Route 66: The Mother Road
Buckle up! You're about to tackle the most iconic drive in the world. We’re covering over 2,400 miles from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Pacific Ocean, staying as true to the "Main Street of America" as possible.
Chicago (ORD) → Springfield → St. Louis → Tulsa → Amarillo → Santa Fe → Albuquerque → Holbrook → Seligman → Santa Monica Pier
Starting in the Windy City
Welcome to the start! Pick up your rental car and head straight for the city center. Give yourself about 45 minutes to get sorted with the keys.
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
Welcome to the start! Pick up your rental car and head straight for the city center. Give yourself about 45 minutes to get sorted with the keys.
Route 66 Begin Sign
You can't start the trip without the mandatory photo at Adams St and Michigan Ave. It's a bit chaotic with traffic, but it's the official "Mile 0."
Lou Mitchell's
Lou Mitchell's, also known as Lou Mitchell's Restaurant, is a Chicago diner located at 565 W. Jackson Boulevard. It is a popular restaurant for commuters, as it is located near Union Station. It is also located near the start of U.S. Route 66 (US 66) and was frequented by many people at the start of their journey along the road, earning it the nickname "the first stop on the Mother Road.
Joliet Prison
Joliet Correctional Center is a former prison in Joliet, Illinois, United States, which operated from 1858 to 2002.
Cornfields & Giants
Day 2｜Cornfields & Giants (320km, 4h drive)
Gemini Giant
The Gemini Giant is a fiberglass roadside statue located in Wilmington, IL along historic U.S. Route 66. The statue depicts a helmeted astronaut holding a rocket and is a variation of the "Muffler Man" figures popularized in the 1960s.
Pontiac
This town is a mural lover's dream. Visit the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum here—it’s packed with memorabilia from the road’s heyday.
Cozy Dog Drive In
The Cozy Dog Drive In is a restaurant located at 2935 South Sixth Street in Springfield, Illinois, United States.
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Lincoln Home National Historic Site preserves the Springfield, Illinois, home and related historic district where Abraham Lincoln lived from 1844 to 1861, prior to becoming the 16th president of the United States. The presidential memorial includes the four blocks surrounding the home and a visitor center.
Across the Mississippi
This old Route 66 bridge has a literal 22-degree bend in the middle. It’s now a pedestrian path, so walk out for a great view of the Mississippi River.
Chain of Rocks Bridge
The old Chain of Rocks Bridge spans the Mississippi River on the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The eastern end of the bridge is on Chouteau Island, while the western end is on the Missouri shoreline.
Gateway Arch
The Gateway City of St. Louis is the epitome of the modern Midwestern metropolis. Missouri's second-largest city is vibrant but laid-back, populous but navigable, historic but still relevant. The city's planners have created an aesthetically beautiful city, with plenty of green space amidst buildings both old and new, framed by the majestic Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
Ted Drewes Frozen Custard
Ted Drewes is a family-owned frozen custard company in St. Louis, Missouri, founded by Ted Drewes, Sr. in 1929. There are two locations, one on Chippewa Street, with the other on South Grand Boulevard.
The Ozark Mountains
Meramec Caverns
Meramec Caverns is the collective name for a 4.6-mile (7.4 km) cavern system in the Ozarks, near Stanton, Missouri. The caverns were formed from the erosion of large limestone deposits over millions of years. Pre-Columbian Native American artifacts have been found in the caverns.
Munger Moss Motel
Pull over in Lebanon to see this classic neon sign. It's been a staple for travelers since 1946.
Gary's Gay Parita
A lovingly recreated 1930s Sinclair gas station in Ash Grove. It's a great spot to chat with fellow road-trippers and soak in the nostalgia.
Kansas & The Gateway to Oklahoma
(280km, 3.5h drive)
Cars on the Route
This restored Kan-O-Tex service station in Galena, Kansas, inspired the character "Tow Mater" from the movie *Cars*.
Rainbow Bridge
Located just west of Riverton, it's the last remaining Marsh Arch bridge on Route 66.
Blue Whale of Catoosa
The Blue Whale of Catoosa is a waterfront structure, just east of the American town of Catoosa, Oklahoma, and it has become one of the most recognizable attractions on old Route 66.
The Heart of Oklahoma
Day 6 covers 200km with 2.5 hours of drive time through the heart of Oklahoma.
Buck Atom's Cosmic Curios
A fun stop in Tulsa with a giant space cowboy statue. The shop has some of the best modern Route 66 merch.
Rock Cafe
The Rock Café in Stroud, Oklahoma, a historic restaurant on U.S. Route 66, takes its name from the local sandstone used in its construction.
Pops 66 Soda Ranch
In Arcadia, look for the 66-foot tall LED soda bottle. They stock over 700 types of soda—grab a weird flavor for the road.
Western History & Long Hauls
Located in Clinton, this is arguably the best-curated museum on the entire route. It takes you through the decades of the road's history.
Oklahoma Route 66 Museum
A Route 66 museum is a museum devoted primarily to the history of U.S. Route 66, a U.S. Highway which served the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois, in the United States from 1926 until it was bypassed by the Interstate highway system and ultimately decommissioned in June 1985.
Tower Station and U-Drop Inn Cafe
Crossing into Texas, this Art Deco masterpiece in Shamrock is stunning. It was once a gas station and cafe and now serves as a visitor center.
Amarillo
Amarillo, which means "yellow" in Spanish, is the center of the Texas Panhandle at the edge of the Great Plains.
The Texas Panhandle
Day 8 covers 200km across the Texas Panhandle with a 2.5h drive, featuring iconic roadside attractions and a ghost town on the border.
Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas, US. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm. The installation consists of a row of ten Cadillacs (1949–1963) buried nose-first in the ground.
