Route 66

Route 66. Known as the "Main Street of America" or the "Mother Road," it was one of the original highways in the U.S. Highway System. Established in 1926, it stretched from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, serving as a major path for those migrating west, especially during the Dust Bowl. The route became embedded in American popular culture through literature, music, and television, symbolizing freedom and the open road before its official decommissioning in 1985.

History

The highway's creation was a result of the expanding national road network advocated by the Bureau of Public Roads. Cyrus Avery of Tulsa, often called the "Father of Route 66," was instrumental in its planning and promotion through the Associated Highways Association. Its numbering was secured in 1926, with significant paving efforts, like those by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, completing the roadway by 1938. The route gained notoriety as the primary path for migrants fleeing the ecological disaster of the Dust Bowl, a journey famously chronicled in John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath, where he coined the term "Mother Road." During World War II, it facilitated the movement of military equipment and personnel to West Coast training centers and supported economic growth in towns along its path.

Route description and course

Originating at the corner of Adams Street and Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago, the highway traversed eight states. It passed through the plains of Illinois, cities like Springfield and St. Louis, and the Ozarks in Missouri. A brief segment cut through the southeastern corner of Kansas before crossing Oklahoma, where it passed through Oklahoma City and the trading post at Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. The route then climbed into New Mexico, passing through Albuquerque and following the path of the historic Santa Fe Trail. It crossed the Painted Desert and the Meteor Crater in Arizona before the final leg through the Mojave Desert in California, terminating at the Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.

Cultural significance

The highway became a profound symbol in American popular culture, celebrated as an emblem of postwar mobility and adventure. It was immortalized in the 1946 song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" by Bobby Troup, later recorded by artists like Nat King Cole and Chuck Berry. The CBS television series Route 66, starring George Maharis and Martin Milner, further cemented its mythos in the 1960s. The road inspired the Disney-Pixar film Cars and has been a central subject for photographers like Edward Ruscha and documentarians of the New Topographics movement. Its iconic roadside architecture, including the Wigwam Motel chain and the Cadillac Ranch art installation, remains a major draw for travelers.

Decline and decommissioning

The highway's importance began to wane with the signing of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, which launched the Interstate Highway System. Inspired by the German Autobahn, the new interstates like I-40, I-44, and I-55 offered faster, safer, and more direct routes, bypassing the small towns that thrived on its traffic. As traffic dwindled, businesses along the route suffered, and long segments fell into disrepair. The highway was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System on June 27, 1985, after the final segment in Williams, Arizona, was bypassed by Interstate 40.

Preservation and revival

Following decommissioning, efforts to preserve its legacy were spearheaded by groups like the National Historic Route 66 Federation and the Route 66 Alliance. In 1999, President Bill Clinton signed the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Act, administered by the National Park Service, to provide grants for preserving historic sites. Many states have designated their segments as National Scenic Byways or state historic routes, such as "Historic Route 66" in Arizona and New Mexico. The route is now a major destination for heritage tourism, with museums like the Route 66 Hall of Fame in Pontiac and annual events like the International Route 66 Festival in Kingman celebrating its history. In 2024, a renewed push for a National Historic Trail designation gained momentum in the United States Congress.

Category:U.S. Routes Category:Transportation in the United States Category:Historic trails and roads in the United States