Route 66 Road Trip Guide
Start: Chicago, Illinois ("Begin Route 66" marker at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue). End: Santa Monica, California ("End of the Trail" sign at Santa Monica Pier; the original terminus was Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards). · Approximately 2,448 miles for the historic 1926 alignment from Chicago to Santa Monica. The modern non-stop interstate equivalent (I-55/I-44/I-40/I-15) is about 2,280 miles; drivable surviving historic-route mileage runs 2,200-2,400 depending on which alignments and detours you follow.
Route at a Glance
Distance
Approximately 2,448 miles for the historic 1926 alignment from Chicago to Santa Monica. The modern non-stop interstate equivalent (I-55/I-44/I-40/I-15) is about 2,280 miles; drivable surviving historic-route mileage runs 2,200-2,400 depending on which alignments and detours you follow.
Drive time
Non-stop interstate driving is roughly 33-35 hours. Driving only the surviving Route 66 alignments (slower two-lane roads, town speed limits) takes closer to 45-50 hours of actual driving. Recommended: 10-14 days to see the major stops without rushing.
Route
Start: Chicago, Illinois ("Begin Route 66" marker at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue). End: Santa Monica, California ("End of the Trail" sign at Santa Monica Pier; the original terminus was Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards).
Which way to drive
Drive east to west (Chicago to Santa Monica). This follows the original Dust Bowl migration and Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" route, keeps the afternoon sun behind you across the western desert stretch, and ends at the Pacific Ocean (Santa Monica Pier) rather than in downtown Chicago traffic. Most published guidebooks and mileposts are oriented this direction.
About the Route 66 Drive
Route 66, decommissioned in 1985 but preserved in fragments, runs 2,400 miles from Grant Park in downtown Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles. The drivable historic route passes through eight states — Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. In Illinois, stop at the Gemini Giant muffler man in Wilmington and the chain of vintage gas stations. Missouri brings the 1932 Chain of Rocks Bridge across the Mississippi and Meramec Caverns. Oklahoma has the Blue Whale of Catoosa and the National Route 66 Museum in Elk City. Texas offers the Cadillac Ranch — 10 graffiti-covered Cadillacs buried nose-first in a field near Amarillo. New Mexico serves up the neon glow of Albuquerque's Central Avenue and the historic La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe. Arizona delivers the Petrified Forest, Meteor Crater, and the ghost town of Oatman.
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explore by interest
Major Stops Along the Route
- 1Chicago, Illinois — Mile 0. Begin at the Route 66 'Begin' sign on Adams Street near Michigan Avenue. Lou Mitchell's diner (565 W Jackson) has served travelers since 1923.
- 2St. Louis, Missouri — Around mile 300. Cross the Mississippi via the Chain of Rocks Bridge (now pedestrian-only, formerly carried Route 66). The Gateway Arch is here.
- 3Tulsa / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma — Oklahoma has the most surviving drivable miles of original Route 66 (about 400). See the Blue Whale of Catoosa and the Round Barn in Arcadia.
- 4Amarillo, Texas — Around mile 1,100. Cadillac Ranch (10 buried Cadillacs west of the city off I-40) and the Big Texan Steak Ranch (free 72-oz steak if eaten within one hour).
- 5Tucumcari / Albuquerque, New Mexico — Tucumcari has restored neon motels (Blue Swallow Motel). The pre-1937 alignment loops north through Santa Fe; the later alignment runs straight down Albuquerque's Central Avenue.
- 6Williams / Flagstaff, Arizona — Williams was the last Route 66 town bypassed by Interstate (1984) and the gateway to Grand Canyon South Rim (60 miles north via AZ-64). Nearby Seligman is the birthplace of Route 66 preservation.
- 7Santa Monica, California — End of the route at the pier. Pass through the Mojave (Amboy, Roy's Motel sign) and San Bernardino before reaching the coast.
Don't-Miss Sights Along Route 66
- •Cadillac Ranch — 10 Cadillacs buried nose-first in a wheat field west of Amarillo, Texas, an ever-changing public art installation since 1974
- •Blue Whale of Catoosa — a smiling 80-foot blue whale sculpture built in the 1970s beside a swimming hole on the shore of a pond near Tulsa, Oklahoma
- •Wigwam Motel — a 1950 motor court in Holbrook, Arizona, where each room is a 28-foot-tall concrete tepee
- •Santa Monica Pier — the official western terminus of Route 66, marked by a 'End of the Trail' sign at the end of the pier
Best Viewpoints
- •Cadillac Ranch, west of Amarillo, Texas — 10 graffiti-covered Cadillacs planted nose-down in a field
- •Sandia Mountains overlook east of Albuquerque, New Mexico — high-desert views from I-40
- •Grand Canyon South Rim, 60 miles north of Williams, Arizona via AZ-64
- •Amboy / Roy's Motel and the Mojave Desert basin, California
- •Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River at St. Louis
Worthwhile Detours off Route 66
- •Elbow Inn Bar & BBQ — a biker bar in Devil's Elbow, Missouri, with dollar bills stapled to the ceiling and live music on a deck overlooking the Big Piney River
- •Hackberry General Store — a preserved 1930s gas station and Route 66 memorabilia museum on a lonely stretch of highway in northwestern Arizona
Fuel, Food & Services
Fuel and food are plentiful through Illinois, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The longest gaps are in the western deserts: in the Mojave between Ludlow and Needles, California, and stretches of western Arizona and New Mexico can run 40-80 miles between open services. Fill up before leaving Williams, Seligman, or Needles. Roy's Motel at Amboy sells fuel but with limited hours — do not rely on it. Carry extra water (about 1 gallon per person) across the desert sections.
Road Conditions
Overwhelmingly flat to gently rolling; no significant hairpins or mountain passes on the main alignment. The highest point is around 7,300 ft near Flagstaff, Arizona (winter ice possible). Much of the original road parallels or merges with I-40, I-44, and I-55; some original two-lane segments are cracked, narrow, or dead-end where bypassed. Cell coverage is solid near interstates and towns but drops out in the Mojave, the Texas Panhandle, and rural New Mexico and Arizona. The Chain of Rocks Bridge is closed to cars (pedestrian only). Use a dedicated Route 66 guide or app — original alignments are poorly signed in places. There are no formal seasonal road closures along Route 66, but the Flagstaff/Williams high country can ice up November-March.
Best Season to Drive
Late spring (April-May) and early fall (September-October). Summer brings extreme heat in the Arizona and California Mojave (often 100-115F / 38-46C). Winter can ice the higher Flagstaff/Williams section and bring snow across the plains. Spring and fall give mild temperatures the full length.
RVs & Trailers
RV and trailer friendly. Mostly flat with no tight switchbacks or posted vehicle-length or weight restrictions on the main alignments. Caution: some original two-lane segments are narrow with soft shoulders or sudden dead-ends, and a few have rough pavement — when in doubt, take the parallel interstate. Plan desert fuel stops carefully, as RVs burn fuel faster across the long western gaps.
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