About Route 66

U.S. Highway 66 -- popularly known as Route 66 or the Mother Road -- holds a special place in American consciousness and evokes images of simpler times, mom and pop businesses, and the icons of a mobile nation on the road. This travel itinerary aids the public to visit the historic places that recall those images and experiences that are reminders of our past and evidence of the influence of the automobile.

An Introduction to the Mother Road

Route 66 embodies a complex, rich history that goes well beyond any chronicle of the road itself. As an artery of transportation, an agent of social transformation, and a remnant of America’s past, it stretches 2,400 miles across two-thirds of the continent. This Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary highlights historic places listed in the National Register of Historic Places that bring the history of Route 66 to life. Today, more than 85% of the original alignments of Route 66 are drivable, and many special places along the way are included in the National Register. The itinerary features a number of sections of the road and other historic places to visit, and more will be added to the itinerary in the future. To understand Route 66 and capture its spirit, there is no substitute for driving the highway stopping to experience what is along the way.

The Origins of Route 66:

Before 1926

United States Highway 66 followed in the wake of the nation's first trans-Mississippi migration. In 1853, Congress commissioned ...

The Years 1926 - 1945

Route 66 had its official beginnings in 1926 when the Bureau of Public Roads launched the nation’s first Federal highway system. Like other ...

Postwar Years: 1945 - 1960

The social dislocation and uprooting of millions of Americans that began during the Great Depression and continued through ...

Demise and Resurgence of Interest in Route 66

Excessive truck use during World War II and the comeback of the automobile industry immediately following the war brought great ...