U.S. Route 66 was established on Nov. 11, 1926, when state and federal officials adopted the first national system of numbered highways. A century later, the best way to see it is still one stop at a time: a courthouse square, a diner booth, a museum of neon signs, a shop owner who knows which alignment ran past the door.
Our series follows the old highway west in seven parts, each with six towns on or beside an alignment. Every stop gets the same treatment: why it’s worth the exit, the shops, diners and museums on Main Street, a note for families, parking and timing, and any dated events the town has posted. We publish one part at a time, so parts still being reported are marked Coming soon.
Joliet to Litchfield
Part 1: Illinois
- Joliet, IL
- Wilmington, IL
- Pontiac, IL
- Atlanta, IL
- Springfield, IL
- Litchfield, IL
Cuba to Baxter Springs
Part 2: Missouri & Kansas
- Cuba, MO
- Rolla, MO
- Lebanon, MO
- Carthage, MO
- Galena, KS
- Baxter Springs, KS
Miami to Chandler
Part 3: Eastern Oklahoma
- Miami, OK
- Vinita, OK
- Claremore, OK
- Sapulpa, OK
- Stroud, OK
- Chandler, OK
El Reno to Amarillo
Part 4: Western Oklahoma & the Texas Panhandle
- El Reno, OK
- Clinton, OK
- Elk City, OK
- Shamrock, TX
- McLean, TX
- Amarillo, TX
Tucumcari to Gallup
Part 5: New Mexico
- Tucumcari, NM
- Santa Rosa, NM
- Moriarty, NM
- Albuquerque, NM
- Grants, NM
- Gallup, NM
Holbrook to Oatman
Part 6: Arizona
- Holbrook, AZ
- Winslow, AZ
- Williams, AZ
- Seligman, AZ
- Kingman, AZ
- Oatman, AZ
Needles to Santa Monica
Part 7: California
- Needles, CA
- Barstow, CA
- Victorville, CA
- Monrovia, CA
- Pasadena, CA
- Santa Monica, CA
How we pick the towns
Each downtown sits on or right beside a Route 66 alignment and has a walkable main street with independent places to eat and shop. We mix the famous stops with small towns that are easy to drive past, keep the order west from Chicago, and never repeat a town. Facts come from each business’s and town’s own website, and we only list an event once its organizer has posted a date.
Run a Main Street program, shop or diner on the route? Tell us about your downtown through the form below.
The ShopDowntown app
Take Main Street with you
Every new story lands on your phone the day it’s published, with a short note so you never miss one.
- Save picks and stories for your next trip
- Downtowns, shops and events near you on a map
- Event nights straight to your calendar
Scan with your phoneApple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
The Daily Downtown Digest
Get each new Route 66 part in your inbox
New downtown finds, events and deals, two or three times a week, with day trips close to home.
- New downtowns on the map
- Merchants worth the drive
- Events this weekend
- Main Street deals
- A story of the day
- Day trips near you
For downtowns & shop owners
On Route 66? Get your downtown in the series.
Main Street programs, shops, diners and museums along the old highway: tell us what travelers should not miss. Our editors pick stops for each part.
Tell us about your downtown or shop
Downtown teams and owners get the Digest every morning. We read every note and our editors choose each issue; featured placement for shops is a simple monthly plan.