100 years of Route 66: Take the ultimate driving trip on America’s ‘Mother Road’ | Euronews

## Summary
By&nbsp Michael Starling &nbsp&&nbsp AP Published on 09/04/2026 - 7:00 GMT+2 Share Comments Share Facebook Twitter Flipboard Send Reddit Linkedin Messenger Telegram VK Bluesky Threads Whatsapp With its glowing neon signs, retro diners and restored motels, Route 66 continues to attract travellers wanting to experience one of the world’s most iconic road trips. Route 66 in the United States – the legendary highway stretching around 3,940 kilometres from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California – is turning 100 this year, marking a milestone for what remains one of the world’s most iconic road trips. Robert Route 66 Neon Park, which features orphaned neon signs that once beckoned travellers to stop at certain sites and businesses along the highway. Robert, Missouri: Route 66 Neon Park showcasing restored vintage signs Galena, Kansas: Kan-O-Tex Service Station; inspiration for Pixar’s "Cars" Brush Creek, Kansas: Historic Rainbow Bridge on the National Register Luther, Oklahoma: Threatt Filling Station; historic Black-owned stop Sapulpa, Oklahoma: Tee Pee Drive-In Theater offering a 1950s throwback Amarillo, Texas: Cadillac Ranch public art installation Adrian, Texas: Midpoint of Route 66; home to the Midway Cafe Albuquerque, New Mexico: Longest intact urban stretch of the route Winslow, Arizona: Music heritage linked to the Eagles song “Take It Easy” Oatman, Arizona: Wild West town on an original Route 66 alignment Amboy, California: Roy’s Motel & Café; classic roadside landmark Mojave Desert, California: Scenic, undeveloped stretch of highway Santa Monica, California: End point at Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Read more Travel News Road trips for gig trips: New app can curate music travel itineraries Travel News Mont-Blanc Tunnel re-opens after 15 weeks: But will it close again?

## Article Content
By&nbsp
Michael Starling
&nbsp&&nbsp
AP
Published on
09/04/2026 - 7:00 GMT+2
Share
Comments
Share
Facebook
Twitter
Flipboard
Send
Reddit
Linkedin
Messenger
Telegram
VK
Bluesky
Threads
Whatsapp
With its glowing neon signs, retro diners and restored motels, Route 66 continues to attract travellers wanting to experience one of the world’s most iconic road trips.
Route 66 in the United States – the legendary highway stretching around 3,940 kilometres from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California – is turning 100 this year, marking a milestone for what remains one of the world’s most iconic road trips.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Often dubbed the “Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck, the route has evolved from a lifeline for Dust Bowl migrants in the 1930s into the quintessential American drive.
While faster highways now connect the country’s major cities, Route 66 continues to draw travellers with its glowing neon signs, retro diners and restored motels.
Each stop along the route offers a window into the communities that shaped the route – and the enduring allure of a slower, more nostalgic way to travel.
Illinois
Chicago has long been one of the country’s economic engines, with access to international waters and
railroads
that linked all corners of the country. In the 1920s, Oklahoma businessman Cyrus Avery, known as the “Father of Route 66”, knew it wouldn’t be long before automobiles would dominate the transportation landscape, and the Windy City would be the perfect place to start the journey he envisioned.
A member of the federal highway board appointed to map the US highway system, Avery opted to go with the number 66. He knew those double digits were ripe for marketing and could be seared into the minds of motorists.
For some travellers, the journey is fuelled more by the food than the scenery, and there’s plenty to choose from – slices of homemade pie, thick shakes, cheeseburgers and an assortment of fried delights.
The Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, the Illinois capital, is one of the many diners that sprang up along Route 66, and its breaded hot dogs on a stick have stood the test of time. Third-generation owner Josh Waldmire says the recipe is a secret.
Waldmire’s grandfather, Ed, saw the concoction’s potential as fast and convenient road food and developed a system for frying the dogs vertically.
The Cozy Dog Drive In diner in Springfield, Illinois
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Missouri
Route 66 has its share of twists and turns, and it’s no surprise that a highway famous for its quirky roadside attractions would cross the nation’s most famous river on one of the more peculiar bridges known to modern engineering.
As the road nears St. Louis, the 1.6 kilometre-long Chain of Rocks Bridge hovers more than 18 metres above the Mississippi River.
Engineers eventually built a straighter, higher-speed option, and a poor resale market spared the original bridge from the scrap heap. Today it’s reserved for pedestrians and cyclists.
A median in Missouri is home to St. Robert Route 66 Neon Park, which features orphaned neon signs that once beckoned travellers to stop at certain sites and businesses along the highway. Often handcrafted, they weren’t only markers for motels, cafes and gas stations, but were also folk art and symbols of local culture.
Kansas
The Sunflower State hosts only a short stretch of Route 66, but it packs a punch with the Kan-O-Tex Service Station in Galena. A classic example of roadside fare, the station served as inspiration for the animated 2006 Pixar film “Cars”.
Director John Lasseter and his crew took
road trips
along the route, digging into history and looking for elements that could bring the project to life. It was in Galena where they spotted the old boom truck that served as the basis for the character Tow Mater. The plot wasn’t far off, as so many once bustling towns – like the fictional Radiator Springs – nearly faded away after being bypassed by an interstate.
Kansas also is home to the Brush Creek Bridge, otherwise known as the Rainbow Bridge. It’s on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of few remaining examples of the concrete arched bridges designed by James Barney Marsh.
A truck at Kan-O-Tex Service Station in Galena, Kansas, inspired the character Tow Mater in Pixar film Cars
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Oklahoma
There was a real danger for some who travelled the road, particularly Black motorists passing through inhospitable and segregated areas during the Jim Crow era. The Green Book – a guide first published in 1936 by Victor Hugo Green – listed hotels, restaurants and gas stations that would serve Black customers.
The Threatt Filling Station near Luther wasn’t listed in The Green Book, but it was a safe haven – not only for getting fuel, but for barbecue and baseball. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was the only known Black-owned and operated gas station along R

