History of Route 66 Timeline

John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939) portrays westward migration along US 66 during the Dust Bowl, referring to it as the "Mother Road", a phrase that became closely associated with the highway. Many migrants, often called "Okies", traveled along the highway during this era.

Image source: The Grapes of Wrath

The highway was popularized in music by Bobby Troup's 1946 song "(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66", first recorded by Nat King Cole, which became a standard later performed by numerous artists across many genres.

Image source: (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66

The television series Route 66 (1960–1964) lent its name to the highway's mystique, following two young men traveling across the United States in a Corvette.

Image source: Route 66 (TV series)

The Disney and Pixar animated film Cars (2006) portrayed a fictional town bypassed by an Interstate Highway, reflecting the decline experienced by communities along Route 66 and bringing renewed popular attention to the highway.

Image source: Cars (film)

In 2026, the United States Postal Service issued Forever stamps featuring designs from Route 66 to commemorate the route's centennial.

Image source: United States Postal Service

On April 30, 2026, a Google Doodle commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the highway, continuing Route 66's recognition in popular media into the 21st century.

Image source: Google Doodle

In 1953, one of the first major bypasses of US 66 occurred with the opening of the Turner Turnpike between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

Image source: Turner Turnpike

In Arizona, the steep and winding route through the Black Mountains near Oatman was replaced in 1953 by a more direct highway between Kingman and Needles, contributing to the decline or abandonment of communities along the older alignment.

Image source: U.S. Route 66 in Arizona

The beginning of the decline of Route 66 began with the passage of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, which authorized construction of the Interstate Highway System that would progressively replace or reroute sections of US 66 onto new freeways.

Image source: Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956

By the mid-20th century, US 66 faced decline as traffic was progressively diverted to the Interstate Highway System, with sections of the highway replaced or rerouted onto new freeways.

The Will Rogers Turnpike opened in 1957, following the Turner Turnpike as one of the early major bypasses diverting traffic from older sections of US 66 in Oklahoma.

Image source: Will Rogers Turnpike

The decline of roadside businesses was accelerated by the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, which restricted roadside advertising along interstate highways, making it more difficult for travelers to locate businesses on older alignments. Along with reassignment of the route onto interstates, this contributed to reduced traffic on older alignments and the decline of many businesses that depended on highway travelers.

The organization that had advocated for businesses and communities along the route since 1927 continued its work until it disbanded in November 1979, as the highway's official demise approached.

After being largely replaced by Interstate highways, the route was gradually decommissioned, and in 1985 the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials officially removed US 66 from the United States Highway System.

The first Route 66 associations were established in Arizona in 1987 and in Missouri and Illinois shortly thereafter, promoting the preservation and commemoration of the historic highway.

In 1990, Missouri declared its portion of the highway a state historic route, a model later followed by other states seeking to preserve their segments of Route 66.

Preservation efforts expanded at the national level when President Bill Clinton signed the National Route 66 Preservation Act in 1999, which provided federal support for preserving and restoring historic features along the route.

In 2008, the World Monuments Fund included Route 66 on its World Monuments Watch, citing threats to historic roadside architecture from development and neglect.

In 2018, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials designated the first sections of former US 66 as a historic route, formalizing recognition of the highway's heritage value.