Why Is Route 66 Famous? Everything You Need To Know 

Running from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, Route 66 is one of America’s most famous highways. Which leads to the question, why is Route 66 so famous? The answer is simple; it is more than just a road. Route 66 is a piece of American history representing the country’s spirit. It later became the perfect road trip route. While Route 66 hasn’t been in service since the 80s, it can still be a great road trip with a special map.

Route 66 is about more than just getting to the final destination. The drive itself is just as incredible. Along the route are iconic landmarks, famous motels, and unique museums. With legendary burger joints and memorable towns, Highway 66 is a glimpse into American history. Drive down the historic Route 66 and discover where it all started. 

Why Is Route 66 Famous? Everything You Need To Know 

History of Route 66

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Parts of Route 66 trace back to an old wagon trail in the 1850s along the same route. In the mid-1920s, entrepreneurs John Woodruff and Cyrus Avery pushed for a highway connecting significant cities from the Midwest to the West Coast. The first road signs went up on November 11, 1926, and the historic Route 66 came into existence. 

In the late 1920s, the new highway changed the way of life for many small towns along the route. Also known as the “mother road, ” it ran through eight cities, starting in Chicago it then went through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, ending in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica pier. Part of the goal was to connect small towns to big cities. 

During the Great Depression and Dust Bowl of the 1930s, many farming families traveled up Route 66 to California looking for work in agriculture. Following World War II, Route 66 saw an upsurge in travelers using the highway. Traffic began increasing along the road, driving up business for local shops, restaurants, and motels in the small towns.

Restaurants and Motels

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As traffic increased on Route 66, business along the route prospered. Several highly successful restaurants, diners, and motels did huge business along the historic road. In fact, many of those businesses still exist to this day and are worth checking out on your next road trip. 

Along Route 66 sits the iconic Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. This isn’t any ordinary steakhouse, with the restaurant famous for its steak challenge where the customer must consume a 4-pound steak plus sides in one hour. If successful the meal is free. 

Another historic restaurant on Route 66 is Cozy Dog Drive-in in Springfield, Illinois. Established in 1949, the restaurant is famous for inventing the cornmeal hotdog on a stick. It’s one of the most prominent locations along the road and even sells Route 66 memorabilia. 

Located in Tucumcari, New Mexico, The Blue Swallow Motel opened in 1941 and is still in operation today. It’s a throwback to a different time as it retains the classic art deco and famous neon sign. It’s famously known as one of the friendliest motels on Route 66.

Route 66 features two historic Wigwam Motels. The motels are famous for their distinctive tipi designs. The Wigwam Village Motel #6 in Holbrook, Arizona, went up in 1950 near tourist attractions like the Grand Canyon. In the late 1940s, Wigwam Motel Village #7 opened in San Bernardino, California, and boasts a large swimming pool with palm trees surrounding the property. 

Drive-in Movie Theatres

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A road trip down Route 66 is only complete with stopping at one of the still operational drive-ins. At one point, Route 66 was full of more than 300 drive-in movie theatres. 

• The Carthage, Missouri, Drive-in Movie Theater opened in 1949 but closed in the early 80s. After carefully restoring the iconic movie theatre and Route 66 landmark, it reopened in 1998.
• The Litchfield Sky View Drive-In is one the oldest drive-ins, as it opened more than 70 years ago.
• The Route 66 Twin Drive-in, located in Springfield, Illinois, is another classic drive-in along the historic road. 

The Many Museums of Route 66

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Route 66 is famous for the museums dedicated to preserving the memory of the historic road. Here are a few of the best museums worth visiting on your road trip. 

• National Route 66 Museum in Elk City, Oklahoma takes visitors down the historic route through the eight cities. 
• California Route 66 Museum contains historical documents, photographs, and other memorabilia from the heyday of Route 66.
•  St. Louis Car Museum is the largest car museum in the Midwest with a showroom featuring private collections. Plus, visitors can even take some of the vehicles home. 
• Devil’s Rope Museum sits along Route 66 in Texas. The fascinating museum tells the story of barbed wire, including its history and impact on the Old West.
• The historic McDonald’s Route 66 Museum marks the first McDonald’s opened on Route 66 in San Bernardino, California. It features a history of the restaurant and Route 66 memorabilia. 

Ghost Towns

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A road trip up Route 66 is bound to pass through hundreds of abandoned and eerie ghost towns. As new Interstates and turnpikes became popular, traffic on Route 66 decreased. The once bustling towns are just a remnant of the past. 

On the Texas and New Mexico border along Route 66 sits the ghost town of Glenrio. The small town grew on both sides of the border along the Ozark Trail, which became Route 66. 

Two Guns near Canyon Diablo in Arizona had a rich history before Route 66 even existed. The city flourished during the peak of Route 66 but became a ghost town by 1971. The ghost town is famous for its stories of violence and murder. The eerie ghost town is now a top tourist attraction along the route. 

