This Week on Route 66: Tulsa Sets Its November 11 Birthday Party
Four weeks to the centennial: Tulsa and Springfield, Illinois, plan November 11, Russell's museum goes to auction, a neon pin lights up Lebanon, and fall festivals worth the drive.
The Mother Road, every week
Route 66 news, centennial events, history and road-tested advice for all 2,448 miles, from Chicago to Santa Monica.
Blue Swallow Motel, Tucumcari. Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress
This Week on Route 66
All news & events →
The guide behind this journal
Route 66, The Definitive Field Manual
Everything in these pages comes from one research trip: the whole road driven end to end in April 2026, every motel called, every coordinate taken on site. The Field Manual is where all of it lives, in print and on your phone.
- 169Maps
- 105GPS waypoints
- 144Motels and diners
- 8States, 2,448 miles
Route 66, State by State
All eight states →
State 1 of 8Illinois301 miles of Route 66 →
State 2 of 8Missouri317 miles of Route 66 →
State 3 of 8Kansas13 miles of Route 66 →
State 4 of 8Oklahoma432 miles of Route 66 →
State 5 of 8Texas186 miles of Route 66 →
State 6 of 8New Mexico487 miles of Route 66 →
State 7 of 8Arizona401 miles of Route 66 →
State 8 of 8California316 miles of Route 66 →
A Century on the Mother Road
From a telegram in Springfield, Missouri to the interstates that replaced it, and the people who brought it back.
- 1926Route 66 joins the new U.S. highway system on November 11, Chicago to Los Angeles.
- 1938The last stretches are paved. It is now possible to drive the whole road on pavement.
- 1939John Steinbeck calls it the Mother Road in The Grapes of Wrath.
- 1946Bobby Troup writes (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66. Nat King Cole makes it a hit.
- 1985Route 66 is removed from the U.S. highway system after the interstates bypass it.
- 2026The road turns 100 on November 11, with celebrations in all eight states.
Trip Planning
How long to give it, when to go, where to start and what not to miss. Practical planning for all 2,448 miles, checked on the road.
The Best Route 66 Guide Books, Compared (2026-27)13 min read
Best Time to Drive Route 66: Month by Month for 202713 min read
Route 66 Motorcycle Trip Planner: Season, Rentals, Fuel and Helmet Laws11 min read
Route 66 Map: The 8 States and Every Town in Order9 min read
Route 66 Itinerary: 14 Days from Chicago to Santa Monica, Day by Day11 min read
Stay & Eat
Neon motels, pie counters and campgrounds along the old road, with what they cost and how to book them.
Route 66 Diners: 19 Historic Cafes Still Open, State by State10 min read
Route 66 RV Parks and Camping, State by State11 min read- Historic Route 66 Motels: 15 Still Open, State by State (2026)10 min read
