santa Monica, the more emotional it became. I could smell the ocean. I could see the beach. I knew the dream was almost over.
Then we got there. The Santa Monica Pier was in front of us. The Pacific Ocean was right there. Brownie had crossed Route 66. We had actually done it.
California was hot, stressful, beautiful, and emotional. It was the finish line.
Driving California
From Needles across the Mojave into Amboy, Roy's neon arrow against the desert is one of the road's signature shots. Through Ludlow, Newberry Springs, and the Bagdad Cafe (yes, the movie). Into Barstow's Mother Road Museum, down through Victorville's California Route 66 Museum, over Cajon Pass into San Bernardino. Across the LA basin via Foothill, Colorado, Sunset, and finally Santa Monica Boulevard to the pier.
The alignments
California's Route 66 starts in Needles, crosses the Mojave, climbs through Cajon Pass, and finishes at Santa Monica. The official end was at Lincoln & Olympic until 2009, when the city moved the 'End of the Trail' sign to the pier.
Notes from the road
Mojave is the longest unbroken empty stretch on the entire road. Fuel up in Needles, then again in Barstow. Cajon Pass descends 4,000 feet in 25 miles; older brakes want care. LA traffic is the only real urban driving; the pier celebration is worth the slow miles.
What we pulled over for in California
- Needles
- Amboy
- Roy’s Motel & Cafe
- Barstow
- Victorville
- San Bernardino Wigwam Motel
- Rancho Cucamonga Service Station
- Los Angeles
- Sunset Strip
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Pacific Coast Highway
- Santa Monica Pier
California stops, written up
4 stops
- Needles, CaliforniaNeedles, Californiatownguide entry coming
- Roy's Motel & CafeAmboy, Californiagas station
- Cucamonga Service StationRancho Cucamonga, Californiagas stationguide entry coming
- Santa Monica PierSanta Monica, Californiafinish
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning California
What’s on the road in California
Roy's Motel & CafeAmboy1938 motel and cafe. The boomerang neon sign in the Mojave is the photograph.
Bagdad CafeNewberry SpringsThe setting and the star of the 1987 film. Still operating, still serving.
Route 66 Mother Road MuseumBarstowInside the historic Barstow Harvey House. Free, deep, and run by people who care.
Elmer's Bottle Tree RanchOro Grande200+ welded sculptures hung with vintage glass bottles. A Route 66 folk-art original.
Wigwam Motel #7San BernardinoThe other surviving Wigwam, 19 cabins, a pool, and 1949 neon at full dark.
Original McDonald's Site & MuseumSan BernardinoWhere Dick and Mac McDonald invented the Speedee Service System in 1948.
Colorado BoulevardPasadenaThe Rose Parade route is also Route 66, Old Town Pasadena's brick streets follow the original alignment.
Santa Monica Pier 'End of the Trail'Santa MonicaThe official End of Route 66 sign on the pier. Convoy parking, photo wall, and the Pacific.
Emma Jean's Holland Burger CafeVictorville1947, family-run, three generations on the line. The chicken-fried steak is the road's reward post-Mojave.
Amboy Crater National LandmarkAmboyA 6,000-year-old volcanic cinder cone next to Roy's. Two-mile rim hike, lava field, no traffic but yours.
Cucamonga Service StationRancho Cucamonga1915 Richfield station, restored. Often called the oldest gas station on Route 66.
Where to eat and sleep in California
Bagdad CafeNewberry SpringsEat where the movie was shot. Order the chicken-fried steak.
Wigwam Motel #7San BernardinoSleep in the second-and-last surviving Wigwam.
The LobsterSanta MonicaPier-end dinner the night you arrive. Built 1923, predates the End sign by decades.
Worth stopping to photograph in California
Roy's Motel boomerang at golden hour
Bagdad Cafe storefront with desert sky
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch in late afternoon side light
End of the Trail sign with the Pacific behind
Convoy parked along the pier deck at twilight
Did you know about California
Roy's neon sign was officially relit in 2019 after a 30-year dark spell, restored by the Albert Okura family who bought the entire town of Amboy.
The original 'End of Route 66' sign was at Lincoln & Olympic, six miles from the pier. The city moved it to Santa Monica Pier in 2009 to honor the journey people actually made.
Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard is the only Route 66 alignment that hosts a televised parade every January 1st.
All eight states

Keep going

The guide is where we went. The story is what it took.

Read the story of the run Bring your truck in 2027

The Route 66 Guide

Chicago to Santa Monica

Route 66 at 100: drive it like we did.

1926
Commissioned · Nov 11: 2,500+
Miles · Chicago to Santa Monica: 8
States on Route 66: June 2026
When we drove it

The Mother Road Run crew — we drove all 2,500+ miles, June 2026

Updated July 25, 2026

Chicago

Santa Monica

2,500+ miles of historic Route 66

ILIllinois, 301 mi
MOMissouri, 317 mi
KSKansas, 13 mi
OKOklahoma, 432 mi
TXTexas, 186 mi
NMNew Mexico, 487 mi
AZArizona, 401 mi
CACalifornia, 314 mi

The Route

Eight states, in the order we drove it.

Start anywhere. Each state carries the founder’s own telling from the road, how the driving actually goes, what to stop for, and the stops we wrote up.

