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U.S. Route 66

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: North American Geography;
Road transport

                                U.S. Route 66
                             Will Rogers Highway
     Length:                                              2448 mi (3940 km)
     Formed:                                              November 11, 1926
    Decomd.:                                                  June 27, 1985
   West end:                                    Los Angeles, CA (1926-1936)
                                               Santa Monica, CA (1936-1985)
   East end:                                                    Chicago, IL


   United States Numbered Highways

   U.S. Route 66, (also known as Route 66, The Main Street of America, The
   Mother Road and the Will Rogers Highway) was a highway in the U.S.
   Highway system. One of the original federal routes, US 66 was
   established on November 11th, 1926, though signs did not go up until
   the following year. It originally ran from Chicago, Illinois through
   Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California
   before ending at Los Angeles for a total of 2,448 miles (3,939 km).

   Route 66 underwent many improvements and realignments. Most of those
   affected the total mileage somewhat. One of those resulted in the
   movement of the endpoint from Los Angeles to Santa Monica. Contrary to
   common belief, Route 66 never ran to the ocean; it terminated onto what
   was then US-101, at the intersection of what is today Ocean Boulevard
   and Santa Monica Boulevard.

   Route 66 was a major path of the migrants who went west, especially
   during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and supported the economies of the
   communities through which the road passed. People became prosperous due
   to the growing popularity of the highway, and those same people later
   fought to keep the highway alive even with the growing threat of the
   new Interstate Highway System.

   US 66 was officially decommissioned (that is, officially removed from
   the United States Highway System) on June 27, 1985 after it was decided
   the route was no longer relevant and had been replaced by the
   Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through
   Illinois, New Mexico, and Arizona have been designated a National
   Scenic Byway of the name "Historic Route 66". It has begun to return to
   maps in this form.
   Modern-day sign in New Mexico, along a section of Route 66 named a
   National Scenic Byway
   Enlarge
   Modern-day sign in New Mexico, along a section of Route 66 named a
   National Scenic Byway
   Modern-day shield that would have been used in California if not
   decommissioned (note the black background cut off and the addition of
   the US indicator)
   Enlarge
   Modern-day shield that would have been used in California if not
   decommissioned (note the black background cut off and the addition of
   the US indicator)

History of the highway

Birth and rise of Route 66

   Lengths
                 mi   km
   CA            314  505
   AZ            401  645
   NM            487  784
   TX            186  299
   OK            432  695
   KS            13   21
   MO            317  510
   IL            301  484
   Total in 1926 2448 3939
   Location of U.S. Route 66 in the late 1930s in relation to the modern
   interstate highway system.
   Enlarge
   Location of U.S. Route 66 in the late 1930s in relation to the modern
   interstate highway system.

   Championed by Oklahoman Cyrus Avery in 1923 when the first talks about
   a national highway system began, US 66 was first signed in 1927 as one
   of the original U.S. Highways, although it was not completely paved
   until 1938. Avery was adamant that the highway have a round number and
   had proposed number 60 to identify it. A controversy erupted over the
   number 60, largely from delegates from Kentucky which wanted a Virginia
   Beach–Los Angeles highway to be US 60 and US 62 between Chicago and
   Springfield, Missouri. Arguments and counter-arguments continued and
   the final conclusion was to have US 60 run between Virginia Beach,
   Virginia and Springfield, Missouri, and the Chicago–Los Angeles,
   California route be US 62. Avery settled on "66" (which was unassigned)
   because he thought the double-digit number would be easy to remember as
   well as pleasant to say and hear.