---

## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- California Once a desert oasis, Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy is a quintessential Route 66 landmark.
- Robert, Missouri: Route 66 Neon Park showcasing restored vintage signs Galena, Kansas: Kan-O-Tex Service Station; inspiration for Pixar’s "Cars" Brush Creek, Kansas: Historic Rainbow Bridge on the National Register Luther, Oklahoma: Threatt Filling Station; historic Black-owned stop Sapulpa, Oklahoma: Tee Pee Drive-In Theater offering a 1950s throwback Amarillo, Texas: Cadillac Ranch public art installation Adrian, Texas: Midpoint of Route 66; home to the Midway Cafe Albuquerque, New Mexico: Longest intact urban stretch of the route Winslow, Arizona: Music heritage linked to the Eagles song “Take It Easy” Oatman, Arizona: Wild West town on an original Route 66 alignment Amboy, California: Roy’s Motel & Café; classic roadside landmark Mojave Desert, California: Scenic, undeveloped stretch of highway Santa Monica, California: End point at Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Read more Travel News Road trips for gig trips: New app can curate music travel itineraries Travel News Mont-Blanc Tunnel re-opens after 15 weeks: But will it close again?

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- He knew those double digits were ripe for marketing and could be seared into the minds of motorists.
- Director John Lasseter and his crew took road trips along the route, digging into history and looking for elements that could bring the project to life.
- Texas Blink and you might miss it, but a stop at the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo is a must for any Route 66 journey.
- Robert, Missouri: Route 66 Neon Park showcasing restored vintage signs Galena, Kansas: Kan-O-Tex Service Station; inspiration for Pixar’s "Cars" Brush Creek, Kansas: Historic Rainbow Bridge on the National Register Luther, Oklahoma: Threatt Filling Station; historic Black-owned stop Sapulpa, Oklahoma: Tee Pee Drive-In Theater offering a 1950s throwback Amarillo, Texas: Cadillac Ranch public art installation Adrian, Texas: Midpoint of Route 66; home to the Midway Cafe Albuquerque, New Mexico: Longest intact urban stretch of the route Winslow, Arizona: Music heritage linked to the Eagles song “Take It Easy” Oatman, Arizona: Wild West town on an original Route 66 alignment Amboy, California: Roy’s Motel & Café; classic roadside landmark Mojave Desert, California: Scenic, undeveloped stretch of highway Santa Monica, California: End point at Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean Go to accessibility shortcuts Share Comments Read more Travel News Road trips for gig trips: New app can curate music travel itineraries Travel News Mont-Blanc Tunnel re-opens after 15 weeks: But will it close again?

### Expert Commentary
This article covers route, road, highway topics. Notable strengths include discussion of route. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 1942.