01 · 301 miIllinois
02 · 317 miMissouri
03 · 13 miKansas
04 · 432 miOklahoma
05 · 186 miTexas
06 · 487 miNew Mexico
07 · 401 miArizona
08 · 314 miCalifornia

State 01 of 08301 mi of Route 66
Illinois
The starting line
ILDriven
Illinois is where the dream became real.
We started the adventure around Chicago and Joliet, kicking things off at Route 66 Raceway during Hot Rod Power Tour. This was the beginning of the trip, the beginning of the series, and the moment where all the planning finally turned into reality.
Illinois gave us the first taste of Route 66. We visited Wilmington, the Gemini Giant, the Polk-a-Dot Drive-In, Dwight, Pontiac, Atlanta, the American Giants Museum, old service stations, murals, diners, and classic small-town Route 66 energy.
The first few days were filled with rain, Hot Rod Power Tour traffic, old cars, new friends, and the realization that we had over 2,500 miles to go. Brownie was still fresh, and at the beginning I was honestly impressed with how well it was doing. But Illinois also started teaching us one of the biggest lessons of the whole trip: on Route 66, the journey is the destination.
Illinois surprised me. I did not expect it to be as cool as it was. There was so much history, so many great stops, and so much classic Route 66 character right from the start.
Driving Illinois
Out of Chicago through Joliet's restored neon, past the cornfields of Pontiac, through the political bones of Springfield, and over to Litchfield where the Ariston Cafe has fed Route 66 travelers since 1924. The terrain is gentle, the alignments are well marked, and the brown 'Historic Route 66' shields are everywhere if you look.
The alignments
Two living alignments, the original 1926 line through Joliet and the 1940s Will Rogers route through Plainfield. Both are drivable.
Notes from the road
Mostly two-lane through the small towns; the brown shields are reliable. The 1926 alignment dives into farm-section roads south of Joliet. Slow down for the gravel transitions. Springfield to Mitchell follows old Route 4 and is one of the most authentic stretches still drivable.
What we pulled over for in Illinois
- Route 66 Raceway
- Hot Rod Power Tour
- Gemini Giant
- Polk-a-Dot Drive-In
- Ambler / Texaco Station in Dwight
- Pontiac murals
- American Giants Museum in Atlanta
- Historic gas stations
- Old Route 66 road sections
Illinois stops, written up
5 stops
- Gemini GiantWilmington, Illinoisroadside giant
- Polk-a-Dot Drive-InBraidwood, Illinoisdinerguide entry coming
- American Giants MuseumAtlanta, Illinoismuseum
- Ambler's Texaco StationDwight, Illinoisgas stationguide entry coming
- Pontiac Murals & MuseumsPontiac, Illinoistownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Illinois
What’s on the road in Illinois
Begin Sign at Adams & MichiganChicagoThe official starting point. East-bound traffic only. There's a separate End sign one block south.
Lou Mitchell'sChicagoThe traditional Route 66 send-off breakfast since 1923. Free Milk Duds at the door, donut holes on the way out.
Gemini GiantWilmingtonA 30-foot fiberglass spaceman holding a rocket. One of the last surviving Muffler Men in original location.
Pontiac Route 66 Hall of FamePontiacMurals, memorabilia, and the Bob Waldmire VW van, the artist who mapped the road for a generation.
Cozy Dog Drive-InSpringfieldBirthplace of the corn dog on a stick (1949). Same family, same recipe, same red-and-white walls.
Ariston CafeLitchfieldOperating since 1924, the oldest restaurant on Route 66 still in its original location.
Soulsby's Service StationMt. OliveA 1926 Standard Oil station, restored. One of the oldest unaltered filling stations on the entire road.
Chain of Rocks BridgeMitchellThe pedestrian-only steel bridge over the Mississippi with its signature 22-degree mid-span bend.
American Giants MuseumAtlantaThe Muffler Men museum. Paul Bunyon Man with the giant hot dog out front, plus Lumi the apple-pie waitress (added 2024). The road's quirkiest archive.
Lauterbach Tire GiantSpringfieldA 19-foot Muffler Man at Lauterbach Tire & Auto, holding a U.S. flag (originally a tire). Roadside Illinois in one stop.
Where to eat and sleep in Illinois
Lou Mitchell'sChicagoSend-off breakfast. Get there before 9am or wait in line.
Cozy Dog Drive-InSpringfieldRoadside lunch. Order the Cozy Dog and a side of fries. That's the whole experience.
Funks Grove Pure Maple SirupFunks GroveSirup with an 'i', the original spelling. Stop, shake the family's hand, leave with a jar.
Worth stopping to photograph in Illinois
Begin Sign at Adams & Michigan, early morning, before the foot traffic
Gemini Giant in Wilmington, golden hour, low angle
Ariston Cafe neon at blue hour
Soulsby's Service Station front island, lights on
Chain of Rocks Bridge bend, drone or telephoto from the Missouri side
Did you know about Illinois
Cyrus Avery, the 'Father of Route 66', lobbied to route the highway through his hometown of Tulsa, but the road's first miles run east-to-west out of Chicago.
Funks Grove has been making maple sirup since 1824, a hundred years before Route 66 was numbered.
Illinois has more miles of original 1926 alignment still drivable than any state outside Oklahoma.
All eight states
State 02 of 08317 mi of Route 66
Missouri
Ozark country
MODriven
Missouri brought some of the biggest emotions of the trip.
This is where we visited Bigfoot 4x4 in Pacific, Missouri, which was one of the most personal stops for me. Bigfoot is one of the trucks that made me fall in love with dentside Fords and big lifted trucks when I was a kid. Seeing Bigfoot #1 in person, standing next to those trucks, and walking through that history was honestly mind-blowing.
Missouri also gave us the Red Cedar Inn, Campbell Service Station, Cuba, Springfield, and some of the first major Brownie problems. The truck started fighting us more, and the stress started becoming real. We were dealing with fuel problems, heat, roadside diagnosing, and the kind of old truck issues that make you question everything.
But Missouri also reminded me why this trip mattered. Every stop had character. Every person had a story. Every old sign, gas station, motel, and roadside attraction added another layer to the Route 66 experience.
Missouri felt like a turning point. The reality of what we were trying to do in an old truck started to hit hard.
Driving Missouri
Cross into St. Louis under the Gateway Arch, find your way through the city's tangled alignments, and break free into the Ozarks. Cuba's mural walls, Devil's Elbow's bluff river bend, Lebanon's Munger Moss neon. Springfield earns its 'Birthplace of Route 66' sign honestly. Then west through Carthage and Joplin to the line.