   After the new federal highway system was officially created, Avery
   called for the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to
   promote the complete paving of the highway from end to end and to
   promote travel down the highway. In 1927, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the
   association was officially established with John T. Woodruff of
   Springfield, Missouri elected the first president. In 1928, the
   association made its first attempt at publicity, the "Bunion Derby", a
   footrace from Los Angeles to New York City, of which the path from Los
   Angeles to Chicago would be on Route 66. The publicity worked: several
   dignitaries, including Will Rogers, greeted the runners at certain
   points on the route. The association went on to serve as a voice for
   businesses along the highway until it disbanded in 1976.
   The route sign until the 1940s.
   Enlarge
   The route sign until the 1940s.
   Remnants of an original "STATE" right-of-way marker serve as a "ghost"
   of the early days of the road's construction. This was part of the 1927
   construction of Route 66.
   Enlarge
   Remnants of an original "STATE" right-of-way marker serve as a "ghost"
   of the early days of the road's construction. This was part of the 1927
   construction of Route 66.

   Traffic grew on the highway due to the geography through which it
   passed. Much of the highway was essentially flat and this made the
   highway a popular truck route. The Dust Bowl of the 1930s saw many
   farming families (mainly from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas) heading west
   for agricultural jobs in California. Route 66 became the main road of
   travel for these people, often derogatorily called " Okies". And during
   the Depression, it gave some relief to communities located on the
   highway. The route passed through numerous small towns, and with the
   growing traffic on the highway, helped create the rise of mom-and-pop
   businesses (mainly as service stations, restaurants, and motor courts)
   up and down the highway.

   Much of the early highway, like all the other early highways, was
   gravel or graded dirt. Due to the efforts of the US Highway 66
   Association, Route 66 became the first highway completely paved in
   1938. Several places were dangerous, more than one part of the highway
   was nicknamed "Bloody 66" and gradually work was done to realign these
   segments to remove dangerous curves. However, one section (through the
   Black Mountains of Arizona) was fraught with sharp hairpin turns and
   was the steepest along the entire route—so much so that some early
   travelers, too frightened at the prospect of driving such a potentially
   dangerous road, hired locals to navigate the winding grade. The section
   remained until 1953—despite this, Route 66 continued to be a popular
   route.

   During World War II, more migration west occurred because of
   war-related industries in California. Route 66, already popular and
   fully paved, became one of the main routes and also served for moving
   military equipment. Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri was located near the
   highway, which was locally upgraded quickly to a divided highway to
   help with military traffic.
   The Chain of Rocks Bridge was built to carry the growing traffic of
   Route 66 around the city of St. Louis.
   Enlarge
   The Chain of Rocks Bridge was built to carry the growing traffic of
   Route 66 around the city of St. Louis.

   In the 1950s, Route 66 became the main highway for vacationers heading
   to Los Angeles. The road passed through the Painted Desert and near the
   Grand Canyon. Meteor Crater in Arizona was another popular stop. This
   sharp rise in tourism in turn gave rise to a burgeoning trade in all
   manner of roadside attractions including teepee-shaped motels, frozen
   custard stands, Indian curio shops, and reptile farms. Meramec Caverns
   near St. Louis began advertising on barns, billing itself as the "
   Jesse James hideout". The Big Texan advertised a free 72 ounce steak
   dinner to anyone who could eat the whole thing in an hour. It also
   marked the birth of the fast-food industry: Red's Giant Hamburgs in
   Springfield, Missouri, site of the first drive-through restaurant, and
   the first McDonald's in San Bernardino, California. Changes like these
   to the landscape further cemented 66's reputation as a near-perfect
   microcosm of the culture of America, now linked by the automobile.

Changes in routing

   Four major sections of US 66 underwent major realignments during the
   1930s.

   In 1930, between Springfield, Illinois and East St. Louis, Illinois, US
   66 was shifted further east to what is now roughly I-55. The original
   alignment followed the current Illinois Route 4.

   From downtown St. Louis to Gray Summit, Missouri, US 66 originally went
   down Market Street and Manchester Road (now, largely, Route 100). In
   1932, this route was changed, the original alignment never being viewed
   as anything more than temporary. The planned route was down Watson Road
   (now Route 366), but Watson Road had not yet been completed.
   Route 66 between Oatman and Kingman.
   Enlarge
   Route 66 between Oatman and Kingman.

