Route 66 in California

Route 66 in California Route 66 in California comprises the westernmost segment of U.S. Route 66, traversing Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and San Bernardino County desert regions from Santa Monica to Needles. The corridor links coastal Santa Monica Pier and urban Los Angeles neighborhoods with inland municipalities such as Glendale, Pasadena, San Bernardino, and Barstow, while crossing the San Gabriel Mountains and the Mojave Desert.

Route description

The California alignment followed preexisting roads including Ventura Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, and historic segments of Foothill Boulevard and El Camino Real in places, connecting Santa Monica Pier with inland gateways at San Bernardino and Needles. From Santa Monica the route entered Los Angeles via Santa Monica Boulevard, intersecting Wilshire Boulevard, Hollywood Boulevard, and passing near Century City, West Hollywood, and Hollywood entertainment districts. East of downtown the road climbed along Glendora Ridge-era alignments to skirt the San Gabriel Valley towns of Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, and Glendora along Foothill Boulevard. Traversing the San Bernardino Mountains approaches near San Bernardino National Forest and San Bernardino, the highway crossed desert expanses, intersecting Ontario and Rialto before reaching Barstow and continuing northeastward past Victorville, Hesperia, and Oro Grande toward Needles on the Colorado River near the Arizona–California border.

History

The California segment originated from early 20th-century auto trails such as the National Old Trails Road and Lincoln Highway feeder routes, later unified under U.S. Route 66 in 1926 amid state highway programs headed by the California State Highway Commission. During the Great Depression the route became a migration artery for families headed to California and featured in activist and literary responses like John Steinbeck's depictions of the Dust Bowl migration in The Grapes of Wrath. World War II mobilization increased traffic, with nearby installations such as March Field and Muroc shaping logistics, and postwar prosperity fueled automobile culture expansion, culminating in roadside businesses along Route 66 corridors. The development of the Interstate Highway System and construction of Interstate 10 and Interstate 40 led to progressive bypassing and eventual decommissioning of the U.S. Route 66 designation in California in 1985 under Federal Highway Administration and California Department of Transportation realignments. Renewed historic interest spurred designations such as historic route recognitions and local preservation movements in the late 20th and early 21st centuries involving entities like National Trust for Historic Preservation and Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.

Major towns and landmarks

Major municipalities on the route include Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Glendale, Pasadena, San Bernardino, Rialto, Victorville, Barstow, Needles, and communities such as Monrovia and Glendora. Prominent landmarks encountered are the Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Griffith Observatory, Fairmont Miramar Hotel, historic theaters in Downtown Los Angeles, the San Bernardino County Museum, Calico Ghost Town, Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, Roy's Motel and Café, Wigwam Motel (San Bernardino), Bagdad Café (Newberry Springs), Route 66 Mother Road Museum (Barstow), and the Colorado River crossing at Needles. Other attractions include roadside neon signs, classic diners such as Mel's Drive-In, vintage service stations, and surviving examples of Googie architecture and Streamline Moderne design in metropolitan stretches.

Cultural impact and tourism

Route 66 in California played a central role in American culture through music, literature, film, and television, appearing in works like the song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66" popularized by Nat King Cole and later covered by Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, and others, and featured in movies connected to Hollywood studios and creators. The westward corridor influenced Dust Bowl narratives by John Steinbeck and the iconography of the American Dream, inspiring road-trip tourism, classic car rallies, motorcycle clubs, and media such as the Route 66 television series, which showcased locations across California. Tourism organizations including National Park Service partners, regional chambers of commerce, and local visitor bureaus promote heritage itineraries linking Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles International Airport, Hollywood, desert motels, and museums. Festivals, guided drives, photo tours, and events sponsored by groups like Historic Route 66 Association of California and Route 66 Association of America attract domestic and international travelers seeking neon signage, retro diners, and historic motels.

Preservation and restoration efforts

Preservation efforts have involved public and private stakeholders including the California Office of Historic Preservation, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, local historical societies, and civic groups in San Bernardino County and Los Angeles County. Projects range from neon sign restoration in Barstow and Needles to adaptive reuse of Wigwam Motel (San Bernardino) units and rehabilitation of vintage service stations for museums and visitor centers. Grants and technical assistance from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and federal historic tax credit programs have aided restoration of Streamline Moderne facades and Googie diners, while advocacy by organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Route 66 Alliance seeks expanded protective listings on the National Register of Historic Places. Local ordinances in cities like San Bernardino and Barstow have been enacted to conserve streetscapes, and volunteer-driven cleanups, signage replacement, and interpretive signage projects continue to support the highway's cultural landscape.

Category:U.S. Route 66 in California