Why Route 66 Is Still the Greatest American Road Trip
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when you drive along U.S. Route 66. Maybe it’s the blush of sunrise over grassland prairies, golden hour glowing against towers of red sandstone, or a neon diner sign flickering to life in fading light. Travelers have been chasing this romance since 1926. Now, in 2026, as the Mother Road turns 100, its pull remains as strong as ever.
Stretching 2,448 miles from the lakefront of Chicago to the edge of the Pacific Ocean at Santa Monica, Route 66 was America’s first great road of possibility. During the Dust Bowl it carried families westward toward hope and comfort; John Steinbeck called it the “Mother Road” in his classic novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” In the postwar boom it became a path of leisure and discovery, inspiring Bobby Troup to write his 1946 hit song, “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.”
What makes Route 66 extraordinary isn’t any single landmark but rather the sheer accumulation of them. This road is lined with eccentricities and Americana, from roadside dinosaurs to trading posts to a meteor crater. There are wide-open stretches where the horizon seems to go on forever, where you can reacquaint yourself with what freedom really feels like.
This guide doesn’t ask you to drive every mile in a single haul (though you absolutely can). Instead, think of it as a “choose your own adventure” trip through American history and landscapes. It’s organized by six major segments, each with its own character and unusual attractions. And for when you need a break from the open road, there are well-appointed hotels along the way where you can recharge and spend the night. Pick one segment for a long weekend. String together three for a classic road trip week. Or go all in, Chicago to Santa Monica, and enjoy every mile of it.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
How to Use This Guide
Route 66 rewards flexibility above almost everything else. The six segments below each stand alone as a satisfying trip, but they’re designed to link together seamlessly if you want to go the distance. Each section covers what makes that stretch special, which towns are worth slowing down for, and where to stay along the way.
A note on direction: Most travelers drive west from Chicago to Los Angeles, chasing the sun. However, the route works beautifully in reverse, too, starting in Santa Monica and building toward the Midwest, where it all began.
Segment 1: Chicago → St. Louis
The official starting point is in the heart of downtown Chicago at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Adams Street, where a small bronze marker sits unassumingly on the sidewalk. As you head west out of the city, the landscape gradually gives way to suburbs, then to the open Illinois prairie. The familiar landmark of the Gateway Arch marks your arrival in St. Louis.
Major Stops
Chicago, Illinois
Find the bronze Route 66 marker at Michigan Avenue and Adams Street, in front of The Art Institute of Chicago’s stately library. You might want to check out some art and/or explore Millennium Park and the lakefront before heading west. Or note that the city’s architectural legacy, world-class food scene, and live music make a strong case for spending a night here before you hit the road.
Pontiac, Illinois
Pontiac’s Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame & Museum, which features a comprehensive collection of vintage memorabilia and classic road signage, is one of the best on the entire highway. The downtown buildings are covered in splashy murals that honor the legacy of America’s most famous highway.
Springfield, Illinois
The Illinois state capital is Lincoln country. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is profound and fascinating, while the Lincoln Home National Historic Site offers a quieter, more personal look at Honest Abe’s life. Along the original Route 66, don’t miss the Cozy Dog Drive In, where customers have lined up to grab a corn dog on a stick since 1949.
St. Louis, Missouri
A marvel of 20th-century engineering, the Gateway Arch frames your arrival beautifully, especially if it’s gleaming in the rays of the setting sun. Laclede’s Landing offers dining and nightlife along the Mississippi riverfront, and the city’s rich blues and jazz heritage rewards an evening out. The City Museum — a sprawling, multistory art installation you can climb through — is unlike anything else on the route (or anywhere else, for that matter).
Where to Stay
Renaissance Chicago Downtown Hotel
This afound on the Chicago Riverwalk at the North Loop, a short walk from Millennium Park and the Route 66 starting marker. In addition to a heated indoor pool, there’s a rooftop bar with both indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the Chicago River.
Hotel Saint Louis, Autograph Collection
This elegant downtown hotel is set in the landmark Union Trust Company building, which dates to 1893; the lobby features a recreation of the original stained-glass roof. There’s a heated rooftop pool, a full-service spa, and each of the guest rooms comes with a record player and a selection of vinyl. It’s an ideal base for exploring the Arch, Laclede’s Landing, and the city’s live music scene.