   From west of El Reno, Oklahoma to Bridgeport, Oklahoma, US 66 turned
   north to Calumet, Oklahoma and then west to Geary, Oklahoma then
   southwest across the South Canadian River over a suspension toll bridge
   into Bridgeport, Oklahoma. In 1933, a straighter cut-off route was
   completed from west of El Reno, Oklahoma directly to a point one mile
   south of Bridgeport, Oklahoma crossing over a 38-span steel pony truss
   bridge over the South Canadian River and bypassing both Calumet and
   Geary by several miles.

   From west of Santa Rosa, New Mexico to north of Los Lunas, New Mexico,
   the road originally turned north from current I-40 along much of what
   is now US 84 to near Las Vegas, followed (roughly) I-25 through Santa
   Fe and Albuquerque to Los Lunas and then turned northwest along the
   present State Highway 6 alignment to a point near Laguna. In 1937, a
   straight-line route was completed from west of Santa Rosa through
   Moriarty and east-west through Albuquerque and west to Laguna. This
   newer routing saved travelers as much as four hours of travel through
   New Mexico.

   Also, US 66 was rerouted around several larger cities via bypass or
   beltline routes to permit travelers to avoid city traffic congestion.
   Some of those cities included Springfield, Illinois; St. Louis,
   Missouri, Springfield, Missouri; Joplin, Missouri; and Oklahoma City,
   Oklahoma.

Decline

   Abandoned, fire-damaged Whiting Brothers gas station, New Mexico.
   Conservation efforts are under way to preserve original buildings such
   as this all along the route.
   Enlarge
   Abandoned, fire-damaged Whiting Brothers gas station, New Mexico.
   Conservation efforts are under way to preserve original buildings such
   as this all along the route.

   The beginning of the end for Route 66 came in 1956 with the signing of
   the Interstate Highway Act by President Dwight Eisenhower. As a general
   fighting in the European theatre during World War II, Eisenhower was
   impressed by Germany's high-speed roadways, or " Autobahnen".
   Eisenhower envisioned a similar system of roads for the US in which one
   could conceivably drive at high speed from one end of the country to
   the other without stopping, as well as making it easier to mobilize
   troops in the event of a national emergency.

   During its nearly 60-year existence, Route 66 was under constant
   change. As highway engineering became more sophisticated, engineers
   constantly sought more direct routes between cities and towns.
   Increased traffic led to a number of major and minor realignments of US
   66 through the years, particularly in the years immediately following
   World War II when Illinois began widening US 66 to four lanes through
   virtually the entire state from Chicago to the Mississippi River just
   east of St. Louis, Missouri, and included bypasses around virtually all
   of the towns. By the early-to-mid 1950s, Missouri also upgraded its
   sections of US 66 to four lanes complete with bypasses. Most of the
   newer four-lane 66 paving in both states was upgraded into the
   interstate highway system in later years.

   One of the remnants of Route 66 is the highway now known as Veterans
   Parkway, east and south of Normal, Illinois, and Bloomington, Illinois.
   The two sweeping curves on the southeast and southwest of the cities
   originally were intended to easily handle traffic at speeds up to 100
   miles per hour, as part of an effort to make Illinois 66 an Autobahn
   equivalent for military transport.
   An abandoned early Route 66 alignment in southern Illinois in 2006.
   (Photo courtesy of Shawn Mariani of otchster.com)
   Enlarge
   An abandoned early Route 66 alignment in southern Illinois in 2006.
   (Photo courtesy of Shawn Mariani of otchster.com)

   In 1953, the first major bypassing of US 66 occurred in Oklahoma with
   the opening of the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City,
   Oklahoma. The new 88-mile toll road paralleled US 66 for its entire
   length and bypassed each of the towns along 66. The Turner Turnpike was
   joined in 1957 by the new Will Rogers Turnpike, which connected Tulsa
   with the Oklahoma-Missouri border west of Joplin, Missouri, again
   paralleling US 66 and bypassing the towns in northeastern Oklahoma in
   addition to the entire state of Kansas. Both Oklahoma turnpikes were
   soon designated as Interstate 44, along with the US 66 bypass at Tulsa
   that connected the city with both turnpikes.