The alignments
St. Louis is a maze. At least four documented historical alignments cross the city. South of Rolla, the road settles into the Ozark roll.
Notes from the road
St. Louis is the trickiest navigation on the entire road. Pick your alignment and commit. The Ozark stretch from Rolla to Springfield is two-lane state highway, often paralleling I-44. Watch for deer at dusk in the cuts.
What we pulled over for in Missouri
- Bigfoot 4x4
- Bigfoot #1
- Red Cedar Inn
- Campbell Service Station
- Cuba, Missouri
- Springfield, Missouri
- Route 66 roadside stops
- Classic gas station and memorabilia collections
Missouri stops, written up
3 stops
- Bigfoot 4x4Pacific, Missourilandmark
- Red Cedar InnPacific, Missourimuseumguide entry coming
- Campbell 66 Service StationPacific, Missourigas stationguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Missouri
What’s on the road in Missouri
Chain of Rocks Bridge (west end)St. LouisThe bend you crossed from Illinois. Park on the Missouri side for the classic shot.
Ted Drewes Frozen CustardSt. LouisConcretes since 1929. The Route 66 stop you stand in line for, even on a Tuesday in February.
Meramec CavernsStantonLester Dill turned a cave into a Route 66 attraction with the original bumper-sticker marketing campaign.
Wagon Wheel MotelCubaThe oldest continuously operating motel on Route 66 (1934). Original stone cabins, restored neon.
Devil's Elbow BridgeDevil's Elbow1923 steel-truss bridge over the Big Piney. Park on the bluff above for the reveal.
Munger Moss MotelLebanonThe neon sign is one of the most photographed on the entire road. Owner Bob Boudewyn keeps it lit.
Birthplace of Route 66 ParkSpringfieldWhere the road's name was officially proposed in 1926. Small park, big plaque.
66 Drive-In TheaterCarthage1949 drive-in, fully restored, still showing first-run films on summer weekends.
Gay Parita SinclairParis Springs JunctionGary Turner's roadside recreation, a 1930s gas station built from love. Gary's gone, the family carries it.
Boots CourtCarthage1939 Streamline Moderne motel, NRHP. Each room had its own attached garage. Restored, taking guests, neon back on.
Red Oak IICarthageLowell Davis's full-size reconstruction of his vanished 1930s Missouri hometown. Outsider art and Mother Road folk-craft in one open-air village.
Where to eat and sleep in Missouri
Ted DrewesSt. LouisConcrete (the upside-down kind). Cash and a pen-and-paper line.
Wagon Wheel MotelCubaSleep in a 1934 stone cabin. Owner-restored, neon lit nightly.
Munger Moss MotelLebanonStay under the neon. Shag carpet is part of the charm.
Worth stopping to photograph in Missouri
Gateway Arch through Eads Bridge, early morning fog
Wagon Wheel neon at blue hour
Devil's Elbow Bridge from the bluff overlook
Munger Moss sign at full dark
Gay Parita pumps with a pickup parked at the island
Did you know about Missouri
Springfield is where Cyrus Avery and John Woodruff sent the telegram naming the highway 'Route 66' in April 1926.
Meramec Caverns invented the bumper sticker as we know it, 'See Meramec Caverns' stickers on every car at every gas station for decades.
Missouri has more documented Route 66 alignments through a single city (St. Louis) than any other state.
All eight states
State 03 of 0813 mi of Route 66
Kansas
Thirteen miles, three towns, big finds
KSDriven
Kansas is a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs in a lot of character.
One of the biggest highlights was Galena and Gearhead Curios. This place is exactly what Route 66 is about: personality, creativity, old gas station vibes, classic automotive culture, and people who care deeply about preserving the road.
Kansas reminded me that Route 66 is not always about how many miles you drive in a state. Sometimes the smallest stretch leaves a big impression.
Kansas may not have the longest part of Route 66, but it absolutely belongs in the story.
Driving Kansas
Cross from Joplin into Galena, the first town. Cars on the Route is the must-stop, the 1934 Kan-O-Tex station with the boom truck that became Tow Mater. Down the road in Riverton, Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store has been operating since 1925; the Route 66 Association of Kansas runs out of the back. Six miles further, Baxter Springs' restored 1930 Phillips 66 station holds the visitor center, and the Rainbow Curve Bridge, the only Marsh Arch left on Route 66, carries you over Brush Creek toward Oklahoma.
The alignments
The shortest Route 66 stretch of any state. Joplin to Commerce, through Galena, Riverton, and Baxter Springs. The whole crossing is two hours with stops.
Notes from the road
Two hours start to finish with photo stops. Tight, well-marked alignment, single-lane in spots. Rainbow Curve Bridge is one-way for vehicles, walkable both directions.
What we pulled over for in Kansas
- Galena
- Gearhead Curios
- Historic service station energy
- Classic roadside personality
- Old signs, license plates, and automotive memorabilia
Kansas stops, written up
1 stop
- Gearhead CuriosGalena, Kansasshopguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Kansas
What’s on the road in Kansas
Cars on the RouteGalenaThe 1934 Kan-O-Tex station, restored. The International Harvester boom truck out front is the original inspiration for Tow Mater in Pixar's Cars.
Gearhead CuriosGalena1939 native-stone Texaco station, restored over five years and reopened June 2023. The only State of Kansas Tourist Information Center on Route 66.
Rainbow Curve BridgeBaxter Springs1923 Marsh Arch concrete bridge over Brush Creek. The only surviving Marsh Arch bridge on the entire 2,448-mile Route 66. NRHP listed 1983.
Eisler Brothers Old Riverton StoreRivertonOperating since 1925, a year before Route 66 was numbered. Deli, neon, gift shop, and the home of the Route 66 Association of Kansas.
Baxter Springs Phillips 66Baxter SpringsCirca-1930 cottage-style Phillips 66, restored as the city visitor center. NRHP 2003.
Route 66 Drive-Thru ArchGalenaSixteen-foot painted arch opened 2025 for the Route 66 centennial. Drive through, get the photo, keep moving.
Where to eat and sleep in Kansas
Eisler Brothers Old Riverton StoreRivertonDeli sandwiches, cold drinks, and a hundred years of country-store soul.
Cars on the RouteGalenaSnacks, souvenirs, and a parking lot full of Pixar-character replicas.
Worth stopping to photograph in Kansas
Cars on the Route boom truck, with the Tow Mater backstory plaque
Rainbow Curve Bridge in raking morning light
Eisler Brothers storefront with neon at blue hour
Gearhead Curios native-stone front, classic parked at the island
Galena's 2025 Drive-Thru Arch with sunflowers
Did you know about Kansas
