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Enjoy the Ride
Home
Illinois 66
Missouri 66
Kansas 66
Oklahoma 66
Texas 66
New Mexico 66
Arizona 66
California 66
Our Route 66 History
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  • Home
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  • Texas 66
  • New Mexico 66
  • Arizona 66
  • California 66
  • Our Route 66 History
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  • Our Route 66 History

Route 66 California

 

Route 66 California

 

(source National Park Service)

Miles: 345 (approx.)

California. Its name beckons like a golden promise on the horizon.  Route 66 travelers coming from the east were often wayfarers seeking a  fresh start in a new land, and in the early to middle years of the  twentieth century, California was that new land, brimful of promise and  rumors of plenty.

But before travelers could reach the “Land of Milk and Honey”, they  had to traverse a forbidding landscape: the Mojave Desert. Those fleeing  the Dust Bowl of the plains states faced one last test before they  arrived in the Los Angeles basin or in one of the fertile valleys on the  other side of the mountains. For people driving the automobiles of the  1920s and 1930s, this obstacle was daunting. The route between Needles  and Barstow, on the western edge of the Mojave, is one of the hottest  legs of the road anywhere along Route 66’s more than 2,000 mile length.

But Route 66 in the desert portion of Southern California is a  gateway – to such wonders as Disneyland, the Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas,  all of which can be accessed by taking one of the highways that branches  off the old road. It also leads to the high passes of the San Gabriel  mountains, carrying travelers up to Cajon Pass, before dropping into the  verdant Southern California basin.

In the Los Angeles area, the remnants of Route 66 are not a single  road leading to the piers at Santa Monica; instead, Route 66 survives in  fragments that fan out over part of the L.A. region like a delta. As a  thruway, Route 66 has been wholly supplanted by the Freeways that  criss-cross the L.A. basin in a vast arterial pattern.

Preservation

In 1990, the California Historic Route 66 Association was founded to promote the preservation and enjoyment of Route 66. In addition, there are now approximately 16 National Register listings for properties and districts associated with Route 66 in  California. As well, the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor  Preservation Program has supported four cost-share grant projects,  including restoration of two historic signs in Highland Park, and the  Aztec Hotel in Monrovia.


Santa Monica Pier is the end western terminus of Historic Route 66.

Santa Monica Pier is the end western terminus of Historic Route 66.

Route 66 Travel Weather

Last Stop Shop - Santa Monica Pier

The Last Stop Shop on Santa Monica Pier is a well known landmark on Historic California Route 66.

Enjoy the scenery and a view of the Pacific Ocean on your California Route 66 Experience.

Contact info
Santa Monica Pier is a Route 66 photo opportunity as you finish your East to West Route 66 experience.

The final stop on Route 66 California. - The Last Stop Shop on your Route 66 Experience.

Enjoy the scenery of the Pacific Ocean on the Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Bait and Tackle also known as The Last Shop on Route 66 California.

Last Stop Shop

U.S.Department of Transportation

"In 2008, the significance of Route 66 and the importance of preserving it were recognized when the World Monuments Fund listed Route 66 on the Watch List of 100 Most Endangered sites." Route 66 California.

More Facts

Car Culture

Historic Towns

Historic Towns

Retro and Custom car shows are a fun attraction on Historic Route 66 California.

Historic Towns

Historic Towns

Historic Towns

Needles, California is a Route 66 California desert town on the Arizona border.

Retro Motels

Historic Towns

Retro Motels

Wigwam Motel in Rialto, California is a iconic Route 66 California travel stop.

Route 66 Classics Stops

Amboy

Victorville

Barstow

Amboy is a ghost town reminding tourists traveling California Route 66 of what it once used to be. Yet the shade the canopy of the gas station offers a welcome break from the relentless sun for the motorcyclists riding through the desert.

Amboy

Barstow

Victorville

Barstow

The Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum was dedicated on July 4, 2000 in the historic Casa del Desierto, Harvey House, in Barstow, California on California Route 66.

Route 66 Museum

Victorville

Victorville

Victorville

he California Route 66 Museum is an Interactive museum with over 4500 Sq. Ft. of floor space and photo opportunities for the visitors to share memories in such settings as a 50’s diner, our VW Love Bus. 

    

Victorville Route 66

Rialto

Santa Monica

Victorville

Want to know what it’s like to sleep in a Wigwam? Want to add your own story to the grand history of California Route 66? For a classic Route 66 journey, don’t forget to stop on by the unforgettable Wigwam Motel. 

Wigwam Motel

Santa Monica

Santa Monica

Santa Monica

"A sign at the end of the Santa Monica Pier marks the end of the legendary American highway, symbolizing that this road only ended when the sea stood in it's way" Atlas Obscura California Route 66.

Santa Monica

Thanks For Enjoying Route 66

A Trip Filled With Memories

Last Stop Shop

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