Route 66, America’s most iconic highway, is celebrating its 100th anniversary, with revved-up parties and events stretching across the eight states it traverses. But be aware: There are tricks to getting your kicks on Route 66.
Opened in 1926 and immortalized by numerous covers of Bobby Troup’s 1946 hit song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” the highway runs from Chicago to Santa Monica (roughly 2,448 miles; farther than Oslo to Cairo as the crow flies), and driving it is no longer as easy as following the shield-shaped signs. It hasn’t been since 1985, when Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System and partly replaced by the interstate system.
More confusing, the alignment of the road — which often followed Native American trails and stagecoach paths — was altered at various times and places. Today, following the “Main Street of America” all the way to Californ-eye-a is a create-your-own-adventure road trip that draws a higgledy-piggledy path through dozens of small towns and cities.
Many enjoy plotting a historic Route 66 drive on an old-school road map, but the most popular and foolproof option is to purchase the Route 66 Navigation app.
“Route 66 was initially the gateway to the West, and it shaped a lot of things,” said Mark Hecquet, president and CEO of Springfield, Mo., Convention and Visitors Bureau and board member of the Route 66 Centennial Commission. He noted that each year, motorheads stop in Springfield to burn rubber on the road. “From movies to music, it’s been ingrained in society, and it’s where true Americana is at the end of the day. We’re squarely at the epicenter of that.”
That’s because on April 30, 1926, a telegram was sent from the Colonial Hotel in Springfield to federal officials asking to adopt catchy No. 66 for the new highway. The secretary of agriculture gave it the OK on Nov. 11, 1926 — the official birth date of US Highway 66.
Consequently, Springfield is the kickoff celebration city, with the big party happening from April 30 to May 3 with additional events throughout the year. Every state the route touches — Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California — is getting in on the fun.
Here’s how to keep your motor running all the way to the shores of Santa Monica.
Illinois
You won’t spend too long in Illinois, with just 300 miles of Route 66 between the Windy City and St. Louis. But you’ll want to dally.
Your first stop is Joliet, home of the Route 66 Raceway, before you arrive in Wilmington, home to your first roadside attraction, the Gemini Giant — a 30-foot-tall Space Age “muffler man,” now part of the free Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame, just an hour away in Pontiac.
Stop in Lincoln and Springfield (visit the Cozy Dog Drive In, home of the “original” hotdog on a stick,) before arriving in St. Louis. Consider timing your trip to experience the Illinois State Fair (Aug. 13 to 23 in Springfield) where the Route 66 Experience will take center state with a neon exhibit, or the International Route 66 Mother Road Festival (Sept. 25 to 27 in Springfield), with vintage cars and live music.
Missouri
There’s always lots to do St. Louis, the aptly named “Gateway to the West,” and you’ll want to spend the night and see the Arch. But this year, it’s all about Springfield. The events kick off with a blowout concert hosted by actor John Goodman on April 30. Little Big Town, Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts, Gretchen Wilson and others are on the line up.
In a nod to international interest in Route 66, Bentenya, a renowned Japanese chindon music troupe, is playing the preshow.
That day, NBC’s “Today” show will be in town for a live broadcast. Stick around for the parade on May 1 and the classic car show and Telegraph Ball on May 2. A 1920s-themed fête is being held at the historic Shrine Mosque. Be sure to throw a tux and frilliest flapper finery in the trunk. Tickets are $500.
There are also pop-up arts and history exhibitions, a “Red, White and Bridge Bash” at the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge, and dedications at “Birthplace Plaza” — the site of the Colonial Hotel (which was lost back in 1997).
“It’s a big deal,” said Hecquet. “We’ve put a lot into this, and for us, it’s a yearlong celebration.”
Kansas
Kansas is a blip on your Route 66 journey, with as little as 13 miles to cut across, but there’s still plenty to see should you choose. In Galena, “Cars on the Route” is an old-school service station restored by four women that pays homage to “Cars,” the Pixar movie.
Grab a sandwich at Nelson’s Old Riverton Store in Riverton — which also served as inspo for “Cars.” The Rainbow Bridge and old resort town of Baxter Springs are also worth a peek.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has more driveable miles of historic Route 66 than most others, and it’s celebrating with events running April through November.
You’re going to beeline for Tulsa, passing the tiny towns of Commerce and Miami, for the Route 66-themed Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita, Ed Galloway’s Totem Pole Park and Blue Whale of Catoosa (an essential Route 66 photograph).
Tulsa is hosting a Guinness world record attempt for the largest classic car parade as part of its centennial celebrations on May 30, followed by the “Mustangs on the Mother Road” car show on July 24. Check out the 76-foot-tall Golden Driller and Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66 gift shop while you’re in town.
Next stop is Oklahoma City, passing quantities of quirky roadside attractions along the way.
Texas
Cowboy hats on — you’ll enter Texas at Texola before traveling on to Amarillo and Glenrio, on the New Mexico state line.
You’ll pass icons, such as the restored Conoco Tower Station and U-Drop Inn (now a visitor center), Devils Rope Barbed Wire Museum in McLean, the Leaning (water) Tower of Texas in Groom, the Cadillac Ranch art installation and much more. Be sure to get a pic in tiny Adrian, Route 66’s centerpoint; you’re halfway there.
New Mexico
The original Route 66 flows through Tucumcari, Cuervo, and Santa Rosa before going north to Santa Fe.
After taking in some atomic history, make like Bugs and turn left at Albuquerque, which is hosting car shows and a speaker series through November. Be sure to check out Owl Rock, the town of Grants and the Native American stronghold of Gallup.
Arizona
With more than 385 miles of original Route 66, Arizona is a highlight of the trip. It mixes natural wonders, such as Petrified Forest National Park and the Meteor Crater, with roadside attractions, including the Jack Rabbit Trading Post and the Hackberry General Store loaded with Route 66 souvenirs.
Flagstaff boomed when Route 66 opened and, on April 28, will host the Route 66 Centennial Celebration and Weenie Walk with comestibles on sale for $6.60.
California
Enter at the discouragingly dubbed town of Needles, a stop in the Dust Bowl era that even gets a mention in “The Grapes of Wrath.” Check out its old-school motels.
Take in spots such Amboy in the Mojave Desert (pop. zero), the Bagdad Cafe of film fame and Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch before hitting San Bernardino.
Entering Los Angeles, you’ll pass Downtown LA’s Broadway Corridor — loaded with historic movie palaces — cruise down Sunset Boulevard and through Hollywood.
Clifton’s Republic, which typifies 1930s roadside style dining, has been restored and reopened. Iconic spots, such as Mel’s Drive-In, Musso & Frank Grill and the Formosa Cafe, are all nearby.
When you finally do pull into Santa Monica, a k a the End of the Trail (see the sign on the pier), it’s time for R&R — Route 66 themed, of course.
Santa Monica’s hospitality scene is better than it’s been in years.
The Regent hotel, opened in 2024, is the best in town. It was joined by design-focused Sandbourne Santa Monica the same year.
Last June, the Eden opened in a historic Streamline Moderne-style building on Ocean Avenue, while Maison Twenty Seven, a Mediterranean-style boutique, just opened in the former Palihouse building.
The popular boutique hotel Oceana has a new restaurant, La Monique, that’s the talk of Santa Monica.
Meanwhile, the recently renovated Fairmont Miramar is offering a Route 66 Package for the roadweary that includes a bungalow or oceanview suite, a BMW X5 for a little extra driving, and two unlimited ride wristbands for the Santa Monica Pier, not to mention a welcome amenity that “evokes the nostalgia and romance of the road.”
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