Galena's tow truck inspired Pixar's Tow Mater. The original International Harvester sits at Cars on the Route on Main Street, and the studio team visited Galena while developing the film.
Rainbow Curve Bridge in Baxter Springs is the only remaining Marsh Arch concrete bridge on the entire 2,448-mile Route 66.
Eisler Brothers in Riverton has been continuously operating since 1925, predating Route 66 itself by a year.
All eight states
State 04 of 08432 mi of Route 66
Oklahoma
Where our route begins
OKDriven
Oklahoma was one of the states that felt like it really understood Route 66.
We passed through Tulsa, Elk City, Erick, Miami, and several other towns that carried a lot of Route 66 history and pride. The National Route 66 Museum in Elk City was a great way to start one of the days, and the state had so many pieces of history, architecture, and roadside attractions.
One of the biggest surprises of the entire trip was meeting Harley Russell at the Sandhills Curiosity Shop in Erick, Oklahoma. I drove by, saw the building covered in signs and memorabilia, and knew we had to stop. Inside, Harley treated us like family. He told stories, sang songs, and left a huge impression on me.
Oklahoma was also full of beautiful small towns, historic buildings, and people who seemed to understand the value of Route 66. It felt authentic. It felt alive. It felt like a state that knows what it has.
Oklahoma was one of my favorite Route 66 states.
Driving Oklahoma
Pick up the road at the Kansas line and follow it through Quapaw, Miami's restored Coleman Theatre, the totem pole at Foyil, and into Tulsa. From Tulsa, the road runs through Sapulpa, the round barn at Arcadia, Pops 66's neon arrow, and across the OKC metro. West of OKC, the prairie opens through Hydro, Weatherford, Clinton's Route 66 Museum, Elk City, and the long fade into the Texas line at Texola.
The alignments
Oklahoma holds more drivable original Route 66 than any other state. Much of the 1926 concrete is still under your tires.
Notes from the road
Long, flat, and forgiving. The original 1926 concrete is signed and well maintained from Sapulpa west. Watch for the curb-style 'sidewalk highway' between Miami and Afton, nine feet of concrete, two-way traffic, the oldest surviving Route 66 alignment in the country.
What we pulled over for in Oklahoma
- Elk City
- National Route 66 Museum
- Erick, Oklahoma
- Sandhills Curiosity Shop
- Miami, Oklahoma
- Tulsa
- Small towns and historic downtowns
- Route 66 pride and preservation
Oklahoma stops, written up
2 stops
- Sandhills Curiosity ShopErick, Oklahomashop
- National Route 66 MuseumElk City, Oklahomamuseumguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Oklahoma
What’s on the road in Oklahoma
Coleman TheatreMiami1929 Spanish Colonial Revival vaudeville house. The Wurlitzer organ still plays.
Galloway's Totem Pole ParkFoyilEd Galloway's 90-foot concrete totem pole, the world's tallest, hand-built over 11 years.
Blue Whale of CatoosaCatoosaHugh Davis built it as an anniversary gift to his wife. 80 feet of smiling roadside concrete.
Cyrus Avery Centennial PlazaTulsaEleven Cents Bridge over the Arkansas, plus the bronze sculpture of the Avery family in their Model T.
Round BarnArcadia1898 hand-built circular barn. The acoustics inside are unreal, try a clap.
Pops 66ArcadiaA 66-foot illuminated soda bottle and 700+ varieties of pop. The neon at night reads as a film set.
Lucille's Service StationHydroLucille Hamons ran this station for 60 years. She called Route 66 her 'highway in time'.
National Route 66 & Transportation MuseumElk CitySix buildings, full Old Town village. The most thorough single Route 66 museum on the road.
Threatt Filling StationLuther1915 native-stone station, owned and operated by the Threatt family during segregation, one of the only safe Black-owned stops on this stretch. National Trust 11 Most Endangered, restoration underway.
Pony BridgeBridgeport1933, 38 pony-truss spans, 3,944 feet. The longest pony-truss bridge in America and Oklahoma's longest highway bridge. Reopened May 2024 after a multi-year rebuild, still load-bearing.
Rock CafeStroud1939, built from rocks excavated during Route 66's paving. NRHP listed. Popularly credited as the inspiration for Sally Carrera in Pixar's Cars.
Buck Atom's Cosmic CuriosTulsaA 21-foot Muffler Man space cowboy plus Stella Atom companion. Tulsa's most-photographed contemporary install.
Meadow Gold SignTulsa1934 neon, 30-by-30 foot, restored 2004 and re-anchored on its original 11th Street block.
Where to eat and sleep in Oklahoma
Tally's CafeTulsaDiner classic. Open late. Photographed for every Route 66 documentary that's been made.
Mother Road MarketTulsaCurated food hall in a Route 66 building. Good coffee, better signage.
Pops 66ArcadiaBurgers, pop you've never heard of, and that 66-foot bottle outside.
Worth stopping to photograph in Oklahoma
Avery Plaza Eleven Cents Bridge, golden hour
Round Barn in raking morning light
Pops 66 bottle at full dark, lights on
Blue Whale reflected in the pond
Did you know about Oklahoma
Cyrus Avery ran a service station in Tulsa and used his political clout to bend the new federal highway through Oklahoma.
The 'sidewalk highway' between Miami and Afton is just nine feet wide. When two cars met, both put two wheels in the dirt.
Will Rogers, Oklahoma's most famous son, has the Will Rogers Highway named for him, Route 66's official designation in California.
All eight states
State 05 of 08186 mi of Route 66
Texas
Panhandle horizons
TXDriven
Texas was wide open, iconic, hot, and full of major Route 66 stops.
We went through Shamrock, Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch, Adrian, and the Big Texan. Shamrock was a huge highlight because of the U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station, which helped inspire the world of Cars. It is one of those Route 66 stops that looks just as cool as you hope it will.
Cadillac Ranch was another major stop. It is wild, strange, artistic, and kind of sad at the same time because you realize those Cadillacs were once beautiful cars and are now completely covered in layers of spray paint. But that is also part of the Route 66 experience. It is weird, iconic, interactive, and unforgettable.
Texas also brought heat, stress, and one of the scariest mechanical moments. In Amarillo, after topping off coolant, I did not fully tighten the radiator cap. Brownie started overheating badly, and I thought we might be done. We were talking about getting a trailer and towing the truck. Then we noticed the cap was not all the way on. We filled the radiator with PEAK coolant, tightened the cap correctly, and kept going.