SpringHill Suites by Marriott Springfield Southwest
At this all-suites property, a daily complimentary hot breakfast is included, and there’s free parking on-site. It’s a short drive from the area’s Lincoln landmarks or an easy hop back on your route to St. Louis.
Segment 2: St. Louis → Tulsa → Oklahoma City
Cross the Mississippi River and you’re in the heartland stretch of Route 66, lined with water towers, classic diners, and roadside curiosities. Oklahoma is Woody Guthrie and cowboy country, marked by Dust Bowl history, art deco skyscrapers, and wide-open vistas of rolling hills and grassland prairie.
Major Stops
Cuba and Rolla, Missouri
Cuba’s downtown is an open-air gallery and surprisingly moving stop. Large-scale murals commissioned to tell the story of Route 66’s cultural legacy line the streets. The neighboring town of Rolla offers a quirky counterpoint at the Missouri University of Science and Technology: a student-built replica of Stonehenge.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, built on the site of the 1995 bombing, is a quietly powerful place to spend an hour. The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum can make the historic American West come alive. The Bricktown Entertainment District hums with energy, and Stockyards City is an only-in-Oklahoma experience: a working cattle district with several great steakhouses.
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Don’t rush through Tulsa. The art deco architecture downtown is among the finest in the country — take the self-guided tour and remember to look up. The Woody Guthrie Center tells the story of Oklahoma’s Dust Bowl exodus with grace, and the Blue Dome District buzzes with great restaurants and music venues. The Philbrook Museum of Art, set in a stunning 1920s Italian Renaissance villa, is worth an afternoon of its own.
Where to Stay
Residence Inn by Marriott Tulsa Midtown
The comfy hotel offers longer-stay suites with full kitchens, a grocery shopping service, and free parking — practical for a multinight stay while you dig into the city’s architecturally impressive downtown.
Ambassador Hotel Oklahoma City, Autograph Collection
This boutique hotel occupies the Osler Building, a U-shaped art deco landmark that was originally part of the University of Oklahoma Medical School. Its Midtown location puts you close to the Bricktown District, the memorial, and the city’s best dining, plus there’s a stylish rooftop bar on-site with skyline views and a menu of delicious small bites.
The National, Autograph Collection
In downtown Oklahoma City, this soaring hotel is set in the First National Center, a 1931 art deco and neoclassical bank that was once the largest building in Oklahoma. The original murals, safes, and painted ceilings are still here, though the former bank vault is now a bar with more than 1,500 kinds of whiskey and spirits. The National Memorial & Museum and Bricktown are within a short walk.
Segment 3: Oklahoma City → Amarillo → Tucumcari
Drive west out of Oklahoma City and the sky starts to get bigger, the land flattening and the horizon widening as you cross into the Texas Panhandle. Route 66 reaches its quirky peak at Cadillac Ranch, while neon-lit Tucumcari offers pure road-trip nostalgia.
Major Stops
Elk City, Oklahoma
The Elk City Museum Complex includes the comprehensive National Route 66 Museum, with a collection that spans eight buildings and covers the road’s history from its early days through its cultural peak.
Amarillo, Texas
Cadillac Ranch alone is worth a stop in Amarillo — picture a row of Cadillacs planted nose down in a field, perpetually repainted with colorful graffiti tags by passing visitors. It’s one of America’s most beloved pieces of public art. The Big Texan Steak Ranch next door is pure Lone Star State theater. Yes, the 72-oz. steak is real, and the challenge is genuine. If you can finish that monstrous slab of beef and all the sides in under an hour, it’s free. Palo Duro Canyon State Park, just south of the city, is an underrated natural wonder: a 120-mile-long red rock canyon sometimes called “the Grand Canyon of Texas.”
Tucumcari, New Mexico
This small New Mexico town is the neon capital of Route 66, with restored neon motel signs lining the main drag. The Blue Swallow Motel, in continuous operation since 1939, is one such spot and perfect place to snap an iconic road trip picture.
Where to Stay
The Barfield, Autograph Collection
Built in 1927 by Amarillo businesswoman Melissa Dora Oliver-Eakle, the 10-story Barfield Building was the city’s first skyscraper. To this day, the hotel stands at the intersection of Polk Street and Route 66. It pays homage to its history with a hidden speakeasy, the Paramount Recreation Club, in the basement.
Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Amarillo Central
Centrally located in Amarillo, this cozy inn is about a 10-minute drive from any part of the city. The breakfast buffet and parking are complimentary, and the hotel has a terrace, fire pit, and garden. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is about 29 miles away, close enough for a morning excursion before hitting the road west.
Segment 4: Tucumcari → Albuquerque → Gallup
Here you’ll find some of the most photographed landscapes in the country. Warm golden light casts stark shadows across red rock formations and high-desert vistas. This is where the highway intersects most deeply with Indigenous culture and history, seen in the Pueblo architecture of Old Town in Albuquerque and the trading posts and galleries of Gallup.
Major Stops
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Old Town Albuquerque is centered on a Spanish Colonial plaza that’s been all but unchanged since 1706. The Route 66 corridor through Central Avenue is a living museum of mid-century Americana, with neon signs and vintage motels that have been lovingly restored. The National Hispanic Cultural Center and the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center both offer exceptional context for the region’s complex history.
Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup has long been one of the great trading centers for Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni arts and crafts, and its downtown galleries and trading posts still sell genuine Indigenous artwork and jewelry. Set along a stretch of Route 66, Motel Row is dotted with beautifully restored neon signs; try to visit at dusk to watch the glow begin.
Where to Stay
Element by Marriott Albuquerque Uptown
Situated in the Uptown neighborhood, this eco-conscious hotel is a short drive from Old Town, Central Avenue, and the heart of Albuquerque’s restaurant scene. Volaré Rooftop Bar looks out over the Sandia Mountains — a particularly good spot at sunset — and the hotel offers complimentary parking, breakfast, and bicycles, as well as an outdoor pool.
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Gallup
This all-suites hotel sits directly on Route 66 on Gallup’s eastern edge, a short drive from the neon corridor and the downtown art galleries and trading posts. Longer-stay suites come with full kitchens, and there’s also a grilling patio with utensils and spices. You can wind down the evening in the indoor pool and hot tub and then start the next day with a complimentary breakfast.
Segment 5: Gallup → Flagstaff → Kingman
As you leave New Mexico and cross into Arizona, the scrubby desert plateau gives way to ponderosa pine forests. You gain elevation as you head toward Flagstaff and then drop down as you wind through mountain passes toward Kingman. This segment offers side trips to the Painted Desert and Grand Canyon, historic downtowns with deep Route 66 roots, and some of the most dramatic colors and elevation changes of the entire journey.
Major Stops
Petrified Forest National Park
Between Gallup, New Mexico, and Winslow, Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park makes a worthwhile detour. The hourlong drive through it is genuinely otherworldly, with ancient, fossilized logs turned to crystal and scattered across the desert floor. The park’s Painted Desert, with its banded red, pink, and purple badlands, offers some of the most stunning color in the American Southwest.
Winslow, Arizona
The biggest attraction in town (literally) is the Meteor Crater, the world’s best preserved meteoric impact site. This mile-wide hole has been around for roughly 50,000 years, since a 150-foot-wide meteorite created it by walloping the desert at about 26,000 miles per hour. By visiting the adjacent museum, you can take a guided rim tour or view the crater from observation decks. In downtown Winslow, visit Arizona’s Route 66 marker in front of Standin’ on the Corner Park, a fine site to see that commemorates Winslow’s mention in The Eagles’ song, “Take It Easy.”
Flagstaff, Arizona
Situated at 7,000 feet of elevation, Flagstaff is surrounded by the San Francisco Peaks. The city’s historic downtown is designated a Route 66 heritage area, and its brick-built buildings are full of coffee shops, independent bookstores, and local restaurants. The Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered) runs stellar evening programs, and the Museum of Northern Arizona is the best single institution for understanding the Colorado Plateau’s natural and cultural history.
Williams, Arizona
Williams’ downtown is like a time capsule of the late-19th through early-20th century; in 1984, this was the last Route 66 town to be bypassed by Interstate 40. The downtown train depot still serves the historic Grand Canyon Railway, which runs to and from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park
An hour north of Williams, Grand Canyon National Park offers spectacular South Rim viewpoints that include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station, and Desert View. Watching a panoramic sunrise or sunset from any of these spots is one of the great experiences in American travel.
Seligman, Arizona
Park the car and take a walking tour of the Seligman Commercial Historical District, a stretch of Route 66 lined with vintage ’50s diners and quirky gift shops.