   In some cases, such as many areas in Illinois, the new Interstate not
   only paralleled the old Route 66, it actually incorporated much of it.
   A typical approach was to build one new set of lanes, then move one
   direction of traffic to it, then rebuild those old lanes as the new
   lanes for the other direction of traffic, and finally abandon the other
   old set of lanes or convert them into a frontage road.

   The same scenario was used in western Oklahoma when US 66 was initially
   upgraded to a four-lane highway such as from Sayre through Erick to the
   Texas border at Texola in 1957 and 1958 where the old paving was
   retained for westbound traffic and a new parallel lane built for
   eastbound traffic (Much of this section was entirely bypassed by I-40
   in 1975), and on two other sections; from Canute to Elk City in 1959
   and Hydro to Weatherford in 1960 - both of which were upgraded with the
   construction of a new westbound lane in 1966 to bring the highway up to
   full interstate standards and demoting the old US 66 paving to frontage
   road status. In the initial process of constructing I-40 across western
   Oklahoma, the state also included projects to upgrade the through
   routes in El Reno, Weatherford, Clinton, Canute, Elk City, Sayre, Erick
   and Texola to four-lane highways not only to provide seamless
   transitions from the rural sections of I-40 from both ends of town but
   also to provide easy access to those cities in later years after the
   I-40 bypasses were completed.
   Roadbed of Route 66 in Newkirk, New Mexico in 2003. (Photo courtesy of
   Joseph Houk)
   Enlarge
   Roadbed of Route 66 in Newkirk, New Mexico in 2003. (Photo courtesy of
   Joseph Houk)

   In New Mexico as in most other states, rural sections of I-40 were to
   be constructed first with bypasses around cities to come later.
   However, some business and civic leaders in cities along US 66 were
   completely opposed to bypassing fearing loss of business and tax
   revenues. In 1963, the New Mexico Legislature enacted legislation that
   banned the construction of interstate bypasses around cities by local
   request. This legislation was short-lived, however, due to pressures
   from Washington and threat of loss of federal highway funds so it was
   rescinded by 1965. In 1964, Tucumcari and San Jon became the first
   cities in New Mexico to work out an agreement with state and federal
   officials in determining the locations of their I-40 bypasses as close
   to their business areas as possible in order to permit easy access for
   highway travelers to their localities. Other cities soon fell in line
   including Santa Rosa, Moriarty, Grants and Gallup although it wasn't
   until well into the 1970s that most of those cities would be bypassed
   by I-40.

   By the late 1960s, most of the rural sections of US 66 had been
   replaced by I-40 across New Mexico with the most notable exception
   being the 40-mile strip from the Texas border at Glenrio west through
   San Jon to Tucumcari, which was becoming increasingly treacherous due
   to heavier and heavier traffic on the narrow two-lane highway. During
   1968 and 1969, this section of US 66 was often referred to by locals
   and travelers as "Slaughter Lane" due to numerous injury and fatal
   accidents on this stretch. Local and area business and civic leaders
   and news media called upon state and federal highway officials to get
   I-40 built through the area, however, disputes over proposed highway
   routing in the vicinity of San Jon held up construction plans for
   several years as federal officials proposed that I-40 run some five to
   six miles north of that city while local and state officials insisted
   on following a proposed route that touched the northern city limits of
   San Jon. In November of 1969, a truce was reached when federal highway
   officials agreed to build the I-40 route just outside of the city,
   therefore providing local businesses dependent on highway traffic easy
   access to and from the expressway via the north-south highway that
   crossed old US 66 in San Jon. Interstate 40 was completed from Glenrio
   to the east side of San Jon in 1976 and extended west to Tucumcari in
   1981, including the bypasses around both cities.

