Route 66 road trip: Chicago to Santa Monica
The old Mother Road across eight states, from downtown Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier. Much of it now runs beside the interstates, so plan time for the old alignments.
- Stops
- 16
- Nights
- 11
- Driving
- 2,163 mi
Free, no account needed. Change any stop or night once it’s open.
The route by road
The stops, in order
Chicago, Illinois
1 night
The route starts on Adams Street downtown.
3 h 02 min · 199 mi from Chicago
Springfield, Illinois
1 night
Illinois' capital and Abraham Lincoln's home town.
1 h 33 min · 101 mi from Springfield
St. Louis, Missouri
1 night
The Gateway Arch on the Mississippi.
4 h 17 min · 285 mi from St. Louis
Joplin, Missouri
A stop on the way
Last Missouri town before the short Kansas stretch.
1 h 38 min · 113 mi from Joplin
Tulsa, Oklahoma
1 night
Art deco downtown on the old route.
1 h 32 min · 108 mi from Tulsa
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
1 night
Oklahoma's capital.
3 h 37 min · 258 mi from Oklahoma City
Amarillo, Texas
1 night
Cadillac Ranch, the half-buried cars west of town.
1 h 37 min · 113 mi from Amarillo
Tucumcari, New Mexico
A stop on the way
Neon motel signs from the route's heyday.
2 h 27 min · 177 mi from Tucumcari
Albuquerque, New Mexico
1 night
Old Town and Central Avenue, which is Route 66 through the city.
1 h 55 min · 138 mi from Albuquerque
Gallup, New Mexico
A stop on the way
Trading posts near the Arizona line.
1 h 19 min · 96 mi from Gallup
Holbrook, Arizona
A stop on the way
Close to Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park on Route 66.
1 h 16 min · 90 mi from Holbrook
Flagstaff, Arizona
1 night
Mountain town and a base for the Grand Canyon.
1 h 06 min · 76 mi from Flagstaff
Seligman, Arizona
A stop on the way
Start of the longest unbroken stretch of the old road.
1 h 02 min · 74 mi from Seligman
Kingman, Arizona
1 night
Route 66 museum and the road toward Oatman.
2 h 55 min · 205 mi from Kingman
Barstow, California
1 night
Mojave Desert crossroads.
1 h 58 min · 131 mi from Barstow
Santa Monica, California
1 night
The pier and the end of the trail sign.
Day by day
11 days with the nights above. Drive times are for a car without traffic; a day over six hours is flagged.
- No driving
Day 1: In Chicago
- 3 h 02 min · 199 mi
Day 2: Chicago to Springfield
Night in Springfield
- 1 h 33 min · 101 mi
Day 3: Springfield to St. Louis
Night in St. Louis
- 5 h 55 min · 398 mi
Day 4: St. Louis to Tulsa
Via Joplin
Night in Tulsa
- 1 h 32 min · 108 mi
Day 5: Tulsa to Oklahoma City
Night in Oklahoma City
- 3 h 37 min · 258 mi
Day 6: Oklahoma City to Amarillo
Night in Amarillo
- 4 h 04 min · 290 mi
Day 7: Amarillo to Albuquerque
Via Tucumcari
Night in Albuquerque
- 4 h 30 min · 324 mi
Day 8: Albuquerque to Flagstaff
Via Gallup, Holbrook
Night in Flagstaff
- 2 h 07 min · 150 mi
Day 9: Flagstaff to Kingman
Via Seligman
Night in Kingman
- 2 h 55 min · 205 mi
Day 10: Kingman to Barstow
Night in Barstow
- 1 h 58 min · 131 mi
Day 11: Barstow to Santa Monica
Night in Santa Monica
More road trips like this
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Photo: Historic Route 66 near Amboy, California. “Amboy (California, USA), Hist. Route 66 -- 2012 -- 1” by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. “Grand Canyon Powell Point Evening Light 02 2013” by Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0. “Red Rock State Park, AZ” by Wendy from Pennsylvania, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0. “Bixby Creek Bridge, California, USA - May 2013” by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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