That moment was one of the most overwhelming points of the entire trip.
Texas felt big, hot, iconic, and very Route 66.
Driving Texas
Cross from Texola into Shamrock under the U-Drop Inn's vertical green tower. McLean's Phillips 66 is the oldest in Texas. Past Groom's leaning water tower and the Slug Bug Ranch, into Amarillo for the Big Texan steak challenge and Cadillac Ranch's painted sunset. Out through Vega and Adrian, the official Route 66 midpoint, and across the high plains to Glenrio.
The alignments
186 miles straight across the Panhandle (sometimes cited as 178 depending on alignment). Most of the original alignment parallels I-40, often as the frontage road.
Notes from the road
Flat, fast, and exposed. Wind comes from the south or the north, so pick your tarp lashing accordingly. The frontage road of I-40 is your Route 66 most of the way; the brown shields are reliable.
What we pulled over for in Texas
- Shamrock
- U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower Station
- Big Texan
- Cadillac Ranch
- Adrian Route 66 Midpoint
- Wide open Texas driving
- Major heat and mechanical drama
Texas stops, written up
4 stops
- U-Drop Inn / Conoco Tower StationShamrock, Texasgas station
- The Big Texan Steak RanchAmarillo, Texasdinerguide entry coming
- Cadillac RanchAmarillo, Texasart
- Route 66 MidpointAdrian, Texaslandmarkguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Texas
What’s on the road in Texas
U-Drop InnShamrock1936 Conoco station. The geometric Art Deco tower was the model for Ramone's body shop in Cars.
Phillips 66 Service StationMcLeanThe first Phillips 66 in Texas, restored to its 1929 cottage style. Free to walk through.
Devil's Rope MuseumMcLeanBarbed wire, Route 66 history, and Old West relics in a single small-town museum.
Leaning Water TowerGroomAn intentional roadside curiosity. Tilted by design, photographed forever.
Slug Bug RanchConwayFive Volkswagen Beetles half-buried, nose-down, waiting for paint. Bring your spray cans.
Cadillac RanchAmarilloStanley Marsh 3 and Ant Farm planted ten Cadillacs in 1974. Spray-painted daily, still standing.
The Big TexanAmarilloFree 72oz steak if you finish in an hour. Limousines that look like longhorns. 1960s neon outside.
Midpoint CafeAdrian1,139 miles to Chicago, 1,139 miles to Santa Monica. The pie and the photograph are both essential.
Russell's Travel CenterGlenrioFree vintage-car museum inside a working truck stop on the TX-NM line. Mid-century chrome and Elvis memorabilia, no admission.
2nd Amendment CowboyAmarilloA 24-foot Muffler Man cowboy at Cadillac RV Park, just down from Cadillac Ranch. Texas distilled into one statue.
Where to eat and sleep in Texas
The Big TexanAmarilloSteak, beans, the whole experience. Stay in the connected Big Texan Motel, pool shaped like Texas.
Midpoint CafeAdrianUgly Crust Pies. Order one slice or take a whole pie home.
Cadillac RV RanchAmarilloPark overnight near the half-buried Caddies. Wake up to the sound of paint cans rattling.
Worth stopping to photograph in Texas
U-Drop Inn at full dark, green and orange neon against black sky
Cadillac Ranch at golden hour, silhouettes against orange
Slug Bug Ranch with a vintage VW driving past
Midpoint Cafe sign with your odometer at exactly 1,139 from Chicago
Glenrio ghost town at the New Mexico line
Did you know about Texas
Cadillac Ranch is moved every couple of decades when the highway encroaches, but always in the same general field.
Adrian's Midpoint Cafe sign was repainted in 2002 by Cars (2006) production designers as gift, then later restored.
Texas spent more on Route 66 markers in the 1990s revival than any other state outside Missouri.
All eight states
State 06 of 08487 mi of Route 66
New Mexico
High desert, neon
NMDriven
New Mexico was one of the most visually interesting states on the trip.
The landscapes changed, and the old Route 66 towns had so much character. We went through Tucumcari, Albuquerque, Grants, Gallup, Santa Rosa, and several other stops along the way.
Tucumcari was loaded with neon signs, motels, old buildings, and that classic Route 66 feel. Tee Pee Curios had the perfect roadside architecture and gift shop vibe. There were abandoned motels, old gas stations, vintage signs, and places that looked like they were frozen in time.
Gallup became one of the big mechanical chapters of the trip. We were still fighting fuel delivery issues, and at one point we ended up at O’Reilly’s doing a roadkill-style repair. We ran fuel line through the fuel filler, around the bumper, and down to the fuel pump to bypass what we thought was the issue. It was stressful, but it also became one of those memories that makes the trip unforgettable.
New Mexico also reminded me how big God’s creation is. Coming from Miami, where everything is flat and city life can make you forget how massive the world is.
New Mexico was beautiful, rugged, stressful, and full of real Route 66 soul.
Driving New Mexico
From Glenrio across the Llano Estacado into Tucumcari, Motel Row at sundown is a cinematographer's reel. Across to Santa Rosa's Blue Hole, then west to Albuquerque's Central Avenue, the longest unbroken stretch of urban Route 66 in the country. Out through Grants's lava country and over the Continental Divide. Gallup's El Rancho Hotel, Hollywood's western base camp, holds the line until Arizona.
The alignments
Two distinct alignments. The 1926 original ran 487 miles via the Santa Fe loop; the 1937 'Laguna Cutoff' shortened it to about 380 miles through Albuquerque. Both are drivable.
Notes from the road
Mostly two-lane state highway. Watch for sand drifts on the shoulders east of Tucumcari after wind. The Albuquerque urban stretch is full speed limits and stoplights, give yourself the afternoon. Continental Divide is the high point at 7,275 feet; older carbureted vehicles may want a tune.
What we pulled over for in New Mexico
- Tucumcari
- Blue Swallow Motel
- Tee Pee Curios
- Russell’s Travel Center
- Albuquerque
- Grants
- Gallup
- Continental Divide
- Old motels and neon signs
- O’Reilly’s roadside fuel line fix
- Desert and mountain landscapes
New Mexico stops, written up
3 stops
- Blue Swallow MotelTucumcari, New Mexicomotel
- Tee Pee CuriosTucumcari, New Mexicoshopguide entry coming
- Gallup's Route 66 NeonGallup, New Mexicotownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning New Mexico
What’s on the road in New Mexico
Blue Swallow MotelTucumcari1939, restored. Each room has its own attached garage. Owner-curated neon light show every dusk.
Tee Pee CuriosTucumcariConcrete tepee storefront, 1944. The neon arrow is one of the most photographed on Route 66.
Motel SafariTucumcari1959, restored by current owner. Camel sign at sundown is essential viewing.