   Originally, highway officials planned for the last section of US 66 to
   be bypassed by interstates in Texas, but as was the case in many
   places, lawsuits held up construction of the new interstates. The US
   Highway 66 Association had become a voice for the people who feared the
   loss of their businesses. Since the interstates only provided access
   via ramps at intersections, travelers could not pull directly off a
   highway into a business. At first, plans were laid out to allow (mainly
   national chains) to be placed in interstate medians. Such lawsuits
   effectively prevented this on all but toll roads. Some towns in
   Missouri threatened to sue the state if the US 66 designation was
   removed from the road, though lawsuits never materialized. Several
   businesses were well known to be on US 66, and fear of losing the
   number resulted in the state of Missouri officially requesting the
   designation "Interstate 66" for the St. Louis to Oklahoma City section
   of the route, but it was denied. In 1984, Arizona also saw its final
   stretch of highway decommissioned with the completion of Interstate 40
   through Williams. Finally, with decertification of the highway by the
   American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials the
   following year, U.S. Route 66 officially ceased to exist.

   With the decommissioning of US 66, no single interstate route was
   designated to replace it. Interstate 55 covered the section from
   Chicago to St. Louis; Interstate 44 carried the traffic on to Oklahoma
   City; Interstate 40 took the largest chunk, replacing 66 to Barstow,
   California; Interstate 15 took over for the route to San Bernardino;
   and Interstate 10 carried Route 66's traffic across the Los Angeles
   metro area to Santa Monica.

After decertification

   Towns such as Kingman, Arizona promote their association with Route 66.
   Enlarge
   Towns such as Kingman, Arizona promote their association with Route 66.

   When the highway was decommissioned, sections of the road were disposed
   of in various ways. Within many cities, the route became a "business
   loop" for the interstate. Some sections became state roads, local
   roads, private drives, or were abandoned completely. Although it is no
   longer possible to drive Route 66 uninterrupted all the way from
   Chicago to Los Angeles, more than eighty percent of the original route
   and alternate alignments are still drivable with careful planning. Some
   stretches are quite well-preserved, including one between Springfield,
   Missouri and Tulsa.

   Some states have kept the 66 designation for parts of the highway,
   albeit as state roads. In Missouri, Routes 366, 266, and 66 are all
   original sections of the highway. State Highway 66 in Oklahoma remains
   as the alternate "free" route near its turnpikes. A long segment in
   Arizona signed as State Route 66 links Seligman to Kingman. A surface
   street stretch between San Bernardino and La Verne (known as Foothill
   Boulevard) to the east of Los Angeles retains its number as State Route
   66. Several county roads and city streets have also retained the "66"
   name.

Revival

   Restored service station in Mt. Olive, IL. (Photo: Patty Kuhn; ©2003
   Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project, courtesy of byways.org)
   Enlarge
   Restored service station in Mt. Olive, IL. (Photo: Patty Kuhn; ©2003
   Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project, courtesy of byways.org)

   In 1990, Route 66 associations were founded separately in both Arizona
   and Missouri. Other groups in the other Route 66 states soon followed.
   The same year, the state of Missouri declared Route 66 in that state a
   "State Historic Route". The first "Historic Route 66" marker was
   erected on Kearney Street at Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri
   (now replaced, the original sign has been placed at Route 66 State Park
   near Eureka). Other historic markers now line—at times sporadically—the
   entire 2,400 mile (3,860 km) length of road. A section of the road in
   Arizona was placed on the National Register of Historic Places; the
   Arroyo Seco Parkway in the Los Angeles Area and Route 66 in New Mexico
   have been made into National Scenic Byways; and in 2005, the State of
   Missouri made the road a state scenic byway from Illinois to Kansas. In
   the cities of Rancho Cucamonga, Rialto, and San Bernardino in
   California, there are US 66 signs erected along Foothill Boulevard and
   on Huntington Drive in the city of Arcadia.

Route 66 and American pop culture

   Route 66 gave its name to a company and also was immortalized in
   literature, popular music, and television. Although several businesses
   became associated with Route 66 because of their being on or near the
   highway, Phillips 66 actually took part of their name directly from the
   highway.

