100 years of Route 66 (1926)

US Route 66 or simply Route 66 It was a historic highway (US Highway) in the United States with a length of 3940 km. The route was opened in 1926, and many Americans used it to migrate west, including during the Dust Bowl. Route 66 captured the imagination, became a symbol of postwar optimism, and played an important role in American culture. Other names for Route 66 include Will Rogers Highway, Main Street of America, and The Mother Road. The US Postal Service is issuing a beautiful edition featuring photos of the highlights of Route 66 on May 5, 2026.

Route 66

US Route 66 or simply Route 66 Route 66 was a historic highway (US Highway) in the United States with a length of 3940 km. The route was opened in 1926, and many Americans used it to migrate west, including during the Dust Bowl. Route 66 captured the imagination, became a symbol of postwar optimism, and played an important role in American culture. Other names for Route 66 include Will Rogers Highway, Main Street of America, and The Mother Road. The route ran from Chicago to Santa Monica near Los Angeles and crossed eight states. In 1985, the route was officially decommissioned because it was no longer relevant, as the Interstate Highway System had taken over long-distance traffic. The majority of the route can still be driven and is well to reasonably well signposted. The route of Route 66 has changed several times over the years.

History

Even before numbered roads existed in the United States, there were precursors called auto trails. These were often laid out by private individuals. A well-known example was the National Old Trails Road from New York via St. Louis to San Francisco. Only a few sections of this route would become part of Route 66.

Other trails that collectively more or less follow the future US66 were:

• Lone Star Route: from Chicago to southern Louisiana. This was followed to St. Louis.
• Old Spanish Trail: from San Bernardino (CA) to Needles (CA)
• Ozark Trail: from St. Louis, this route was followed to the east of New Mexico.
• To shorten the route, the Postal Highway from Oklahoma City to Amarillo was followed, after which the Ozark Trail was followed again.

From eastern New Mexico, the rest of the route ran via the National Old Trails Road to Los Angeles.

There was much wrangling over the road's number. For instance, it was initially to be called Route 60 and later Route 62. Two reasons can be given for this: firstly, routes running from east to west were numbered chronologically in even numbers from north to south. Since this route runs more diagonally, the number could be debated. A second reason was that number 60 was a desirable number. Ultimately, it was decided in Springfield, Missouri, on April 30, 1926, that the route would be numbered 66. A year later, the US Highway 66 Association was founded to lobby for the complete paving of the route. In 1938, it became the first US Route to be fully paved.

Many Americans would use the route to migrate west for work, for example due to the Great Depression of the 1930s and the Dust Bowl, major sandstorms on the Great Plains in the central United States. As car ownership increased, the route was increasingly used by tourists to traverse the country. This increasing traffic led to growing activity along the route, with gas stations, motels, restaurants, and even new villages. With the arrival of highways, the route fell into decline, and many of these businesses closed down. Some villages were even completely abandoned. However, Route 66 continues to capture the imagination and has partly become a tourist attraction.

Route 66

The route starts in Chicago and ends 3940 km further on the Pacific Ocean beach in Santa Monica near Los Angeles. It crosses the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. It traverses various landscapes and the Petrified Forest National Park. Cities visited along the way include Saint Louis (where the Mississippi is crossed), Oklahoma City, Amarillo, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and San Bernardino. In Arizona, the route passes through the Sitgreaves Pass. Because this part of the route was dangerous, travelers often hired local drivers to drive them through it. There have been various changes to the route, including around the city of St. Louis, to properly route traffic around the city.

What’s on the Route 66 Forever stamps?

The set of eight Route 66 Forever stamps features snapshots by photographer David J. Schwartz, who has made more than 40 trips along the iconic route over the past 22 years. These stops are captured the photos:

1. Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon Missouri, with a blue 1957 Chevy Bel Air parked in front of the sign (taken in March 2016, during motel’s 70th anniversary)
2. The Original Brick Road in Auburn, Illinois, with a 1929 Ford Model A. cruising along the road (taken in May 2019)
3. Oil Capital Motel sign in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during sunrise (taken in June 2022)
4. Grants Café sign in Grants, New Mexico (taken in August 2012)
5. Conoco Tower Station in Shamrock, Texas, as a storm was rolling in (taken in May 2020)
6. Kan-O-Tex gas pump at Cars on the Route in Galena, Kansas (taken in August 2011)
7. Motel sign in Yucca, Arizona (taken in August 2018)
8. Beverly Hills City Hall in Beverly Hills, California (taken in February 2023)

Eight different photographs, featured twice on the stamp pane, show a site from each state that Route 66 runs through. The selvage features a photograph of Route 66 stretching into the distance in Arizona, capturing the sense of possibility the open road inspires. Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and stamp pane using existing photographs by David J. Schwartz.