Route 66 Map: Historic Locations You Can Still Find

Blazed across the middle of the United States is a path well-known to mid-1900s road trippers. Route 66, or “US 66,” as it was officially known, was a major thoroughfare for getting around the country prior to the modern highway system. It follows from the midwestern hub of Chicago, across the country to southern California. Its history traces back to the 1920s, and it was a popular route during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. In the 1940s a song popularized it, encouraging you to “Get Your Kicks on Route 66.”

View Route 66 Map in a full screen map

You can still travel some of Route 66 and many of its historic attractions are still visitable along the way. Rather than hop in your car, you instead can get your kicks right from the map above, and some highlights pulled out below.

15 Route 66 Motels You Can Check Out (But Maybe Not Check In)

Of the motels on our map of Route 66 landmarks, most of them are no longer in operation. Some are used as private residences, museums, and restaurants. Others are simply closed. But here are five where you can stay the night.

Blue Swallow Motel

Located in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the Blue Swallow Motel still shines its neon on Route 66. For about $80 per night, you can stay in one of its 14 rooms.

Tewa Motor Lodge

Another New Mexico roadside attraction where you can spend the night, one of the 25 rooms at the Tewa Motor Lodge in Albuquerque will run you just $45.

El Rancho Hotel

“Charm of yesterday… convenience of tomorrow” reads the neon of El Rancho in Gallup, New Mexico. With 53 rooms, it is the largest of the remaining hotels on Route 66. And for $110 a night, you can still stay in one of them.

Wigwam Village Motel #6

In Holbrook, Arizona, you’ll find 15 concrete and steel wigwams. Part of Wigwam Village Motel #6, you can stay here for $56 per night

Aztec Hotel

Finally, you’ll find the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia, California, just outside Los Angeles. Located near the end of Route 66, the Aztec has been closed in recent years and now apparently charges by the hour for its 44 rooms.

What Became of Former Motels on Route 66?

There are a couple other motels you can still visit, even if you can’t spend a night.

  • Durlin Hotel in Oatman, Arizona, is now a bar, restaurant, and museum called Oatman Hotel.
  • Painted Desert Inn, located in Arizona’s Petrified Forest, is currently a museum and bookstore.

Still others you can see from the outside:

  • Luna Lodge (Albuquerque, New Mexico) is low income apartments
  • West Winds Motel (Erick, Oklahoma) is a private residence
  • Ranchotel (Amarillo, Texas) was converted to apartments
  • Chelsea Motel (Chelsea, Oklahoma) is now used for storage

Others may be visible, but are not visitable: De Anza Motor Lodge (Albuquerque), El Vado Auto Court Motel (Albuquerque), Red Cedar Inn (Pacific, Missouri), and Vega Motel (Vega, Texas) are all closed.

11 Historic Business Districts on Route 66

While the old Route 66 takes you through many cities, the National Park Service has specifically identified almost a dozen downtown areas. Many are in the historic registry of places.

  • McLean, Texas (population 778)
  • Amarillo, Texas (population 199,582)
  • Glenrio (New Mexico and Texas border)
  • Santa Rosa, New Mexico (population 2,680)
  • Albuquerque, New Mexico (population 559,277)
  • Fort Wingate, New Mexico (area near Gallup)
  • Winslow, Arizona (population 9,754)
  • Flagstaff, Arizona (population 71,459)
  • Seligman, Arizona (population 10,031)
  • Kingman, Arizona (population 29,029)
  • Needles, California (population 4,988)

Find them using the search on the map, or filter by “City” landmark type.

Fill Up Your Tank, Stomach, or Imagination

Gas stations: All along Route 66 you’ll find service stations, both modern and historic. There are 15 highlighted on the map above, including Tulsa’s Vickery Phillips 66 Station, and Sprague’s Super Service in Normal, Illinois.

Restaurants: There are seven historic restaurants on the map, including Rock Cafe in Stroud, Oklahoma.

Theaters: No road trip would be complete, especially in a time without television, without a trip to the theater. From East Springfield, Missouri, to Los Angeles, there are seven historic theaters to see on Route 66.

Find Your Closest Route 66 Site

If you’re in the continental US, you may be closer than you think to Route 66 Americana. The search box in the map can guide your way.

For example, if you live in Kansas City, Missouri, just type that into the search box and press enter. You can also use postal codes or full addresses. For Kansas City, you’ll discover that the closest location is
66 Drive-In, which is located in Carthage, Missouri.

If you only want to find specific landmark types, filter the map first and then search again—your results will include only those currently displayed on the map.

From Spreadsheet to Interactive Map

Whether you have a list of locations along an old highway, or a spreadsheet of customers to visit, BatchGeo can help turn your location data into a visual map that’s easy to use.

Create your map today—it’s as simple as copy and paste.