Blue HoleSanta RosaAn 81-foot artesian well, cold and impossibly clear. Scuba divers train here year-round.
Route 66 Casino & Wheels MuseumAlbuquerqueDocuments the 'Laguna Cutoff' history and houses ABQ-region transportation artifacts.
Central AvenueAlbuquerque18 miles of unbroken urban Route 66, diners, neon, and KiMo Theatre's Pueblo-Deco facade.
Continental DivideThoreauMarker at 7,275 feet. From here water flows west to the Pacific.
El Rancho HotelGallupHollywood's western HQ from 1937. Reagan, Bogart, Hepburn all signed the registry.
Continental Divide Trading PostContinental DivideRoadside trading post with a serious turquoise selection. Bring patience and cash.
Route 66 Auto MuseumSanta RosaThirty-plus classic cars, free coffee, no admission. Pure Route 66 hospitality on the road shoulder.
Route 66 Drive-Thru ArchGrantsA natural sandstone arch on the alignment, drivable and photographable. Grants's overlooked gem.
Lumberjack ManAlbuquerqueA 27-foot Muffler Man with an axe at the May Cafe / Shofner Lumber site, on a 20-foot platform. Visible from the freeway.
Where to eat and sleep in New Mexico
Blue Swallow MotelTucumcariSleep in 1939. The neon stays on all night.
Joseph's Bar & GrillSanta RosaPixar's Cars team based their fictional 'Ramone's' on this menu and its red booths.
El Rancho HotelGallupStay in the John Wayne suite, or any of the named-after-stars rooms.
Worth stopping to photograph in New Mexico
Blue Swallow neon at full dark, green tubes lit
Tee Pee Curios at blue hour
Motel Row Tucumcari panorama from a slight elevation
KiMo Theatre facade in flat morning light
Continental Divide sign with a vintage hood ornament in foreground
Did you know about New Mexico
The Blue Swallow Motel's owner, at any given time, is also its handyman, neon technician, and night clerk.
Albuquerque's Central Avenue carries both the 1926 north-south alignment and the 1937 east-west alignment, the only place where the two crossed.
El Rancho Hotel's lobby has a free-standing wagon wheel chandelier R.D. Griffith built specifically for the room.
All eight states
State 07 of 08401 mi of Route 66
Arizona
Painted desert to the edge
AZDriven
Arizona may have been the most beautiful state of the whole trip.
From Holbrook to Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Seligman, and Kingman, Arizona gave us some of the best driving, best towns, and most dramatic landscape changes. The mountains, desert, pine trees, red rocks, and Route 66 towns made this part of the trip feel special.
Holbrook had the Wigwam Motel, which is one of those classic Route 66 places everyone should see. Winslow was exactly what I hoped it would be. Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona was one of those touristy things that still felt completely worth it.
Flagstaff was special because we got to visit KC HiLiTES. KC was a huge part of my childhood. Seeing KC lights on big trucks helped shape the way I loved trucks, so visiting their facility while Brownie was covered in KC lights was a full-circle moment.
Williams was probably my favorite town of the entire trip. It was clean, alive, tourist-friendly, well cared for, and beautifully presented. A lot of Route 66 towns have only a few cool stops and then a lot of abandonment, but Williams felt like the whole town cared. I could have spent several days there.
Arizona was one of the biggest highlights of the trip and a major part of what I would build around next time.
Driving Arizona
From Lupton's red rocks into Holbrook's Wigwam Motel courtyard, past the Painted Desert turnoff, into Winslow to stand on the corner that Eagles wrote about. Flagstaff's pine country, then Williams, the last town the interstate bypassed in 1984. From Seligman, the road runs uninterrupted for 158 miles through Peach Springs, Hackberry's neon-loaded general store, into Kingman, and over Sitgreaves Pass into Oatman where the burros walk the streets.
The alignments
Arizona has the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66 still drivable, 158 miles from Seligman to Topock. Angel Delgadillo's 1985 lobbying saved this section and started the historic-preservation movement.
Notes from the road
The Seligman-to-Topock stretch is the gem of the entire road, 158 miles of original alignment, no interstate parallel for most of it. Cool Springs to Oatman is steep and switchbacked; older trucks should drop a gear early. Burros at Oatman ignore traffic, drive the streets at idle.
What we pulled over for in Arizona
- Holbrook
- Wigwam Motel
- Winslow
- Standin’ on the Corner
- Flagstaff
- KC HiLiTES
- Williams
- Seligman
- Kingman
- Mountain roads
- Pine country
- Desert views
Arizona stops, written up
6 stops
- Wigwam MotelHolbrook, Arizonamotel
- Standin' on the Corner ParkWinslow, Arizonalandmark
- KC HiLiTESFlagstaff, Arizonalandmarkguide entry coming
- Williams, ArizonaWilliams, Arizonatownguide entry coming
- Seligman, ArizonaSeligman, Arizonatown
- Kingman, ArizonaKingman, Arizonatownguide entry coming
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning Arizona
What’s on the road in Arizona
Wigwam Motel #6Holbrook15 concrete tepee cabins, 1950. Vintage cars parked in front of every unit. Sleep with the neon on.
Jackrabbit Trading PostJoseph City'Here it is', the most parodied roadside billboard in Route 66 history.
Standin' on a Corner ParkWinslowThe Eagles immortalized it; the town built the corner. Glenn Frey statue, flatbed Ford, and all.
Snow Cap Drive-InSeligmanJuan Delgadillo's prank-laden drive-in, run by his family since 1953. Order with care.
Hackberry General StoreHackberryRoadside time capsule run by Bob Boze Bell-era restorers. Petroliana, vintage cars, free history.
Cool Springs CampCool SpringsRestored 1927 stone gas station at the foot of Sitgreaves Pass. Cinematic in any direction.
Sitgreaves Pass / Oatman HighwayOatmanSwitchbacks through the Black Mountains. Old burros work the streets of Oatman at the bottom.
Twin Arrows Trading PostTwin ArrowsTwo giant arrows planted in the dirt, the most photographed ruined trading post on Route 66.
Painted Desert spurHolbrook20-mile detour into Petrified Forest National Park. Worth the half-day for the colors alone.
La Posada HotelWinslow1930 Mary Colter masterpiece, the last great Fred Harvey hotel, fully restored. Einstein, Earhart, and three generations of stars stayed here.
Powerhouse Visitor Center & Route 66 MuseumKingman1907 power plant restored as the central museum and visitor center for the 158-mile unbroken Seligman-to-Topock stretch.
Louie the LumberjackFlagstaffA 20-foot Muffler Man with an axe, NAU's mascot. A pair stationed inside and outside the Walkup Skydome.
