Route 66 Centennial Events 2026: The Calendar, State by State
Route 66 turns 100 on November 11. Here is every confirmed centennial event left this year, with dates, places and official links.
Planning · Lead story
Route 66 Road Trip Planner: The Complete Guide for 2026-27
Days, direction, season, state-by-state stops, budgets and the closures that catch people out, from someone who drove all 2,448 miles in April 2026.
Route 66 Attractions: The 30 Best Stops from Chicago to Santa Monica
Giant astronauts, a blue whale, buried Cadillacs, neon motels and wild burros: the stops worth pulling over for, in driving order, checked for 2026.
Route 66 Itinerary: 14 Days from Chicago to Santa Monica, Day by Day
Fourteen days, thirteen nights, about 2,300 miles of the old road. Where to start each morning, where to sleep each night, and how to stretch or squeeze it.
Planning
- Route 66 Road Trip Planner: The Complete Guide for 2026-27Days, direction, season, state-by-state stops, budgets and the closures that catch people out, from someone who drove all 2,448 miles in April 2026.
- Route 66 Itinerary: 14 Days from Chicago to Santa Monica, Day by DayFourteen days, thirteen nights, about 2,300 miles of the old road. Where to start each morning, where to sleep each night, and how to stretch or squeeze it.
- Is Route 66 Still Drivable? The Old Road vs I-40 in 2026Route 66 lost its federal shields in 1985, but most of the road is still there. Here is where it runs, where it stops, and how to stay on it.
- How Long Does It Take to Drive Route 66? The Real Math, Day by DayPure driving hours, days per state, and what happens to your trip at 5, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days, from someone who drove all 2,448 miles in April 2026.
- Route 66 Map: The 8 States and Every Town in OrderIllinois to California, 2,448 miles. Which states the road crosses, how many miles in each, and the towns along the way in driving order.
- Route 66 Motorcycle Trip Planner: Season, Rentals, Fuel and Helmet LawsHow many days to ride it, when to go, where to rent one-way, the stretches worth riding twice, the desert fuel gaps and the helmet law in each of the eight states.
- Where Does Route 66 Start and End? The Signs, Then and NowThe Begin sign on Adams Street, the End of the Trail on the Santa Monica Pier, and the four other spots that have claimed to be the end of the road since 1926.
Centennial
Where to Stay
- Route 66 Diners: 19 Historic Cafes Still Open, State by StateNineteen old cafes, drive-ins and counters still feeding travelers in 2026, from Lou Mitchell's in Chicago to the Mitla in San Bernardino, and the famous names that went quiet.
- Historic Route 66 Motels: 15 Still Open, State by State (2026)Fifteen old motor courts, teepee villages and neon classics that still take overnight guests in 2026, and the famous names that no longer do.
- Route 66 RV Parks and Camping, State by StateWhere to park the rig for the night from Illinois to the Pacific, the maximum length each campground posts, and the three stretches of old road to leave to the tow car.
Road Notes
- Route 66 Attractions: The 30 Best Stops from Chicago to Santa MonicaGiant astronauts, a blue whale, buried Cadillacs, neon motels and wild burros: the stops worth pulling over for, in driving order, checked for 2026.
- Driving Route 66 in the Fall: October and November, Mile by MileReal temperatures from Chicago to Santa Monica, when the leaves turn in the Ozarks, and what November snow and short days mean for your plan.
- Route 66 Stops in Oklahoma: Map, Miles and Days (2026)The longest drivable stretch of the road, town by town: the Ribbon Road, the Blue Whale, Tulsa's neon, the Pony Bridge and the museum in Clinton, plus what changed this year.
- Route 66 Stops in New Mexico: Both Alignments, East to West (2026)Tucumcari's neon, the Blue Hole, Central Avenue, the pueblos and Gallup, plus the one decision most guides fumble: the old road through Santa Fe or the straight line through Moriarty.
- Route 66 Stops in Arizona: The East-to-West Guide (2026)From the Painted Desert to the Colorado River: every stop worth the brakes, the real miles between them, the longest stretch of old road left, and the Grand Canyon detour.
- Route 66 Kansas: All 13 Miles, Town by TownGalena's mining past and Tow Tater, a store open since 1925, the last Marsh arch bridge on the route and a cottage gas station in Baxter Springs. What's open, what closed, and how long to stay.