   Because the road through Oklahoma was relatively flat and straight, two
   chemical engineers decided to test a new gasoline from a Tulsa oil
   company in the late 1920s. The company car they were driving ran
   exceptionally well on the new blend, prompting the engineer in the
   passenger seat to exclaim that the car was "going like sixty". His
   companion looked at the speedometer and said that they were going more
   like 66 miles/hour (106 km/h). The combination of the highway number
   and the speed of the car led to the naming of Phillips 66 gasoline, a
   brand still marketed today.
   Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, the official starting point for Route
   66
   Enlarge
   Buckingham Fountain in Chicago, the official starting point for Route
   66

   In 1939, California writer John Steinbeck published The Grapes of
   Wrath, his novel about the westward migration of Oklahoma's Dust Bowl
   farmers to California's San Joaquin Valley. The book described the
   problems many of them faced, including prejudice and poverty, as they
   traveled to a hopefully better life. In this book, he spent a chapter
   describing the path west, which funnels to Oklahoma City and continues
   down Route 66. He referred to Route 66 as the "Mother Road", a nickname
   the highway still retains. The book won a Pulitzer Prize and made the
   road even more famous.

   In 1946, jazz composer and pianist Bobby Troup wrote his best-known
   song, " (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66", after driving the highway
   himself to get to California. He presented it to Nat King Cole who in
   turn made it one of the biggest hit singles of his career. The title
   was suggested by Troup's first wife, Cynthia, who accompanied him on
   the trip. The song later became a hit for Chuck Berry, and has been
   recorded by many subsequent artists, including The Rolling Stones,
   Depeche Mode, John Mayer and Disney Channel's The Cheetah Girls.

   The highway also gave its name to a popular television show, Route 66,
   seen from 1960 through 1964 on CBS. The show featured Martin Milner and
   George Maharis as Tod and Buz, two young men in a Corvette looking for
   adventure along America's highways. Maharis was later replaced by Glenn
   Corbett, who played a returning Viet Nam vet named Linc. Strangely,
   though the entire program was filmed on location, it was rarely shot
   along Route 66. Since then, the Corvette has become the car most
   associated with Route 66. The theme song from the TV series, long a
   staple of General Motors advertising for the Corvette, was written and
   played by Nelson Riddle and his band.

   Another famous GM product has a strong connection to Route 66: The
   Cadillac Ranch, located near Amarillo, Texas, features a row of ten
   vintage Cadillacs standing up at an angle, with their front ends buried
   into the ground.

   An NBA Development League basketball team, the Tulsa 66ers, was named
   after the route. The road also lent its name to a minor league baseball
   team, the Inland Empire 66ers.

   In "Graham Canyon," an early episode of the cartoon series Rugrats, the
   Pickles family take a road trip on Route 66.

   The Country western song Is Anybody Going To San Antone (recorded by
   Doug Sahm and Charley Pride, among others) includes the line: "Here I
   am walking up Sixty-Six/Wishing she hadn't done me that way."

   Currently, K-Mart's line of jeans also bears the name of the former
   highway, branded as "Route 66".

   On the Disney's film A Goofy Movie. Goofy and Max are going on vacation
   using Route 66.

   In the Stargate SG-1 episode "1969", the SG-1 team drives a hippie bus
   along much of the route traversed by the highway, with prop U.S. Route
   shield signs posted at the side of the road.

   The highway was referred to as "the fabled Route 66" in Stacy Peralta's
   Dogtown and Z-Boys.

   The Disney/ Pixar movie Cars is set mainly in the fictional town of
   Radiator Springs, located on Route 66 and bypassed by I-40. Radiator
   Springs was based largely on Amboy, California, an actual Route 66 town
   that saw a rapid decline when I-40 opened in the early 1970s. The film
   was originally titled Route 66, but had its name changed to avoid
   confusion with the 1960s-vintage TV show. It opened June 9, 2006.
   Several familiar sites associated with Route 66 appear in the film,
   including a visual homage to the Cadillac Ranch, the U-Drop Inn in
   Shamrock, Texas and the Wigwam motels in Holbrook, Arizona and on the
   border of San Bernardino and Rialto in California.