A stretch of Route 66 in Missouri, Halltown to Carthage, runs through a string of creepy and unsettling ghost towns. It’s a haunting trip through once-busy towns along Route 66. 

Iconic Landmarks and Other Tourist Attractions

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Traffic on Route 66 tripled as many families began using the highway for a fun family vacation. The long drive with iconic landmarks and historical tourist attractions is perfect for all road trips. 

The most famous landmark along Route 66 is the iconic Grand Canyon in Arizona. The renowned tourist attraction is part of the Grand Canyon National Park. Tourists from around the globe travel down Route 66 to get a glimpse of the historical site. 

The unassuming Hackberry General Store sits in the former mining town turned ghost town, Hackberry, Arizona. The original store, Northside Grocery, and Conoco Station opened in 1934. It closed in 1978, but artist Bob Waldmire reopened it as Hackberry General Store to commemorate Route 66. While the store is easy to miss, it’s a must for Route 66 travelers as it features the best memorabilia and souvenirs. 

Along Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas is the stunning art installation known as Cadillac Ranch. Chip Lord, Hudson Marques, and Doug Michels created the installation in 1974. It features ten Cadillacs from 1949 to 1963 buried in the sand, with the car’s exposed tail lines revealing its evolution. 

There are many landmarks along Route 66, but few compare with The Meteor Crater. The impact from a meteorite 50,000 years ago created the Meteor Crater in Arizona. With over 270,000 visitors, the crater is one of Arizona’s most famous tourist attractions. 

Route 66 famously leads to several national parks. These parks make a great stop during a Route 66 road trip. For example, the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is a mind-blowing experience. The park is best known for its tree fossils from 225 million years ago. 

The Meramec Caverns is one of the most famous tourist attractions along Route 66. The caverns existed for over 400 million years. It has a rich history and even served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1935, Lester B. Dill turned the complex cave system into a tourist attraction. In fact, Lester created the first bumper sticker to promote the iconic tourist attraction. 

The old Chian of Rocks Bridge is now a pedestrian bridge spanning the Mississippi River. At one point in time, the bridge was used for cars and was a vital part of Route 66 in Missouri. While the bridge is no longer for vehicles, it’s a reminder of the once legendary route that traveled across the iconic Missouri landmark. 

The Barstow Harvey House is a historic location near Route 66. The original train station opened in 1911 as Casa del Desierto. Then the Fred Harvey Company took over, creating the Harvey House hotel and Santa Fe Railroad depot. The historic station existed years before Route 66, but they’re often associated. Ironically, the success of Route 66 led to a decline in business for the station. The building now stores several city offices. 

Route 66 in Pop Culture

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Since the first vehicles hit Route 66 the historic highway has entered popular culture. John Steinbeck’s 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath focuses on a poor farming family in Oklahoma, the Joads, struggling during the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. They travel up Route 66 hoping for a better life and future in California. In 1940, the film adaptation hit theatres starring Henry Fonda. 

In 1946, singer Bobby Troup composed the hit single “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66.” The classic song told the story of a road trip from Chicago to California. Legendary musician Nat King Cole even recorded a version of the tune that was a smash.

On October 7, 1960, the CBS crime drama Route 66 debuted on the network. The plot follows college graduate Tod Stiles as he goes on adventures along the famous Route 66. He would encounter a new adventure each week at a different portion of the iconic highway. 

Route 66 also plays a vital role in the hit animated movie Cars. The critically and commercially acclaimed animated movie hit theatres in 2006. The plot revolves around Lightning McQueen, who ends up stranded in the ghost town of Radiator Springs. McQueen learns that Radiator Springs was once a bustling town on Route 66. Unfortunately, the construction of Interstate 40 turned Radiator Springs into a ghost town. 

The End of Route 66

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For roughly 60 years, Route 66 was one of the most vital roads in America before the iconic highway became just a memory of American history. The beginning of the end for Route 66 came in 1956 when then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act. The plan was to create a network of highways bypassing small towns. Soon the main cities on Route 66 built toll roads and turnpikes bypassing the small towns that prospered because of Route 66. 

Throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s, the cities along the route opted for an upgraded highway system such as Interstate 40, State Route 2, and Interstate 55. The final nail in the coffin was in the 1980s when maps removed Route 66. With the decline of Route 66, small towns and businesses suffered. As noted, several closed forever, and the communities of these towns abandoned them for more populated areas. Once known as the “Main Street of America,” it soon became an old dirt road. 

Today

Despite the decommissioning of Route 66, the memory of the iconic road still lives on in certain areas. Many towns and cities commemorate the iconic road with historical markers and museums. Several old businesses are back running with new places paying tribute to the iconic American highway. You can still travel the route today and it makes for a fun and informative adventure off the beaten track.