Kingman, Arizona
The Mohave Museum of History and Arts has an excellent collection of Route 66 memorabilia, and the restored downtown corridor feels like a genuine piece of the highway’s history. From here, the road tilts southwest toward the Mojave Desert and the final run to the Pacific Coast.
Where to Stay
Trailborn Grand Canyon, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy
Set right on Route 66 in Williams, 35 miles from Flagstaff, this American West–inspired hotel has both a Southwestern steakhouse and a saloon-style beer hall. Other amenities include a seasonal outdoor pool, a hot tub, and a fire pit. The Grand Canyon Railway Depot is about a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute ride on Trailborn’s complimentary bikes.
Segment 6: Kingman → Barstow → Los Angeles
As you head west from Kingman, Route 66 drops suddenly into the Mojave Desert, and the stark landscape turns to scrub and the shimmer of baking heat. This is where the route’s vintage roadside Americana is most perfectly preserved, with gas stations from the 1930s and diners from the 1950s kept in a suspended golden hour of American motor culture. As you near the coast, you’ll make a slow return to modern civilization before finally reaching L.A.’s lively Santa Monica Pier, stretching far into the Pacific with its Ferris wheel twinkling with fairy lights.
Major Stops
Needles, California
The California entry point, Needles is a small desert town with a frontier vibe, set on both Route 66 and the Colorado River. The beautifully restored El Garces, a Spanish Mission–style railway hotel built in 1908, is worth a look. The drive along the Colorado River here is gorgeous in the early morning or late afternoon, when the light turns the water to bronze.
Barstow, California
Halfway between the deep desert and the L.A. sprawl, Barstow is the Mojave’s main crossroads, home to air-conditioned hotels, a popular outlet mall, and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, set in a restored rail station. Within 10 miles of town, the Rainbow Basin Natural Area is a significant site for prehistoric fossils (take the 5-mile driving loop or head out on a hike), and the whimsical Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner is home to a big collection of film and TV memorabilia and an outdoor park full of (wait for it) great big dinosaur statues.
Santa Monica, California — The Finish Line
Barstow to Los Angeles is the homestretch. Here, the landscape grows more urban with each passing mile. Palm trees start to pop up, and the Pacific finally feels close enough to touch. In Downtown Santa Monica, at the foot of the Santa Monica Pier, a modest sign marks the official end of Route 66. Walk to the end of the pier, breathe in the ocean air, and listen to the waves crash as you savor this moment and the 2,448-mile journey itself.
Where to Stay
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Barstow and Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites Barstow
These two properties share a building and lobby, so a stay at either gives you easy access to their shared facilities: an outdoor pool and patio, a bar and lounge, and on-site laundry. TownePlace Suites by Marriott Barstow has longer-stay suites with full kitchens, while Fairfield Inn & Suites Barstow has standard hotel rooms. A stay at either comes with complimentary breakfast and free parking. Their shared building is across the street from the Outlets at Barstow, and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum is about six miles away.
Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection
Opened in 2024, the chic yet relaxed Sandbourne Santa Monica, Autograph Collection is set just beside the Pacific Ocean, a short walk from the Santa Monica Pier, the Route 66 terminus sign, and Downtown Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade. The hotel’s restaurant and bar, Marelle, serves contemporary Californian cuisine, and amenities include an outdoor pool, an indoor/outdoor fitness center, and a private dog park. Borrow one of the hotel’s e-bikes and hit the adjacent Strand, a 22-mile bike path that runs along the beach.
This 10-story resort overlooks Mother’s Beach in Marina del Rey, and most rooms offer private balconies with views of either the marina or Santa Monica. The on-site Sinder restaurant serves SoCal food influenced by Hispanic street food culture. Kayak, paddleboard, and bike rentals, as well as beach equipment, are all available. It’s a 15-minute walk to Venice Beach and a short drive or bike trip up the coast to Santa Monica, the Pier, and the Route 66 terminus sign.
The Road at 100
There’s something quietly remarkable about a road that has meant this much to this many people for this long. Route 66 has outlasted the Great Depression, the post WWII boom, and the interstate bypass that officially decommissioned it in 1985. It keeps drawing people back because what it offers — space, movement, discovery, the sense that America is both stranger and more beautiful than you realized — never goes out of fashion.
Its centennial is an event worth celebrating, but Route 66 doesn’t need an anniversary to justify a road trip. The Mother Road is always open, the diners are always serving, and the neon signs, restored and glowing, are waiting to light your way. Pack the car and go.
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