Where to eat and sleep in Arizona
Wigwam Motel #6HolbrookSleep in concrete. Wave to the vintage cars in the morning.
Snow Cap Drive-InSeligmanCheeseburger, fries, dead chicken. Read the menu twice.
El Trovatore MotelKingman1937 motor court, fully restored. Each room themed to a celebrity who stayed.
Worth stopping to photograph in Arizona
Wigwam Motel courtyard at blue hour with vintage cars
Standin' on a Corner, front of the flatbed Ford
Jackrabbit Trading Post billboard with sky behind
Hackberry General Store front porch with parked classic
Sitgreaves Pass switchback overlook at dawn
Did you know about Arizona
Angel Delgadillo, the barber of Seligman, started the movement that got Arizona Route 66 designated 'historic' in 1987, saving 158 miles from being abandoned.
The Wigwam Motel chain originally had seven locations; only three survive, Holbrook, San Bernardino, and Cave City KY.
The Jackrabbit Trading Post billboard inspired countless imitators, including the one in Cars' Radiator Springs.
All eight states
State 08 of 08314 mi of Route 66
California
Pacific finish
CADriven
California was the final stretch.
We came into California through Needles, crossed the desert, stopped in Amboy, visited Roy’s Motel & Cafe, made our way to Barstow, Victorville, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Los Angeles, Santa Monica Boulevard, Pacific Coast Highway, and finally the Santa Monica Pier.
Needles was hot. Roy’s Motel & Cafe is one of those places that looks like Route 66 in your imagination. The sign, the abandoned motel, the old school, the post office, the church, the desert, the heat, it all felt like another era.
The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino was one of the best surprises of the trip. The property was clean, colorful, well maintained, and full of great Route 66 energy. It was one of the places that looked even better in person than I expected.
The final push through Los Angeles was one of the most stressful stretches. We were on surface streets, hitting red lights, surrounded by traffic, and getting closer and closer to the end. The closer we got to Santa Monica, the more emotional it became. I could smell the ocean. I could see the beach. I knew the dream was almost over.
Then we got there. The Santa Monica Pier was in front of us. The Pacific Ocean was right there. Brownie had crossed Route 66. We had actually done it.
California was hot, stressful, beautiful, and emotional. It was the finish line.
Driving California
From Needles across the Mojave into Amboy, Roy's neon arrow against the desert is one of the road's signature shots. Through Ludlow, Newberry Springs, and the Bagdad Cafe (yes, the movie). Into Barstow's Mother Road Museum, down through Victorville's California Route 66 Museum, over Cajon Pass into San Bernardino. Across the LA basin via Foothill, Colorado, Sunset, and finally Santa Monica Boulevard to the pier.
The alignments
California's Route 66 starts in Needles, crosses the Mojave, climbs through Cajon Pass, and finishes at Santa Monica. The official end was at Lincoln & Olympic until 2009, when the city moved the 'End of the Trail' sign to the pier.
Notes from the road
Mojave is the longest unbroken empty stretch on the entire road. Fuel up in Needles, then again in Barstow. Cajon Pass descends 4,000 feet in 25 miles; older brakes want care. LA traffic is the only real urban driving; the pier celebration is worth the slow miles.
What we pulled over for in California
- Needles
- Amboy
- Roy’s Motel & Cafe
- Barstow
- Victorville
- San Bernardino Wigwam Motel
- Rancho Cucamonga Service Station
- Los Angeles
- Sunset Strip
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Pacific Coast Highway
- Santa Monica Pier
California stops, written up
4 stops
- Needles, CaliforniaNeedles, Californiatownguide entry coming
- Roy's Motel & CafeAmboy, Californiagas station
- Cucamonga Service StationRancho Cucamonga, Californiagas stationguide entry coming
- Santa Monica PierSanta Monica, Californiafinish
New guide entries publish two to three a week — the full list will be live before November 2026.
More for planning California
What’s on the road in California
Roy's Motel & CafeAmboy1938 motel and cafe. The boomerang neon sign in the Mojave is the photograph.
Bagdad CafeNewberry SpringsThe setting and the star of the 1987 film. Still operating, still serving.
Route 66 Mother Road MuseumBarstowInside the historic Barstow Harvey House. Free, deep, and run by people who care.
Elmer's Bottle Tree RanchOro Grande200+ welded sculptures hung with vintage glass bottles. A Route 66 folk-art original.
Wigwam Motel #7San BernardinoThe other surviving Wigwam, 19 cabins, a pool, and 1949 neon at full dark.
Original McDonald's Site & MuseumSan BernardinoWhere Dick and Mac McDonald invented the Speedee Service System in 1948.
Colorado BoulevardPasadenaThe Rose Parade route is also Route 66, Old Town Pasadena's brick streets follow the original alignment.
Santa Monica Pier 'End of the Trail'Santa MonicaThe official End of Route 66 sign on the pier. Convoy parking, photo wall, and the Pacific.
Emma Jean's Holland Burger CafeVictorville1947, family-run, three generations on the line. The chicken-fried steak is the road's reward post-Mojave.
Amboy Crater National LandmarkAmboyA 6,000-year-old volcanic cinder cone next to Roy's. Two-mile rim hike, lava field, no traffic but yours.
Cucamonga Service StationRancho Cucamonga1915 Richfield station, restored. Often called the oldest gas station on Route 66.
Where to eat and sleep in California
Bagdad CafeNewberry SpringsEat where the movie was shot. Order the chicken-fried steak.
Wigwam Motel #7San BernardinoSleep in the second-and-last surviving Wigwam.
The LobsterSanta MonicaPier-end dinner the night you arrive. Built 1923, predates the End sign by decades.
Worth stopping to photograph in California
Roy's Motel boomerang at golden hour
Bagdad Cafe storefront with desert sky
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch in late afternoon side light
End of the Trail sign with the Pacific behind
Convoy parked along the pier deck at twilight
Did you know about California
Roy's neon sign was officially relit in 2019 after a 30-year dark spell, restored by the Albert Okura family who bought the entire town of Amboy.
The original 'End of Route 66' sign was at Lincoln & Olympic, six miles from the pier. The city moved it to Santa Monica Pier in 2009 to honor the journey people actually made.
Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard is the only Route 66 alignment that hosts a televised parade every January 1st.
All eight states