   In the manga Shaman King, after Yoh Asakura and his group land in
   America, they are unsure if they are actually there until Tao Ren
   points out they are after he spots the sign for Route 66.

   The U2 song "Heartland" from their album Rattle and Hum, references
   Route 66 with the lines, "66 a highway speaks, of deserts dry, of cool
   green valleys, gold and silver veins, all the shining cities."

Nicknames

   Over the years, U.S. Route 66 received many nicknames:
    1. The Great Diagonal Way—Right after Route 66 was commissioned, it
       received this nickname because a large section of the highway
       (Chicago to Oklahoma City) ran diagonally, unlike the other
       highways.
    2. The Main Street of America—Advertised as such by the US Highway 66
       Association to promote the highway. The title had also been claimed
       by supporters of U.S. Route 40, but the Route 66 group was more
       successful.
    3. The Mother Road—Called this by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of
       Wrath, the title continued to be applied to the highway.
    4. The Will Rogers Highway— "officially" named this by the US Highway
       66 Association in 1952. A plaque dedicating the highway to the
       humorist is still located opposite the western terminus of Route 66
       in Santa Monica, California. There were more plaques like this; one
       can be found in Galena, Kansas. It was originally located on the
       Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial
       Park in 2001.

Bannered routes

   The Annual Route 66 Fun Run in Seligman, Arizona.
   Enlarge
   The Annual Route 66 Fun Run in Seligman, Arizona.
   Cars in a "66" formation in Litchfield, Illinois. (©2003 City of
   Litchfield, courtesy of byways.org)
   Enlarge
   Cars in a "66" formation in Litchfield, Illinois. (©2003 City of
   Litchfield, courtesy of byways.org)

   Several alternate alignments of US 66 occurred because of traffic
   issues. Business routes (BUS), bypass routes (BYP), alternate routes
   (ALT), and "optional routes" (OPT) (an early designation for alternate
   routes) came into being.
     * U.S. Route 66 Alternate: Bolingbrook, IL– Gardner, IL
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Towanda, IL– Bloomington, IL
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Lincoln, IL
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Springfield, IL
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Mitchell, IL– East St. Louis, IL
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: St. Louis, MO– Sunset Hills, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Optional: Venice, IL– St. Louis, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Bypass: Mitchell, IL– Sunset Hills, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Springfield, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Bypass: Springfield, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Alternate Business: Springfield, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Alternate: Carthage, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Carterville, MO– Webb City
     * U.S. Route 66 Alternate: Webb City, MO– Joplin, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Joplin, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Bypass: Joplin, MO
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Tulsa, OK
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Oklahoma City, OK
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Clinton, OK
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: Amarillo, TX
     * U.S. Route 66 Business: San Bernardino, CA
     * U.S. Route 66 Alternate: Pasadena, CA–Los Angeles, CA

Related U.S. routes

   Daughters of U.S. Route 66:
     * U.S. Route 166
     * U.S. Route 266
     * U.S. Route 366
     * U.S. Route 466
     * U.S. Route 566
     * U.S. Route 666, renamed to U.S. Route 491 in 2003

Related state routes

     * Illinois Route 53
     * Illinois Route 4
     * Illinois Route 203
     * Route 100 (Missouri)
     * Route 366 (Missouri)
     * Route 266 (Missouri)
     * Route 96 (Missouri)
     * Route 66 (Missouri)
     * K-66 (Kansas)
     * State Highway 66 (Oklahoma)
     * State Road 333 (New Mexico)
     * State Route 66 (Arizona)
     * State Route 66 (California)
     * State Route 110 (California)
     * State Route 2 (California)

Related Interstate highways

     * Interstate 55
     * Interstate 44
     * Interstate 40
     * Interstate 15
     * Interstate 215
     * Interstate 10

Annual events

     * Route 66 on the Air
     * Route 66 Rendezvous

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