Midpoint Café
The Midpoint Café, a restaurant, souvenir and antique shop on U.S. Route 66 in Adrian, Texas, bills itself as geographically the midway point between Los Angeles and Chicago on historic Route 66. Signage in Adrian proudly declares a 1139-mile distance to each original US 66 endpoint; the café's slogan is "when you're here, you're halfway there".
Glenrio Ghost Town
A hauntingly beautiful stop on the TX/NM border. It’s an abandoned town that looks frozen in time from the day the I-40 bypassed it.
The Land of Enchantment
Day 9 takes you through the heart of New Mexico, from a desert oasis to the historic capital.
Blue Hole of Santa Rosa
A sapphire-blue natural artesian spring in the middle of the desert. It's 81 feet deep and a constant 62 degrees—very refreshing.
Santa Fe Plaza
The Santa Fe Plaza is a National Historic Landmark in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico in the style of traditional Spanish-American colonial cities. The plaza, or city square is a gathering place for locals and also a tourist attraction. It is home to annual events including Fiestas de Santa Fe, the Spanish Market, the Santa Fe Bandstand, and the Santa Fe Indian Market.
La Fonda on the Plaza
La Fonda on the Plaza is a historical luxury hotel, located at 100 E. San Francisco Street and Old Santa Fe Trail in downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico adjacent to the Plaza. The hotel has been a member of Historic Hotels of America, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, since 1991.
High Desert & Neon
Back on the main route in Albuquerque.
KiMo Theatre
Back on the main route in Albuquerque. This "Pueblo Deco" masterpiece is one of the most unique buildings in the Southwest.
Central Avenue
Drive the longest urban stretch of Route 66. Look for vintage neon signs like the 66 Diner or the El Vado Motel.
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail (in short Continental Divide Trail) is a United States National Scenic Trail running 3,100 miles between Mexico and Canada. It follows the Continental Divide of the Americas along the Rocky Mountains and traverses five U.S. states; Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico.
Red Rocks & Wigwams
The only National Park that contains a section of Route 66. Look for the rusted 1932 Studebaker marking the old road bed.
Petrified Forest National Park
Petrified Forest National Park is a national park that is in the Mogollon Rim in eastern Arizona, in the Southwest region. The park takes its name from the remnants of ancient trees which have been transformed into brilliantly colored minerals through a series of geological processes.
Jack Rabbit Trading Post
The Jack Rabbit Trading Post is a convenience store and curio shop located on former U.S. Route 66, five miles west of Joseph City, Arizona city limits off of Exit 269 on Interstate 40.
Wigwam Motel
The Wigwam Motels, also known as the "Wigwam Villages", is a motel chain in the United States built during the 1930s and 1940s. The rooms are built in the form of tipis, mistakenly referred to as wigwams. It originally had seven different locations: two locations in Kentucky and one each in Alabama, Florida, Arizona, Louisiana, and California.
Standin' on the Corner Park
Standin' on the Corner Park is a public park in Winslow, Arizona, opened in 1999, commemorating the song "Take It Easy" which was written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey and most famously recorded by Frey's band, the Eagles. The song includes the verse "Well, I'm a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see.
The Grand Detour
A massive, well-preserved impact site just off the route. It’s humbling to stand on the rim.
Meteor Crater
Winslow is a small town on Route 66 in Northern Arizona. While the town itself is of limited interest, it is a convenient gateway to a number of regional attractions.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff is a city of over 75,000 people (2019) near the San Francisco Peaks mountain range of northern Arizona and the Grand Canyon. At an altitude of 6,990 ft (2,130 m), Flagstaff and much of the surrounding region are substantially cooler than the low desert that dominates the southern part of the state.
Seligman
Seligman is a town in the state of Arizona. The city is located on the old Route 66 and is home to the greatest concentration of Route 66 kitsch in Arizona if not the country, which makes it a frequent pit stop for travelers passing through on their way to more exotic destinations.
Hackberry General Store
Robert Waldmire was an American artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66, including whimsical maps of the Mother Road and its human and natural ecology. Being the son of Ed Waldmire Jr., he is often associated with the Cozy Dog Drive In restaurant in Springfield, Illinois, the elder Waldmire having created the Cozy Dog.
Mountains to the Mojave
A wild west gold mining town in the Black Mountains. Watch out for the "wild" burros that roam the streets looking for snacks. The drive here via Sitgreaves Pass is curvy and stunning.
Oatman
Oatman is a former mining town on Route 66 in Western Arizona. For visitors it offers equal parts touristy kitsch and real, honest-to-goodness Wild West atmosphere, complete with wood slat sidewalks.
Roy's Motel & Café
Located in Amboy, CA. This is the ultimate "lonely desert" photo op. The neon sign is legendary.
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is a ranch near Oro Grande, California. It is a popular stop for people passing by on Route 66. The 2 acres (0.81 ha) ranch was created in 2000 by Elmer Long and has more than 200 bottle trees. It is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to enter.
The Finish Line
Drive until the road literally ends. Find the "Route 66 End of the Trail" sign on the pier. You did it! Grab a celebratory dinner overlooking the Pacific.
Wigwam Motel No. 7
Another chance to see the teepees in San Bernardino before hitting the LA traffic.
Original McDonald's Site and Museum
This is where the fast-food empire started. It's now a private museum filled with nostalgic Happy Meal toys and memorabilia.
Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica Pier is a large pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California, United States. It contains a small amusement park, concession stands, and areas for views and fishing. The pier is part of the greater Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
- Download offline maps. Large stretches in the New Mexico and Arizona deserts have zero cell service.
- Keep your gas tank at least half-full—some "towns" on the map are now just ghosts with no pumps!