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The route by state, in proportion

Eight states, in the order we drove it.

Illinois

Driving Illinois

What we pulled over for in Illinois

Illinois stops, written up

What’s on the road in Illinois

Where to eat and sleep in Illinois

Worth stopping to photograph in Illinois

Did you know about Illinois

Missouri

Driving Missouri

What we pulled over for in Missouri

Missouri stops, written up

What’s on the road in Missouri

Where to eat and sleep in Missouri

Worth stopping to photograph in Missouri

Did you know about Missouri

Kansas

Driving Kansas

What we pulled over for in Kansas

Kansas stops, written up

What’s on the road in Kansas

Where to eat and sleep in Kansas

Worth stopping to photograph in Kansas

Did you know about Kansas

Oklahoma

Driving Oklahoma

What we pulled over for in Oklahoma

Oklahoma stops, written up

What’s on the road in Oklahoma

Where to eat and sleep in Oklahoma

Worth stopping to photograph in Oklahoma

Did you know about Oklahoma

Texas

Driving Texas

What we pulled over for in Texas

Texas stops, written up

What’s on the road in Texas

Where to eat and sleep in Texas

Worth stopping to photograph in Texas

Did you know about Texas

New Mexico

Driving New Mexico

What we pulled over for in New Mexico

New Mexico stops, written up

What’s on the road in New Mexico

Where to eat and sleep in New Mexico

Worth stopping to photograph in New Mexico

Did you know about New Mexico

Arizona

Driving Arizona

What we pulled over for in Arizona

Arizona stops, written up

What’s on the road in Arizona

Where to eat and sleep in Arizona

Worth stopping to photograph in Arizona

Did you know about Arizona

California

Driving California

What we pulled over for in California

California stops, written up

What’s on the road in California

Where to eat and sleep in California

Worth stopping to photograph in California

Did you know about California

Keep going

The route by state, in proportion

Eight states, in the order we drove it.

Illinois

Driving Illinois

What we pulled over for in Illinois

Illinois stops, written up

What’s on the road in Illinois

Where to eat and sleep in Illinois

Worth stopping to photograph in Illinois

Did you know about Illinois

Missouri

Driving Missouri

What we pulled over for in Missouri