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ROUTE66

Route 66

The Mother Road, from Lake Michigan to the Santa Monica Pier.

I took photo with Canon camera in Shamrock, TX, on old Route 66© Billy Hathorn · CC BY-SA 3.0
Distance
About 2,400 mi
≈ 3,860 km, rounded
Time
14–21 days
at a comfortable pace
Best season
May–Jun · Sep–Oct
Start → finish
Chicago → Santa Monica

Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985, but the road never really died. About 85% of its 2,400 miles is still drivable, through eight states, past neon motels, diners, ghost towns and giant roadside statues, from the skyscrapers of Chicago to the Pacific. It is less a fast way across America than a museum of the 20th century you drive through.

Map of the Route 66 road tripALAKAZCOGAINKSMNNDOKSDTXWYMOILNMARCAIAKYMIMSMTOHORTNUTWINEIDNVLASpringfieldSt LouisTulsaOklahoma CityAmarilloSanta FeAlbuquerqueWilliamsChicagoCHICAGOGrand CanyonGRAND CANYONSedonaSEDONAJoshua TreeJOSHUA TREELos AngelesLOS ANGELESLas VegasLAS VEGASN0500 mi
The route, stop by stop — tap a stop to open its guide.

Day by day

  1. 1

    Day 1 · Chicago: the start sign

    Find the “Begin Route 66” sign on Adams Street, opposite the Art Institute, and breakfast at Lou Mitchell’s, serving Route 66 drivers since 1923.

    Sleep: Chicago

  2. 2

    Day 2 · Illinois: Pontiac to Springfield

    The Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac, the Gemini Giant in Wilmington, then Lincoln’s home town, Springfield, and a horseshoe sandwich.

    200 mi · 3 h 30Sleep: Springfield, IL

  3. 3

    Day 3 · St. Louis

    Cross the Chain of Rocks Bridge on foot, ride to the top of the Gateway Arch, and get a frozen custard at Ted Drewes.

    100 mi · 1 h 45Sleep: St. Louis

  4. 4

    Day 4 · Missouri Ozarks

    Meramec Caverns, the town of Cuba’s murals, and the restored Gay Parita gas station near Ash Grove.

    290 mi · 5 hSleep: Joplin or Carthage (66 Drive-In)

  5. 5

    Day 5 · Kansas & Oklahoma

    Kansas’s 13 miles of Route 66 at Galena, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, then Tulsa’s Art Deco and neon.

    120 mi · 2 h 30Sleep: Tulsa

  6. 6

    Day 6 · Oklahoma City

    Pops in Arcadia with its giant soda bottle, the Round Barn, and the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

    110 mi · 2 hSleep: Oklahoma City

  7. 7

    Day 7 · Into Texas

    Elk City’s National Route 66 Museum, the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock, and the graffiti-covered Cadillac Ranch at sunset outside Amarillo.

    260 mi · 4 hSleep: Amarillo

  8. 8

    Day 8 · Midpoint & Santa Fe

    The MidPoint Café in Adrian (1,139 miles to each end), Tucumcari’s motel signs, then the pre-1937 alignment north to Santa Fe’s adobe plaza.

    280 mi · 4 h 30Sleep: Santa Fe

  9. 9

    Day 9 · Albuquerque

    Central Avenue is Route 66: the KiMo Theatre, neon motels, and green chile on everything.

    65 mi · 1 hSleep: Albuquerque

  10. 10

    Day 10 · Petrified Forest

    Gallup’s trading posts, then Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park crossed by Route 66, and the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook.

    240 mi · 4 hSleep: Holbrook (Wigwam Motel)

  11. 11

    Day 11 · Standin’ on the corner in Winslow

    The corner from the Eagles song, Meteor Crater, then Flagstaff. Detour north for the Grand Canyon.

    90 mi · 1 h 30Sleep: Flagstaff or Grand Canyon

  12. 12

    Day 12 · Williams to Kingman

    Williams, the last town bypassed by the interstate (1984), Seligman’s quirky shops, and the longest unbroken stretch of old 66 to Kingman.

    150 mi · 2 h 45Sleep: Kingman

  13. 13

    Day 13 · Oatman & the Mojave

    The hairpins of Sitgreaves Pass, wild burros in Oatman, then the Mojave Desert: Amboy, Roy’s Motel and the Bagdad Café.

    210 mi · 4 hSleep: Barstow

  14. 14

    Day 14 · To the Pacific

    Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, then the long descent into Los Angeles and the “End of the Trail” sign on the Santa Monica Pier.

    130 mi · 2 h 30+Sleep: [Los Angeles](/cities/los-angeles/)

Short on days? Part of this route also works as a short trip, planned hour by hour:

Driving Route 66: practical tips

  • Follow the brown “Historic Route 66” signs, but carry a turn-by-turn guide: several alignments exist and some sections are dirt or broken.
  • One-way rentals from Chicago to Los Angeles carry a drop-off fee of several hundred dollars. Compare agencies; it is often cheaper to start in a big airport.
  • Fill up in towns: the Mojave stretch between Needles and Barstow has very few services.
  • Get the free “Route 66 passport”-style stamps at museums and diners along the way.

The 10 stops you should not miss

  1. Gemini Giant, Wilmington, Illinois
  2. Chain of Rocks Bridge, St. Louis
  3. Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma
  4. Cadillac Ranch, Amarillo
  5. MidPoint Café, Adrian, Texas
  6. Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari
  7. Petrified Forest National Park
  8. Wigwam Motel, Holbrook
  9. Oatman and its burros, Arizona
  10. Santa Monica Pier, California

Where to sleep along the way

Book the nights that matter first — inside or next to the parks, and in towns hosting a festival — then fill in the rest. Free cancellation keeps the plan flexible.

Partner links · Trip.com

Our hand-picked hotels on this route

Road trip questions

How long does it take to drive Route 66?

At least two weeks to enjoy it, for about 2,400 miles. With three weeks you can add the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe and Las Vegas detours.

Is Route 66 still drivable?

Yes, about 85% of it. Some stretches have been replaced by interstates, where you simply drive the interstate between old sections.

Which direction should you drive Route 66?

East to west, from Chicago to Santa Monica: the landscapes get more dramatic and you finish at the Pacific.

What is the best time of year for Route 66?

May, June, September and October. Summer is very hot in the Southwest, and winter can bring snow around Flagstaff.

Where does Route 66 start and end?

It starts on Adams Street in downtown Chicago and ends at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles County.

Exit 10Stops on this routeChicagoThe skyline that invented the skyscraper, on a lake that looks like a sea.
Exit 17Grand Canyon National ParkA mile deep, 277 river miles long, and still bigger than you imagined.Exit 24SedonaRed rock cathedrals, vortex hikes and a town that glows at sunset.Exit 31Joshua Tree National ParkSpiky trees, giant boulders and a sky full of stars, two hours from LA.Exit 38Los AngelesPalm trees, freeways and a sunset that ends at the Pacific.Exit 45Las VegasNeon in the Mojave, and the best base camp for the Southwest parks.
Exit 10And now?Pacific Coast Highway640 miles · 5–7 days
Exit 17The Grand Circle1,300 miles · 10–14 daysExit 24The West Coast Classic2,100 miles · 15–16 days

Written by Kylian Dev. Distances and drive times are without stops or traffic; add 25% for a realistic day.