Route 66 is probably the most famous road in the United States, often called The Mother Road and America’s Main Street. It became a symbol of freedom, adventure, and the great American road trip.

A few fascinating facts:

Route 66 was officially established on 11 November 1926 as one of the original routes in the U.S. highway system.

It ran for about 2,448 miles (3,940 km) from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, crossing eight states.

Dust Bowl

During the Great Depression of the early 1930s and the notorious Dust Bowl killing fields in which 7 million Americans died from hunger-related diseases, thousands of struggling families travelled west along Route 66 in search of work and a better life in California.

Route 66 Character

The road became lined with motels, diners, petrol stations, and quirky roadside attractions that came to define American car culture.

Route 66 entered popular culture through books, songs, television, and films. John Steinbeck popularized the nickname Mother Road in The Grapes of Wrath.

What happened to it?

Beginning in the 1950s, the new Interstate Highway System gradually bypassed Route 66. Traffic moved onto faster motorways, and many towns along the old highway declined.

Route 66 was officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, though many stretches remain preserved as Historic Route 66.

Bucket List Journey

Today, driving the surviving sections of Route 66 is a popular bucket-list journey. Travellers can still see vintage neon signs, classic motels, old diners, and desert landscapes that evoke America of the 1940s and 1950s.

Cars

An interesting side note: the 2006 Pixar film Cars was heavily inspired by the decline of Route 66 towns after the Interstates diverted traffic away from them.

As someone interested in history, you might enjoy Route 66 not just as a road but as a snapshot of twentieth-century America, from the Great Depression and the Second World War to the post-war boom and the rise of the motor car.

AWARD-WINNING WRITER’S GREAT READS

Romance, Travel, and Maritime. Novels, Business Success, Crime, Conflict and Culture.

Click the picture to access.

THANKS FOR SHARING WITH FRIENDS AND SOCIAL MEDIA