Route 66 is the most famous highway in the United States, appearing in movies like Disney’s Cars, books like John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, and even in multiple songs under the road’s own name by artists like Chuck Berry, Nat King Cole, and Jack Harlow. Spanning over 2,400 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, Route 66 connects small towns and big cities alike, evolving from a simple transportation corridor to a symbol of connection in American culture. 

The new year marks the 100th anniversary of the route’s establishment, and this monumental birthday celebration offers an opportunity to reflect on a century’s worth of American history shaped along the ‘Mother Road.’ With that being said, here are 10 facts about Route 66 for each of the 10 decades since its establishment.

1. After its establishment in 1926, Route 66 was marketed as the shortest and most scenic route from Chicago to Los Angeles. This enticing label marked Route 66 as the best path through the Midwest, heart of the U.S., to the sunny beaches of the southwest.
2. When electric signs became popularized in the 1930s, Route 66 lit up, turning simple road trip stops into a glowing beacon for road-tripping travelers.
3. In 1947, the first-ever drive-thru restaurant opened. Located on Route 66, in Springfield, Missouri, the Red Giant’s Hamburger catalyzed a revolution in modern fast-food dining.
4. The opening of Disneyland in 1955 marked a significant boost in Route 66’s popularity. Because of its endpoint in Los Angeles, Route 66 became the most famous highway system for vacationers in the 1950s.
5. In 1960, Route 66 had its first appearance in film through a television series creatively labeled Route 66. The show followed Tod Stiles and his best friend Buz Murdock as they traveled Route 66 in their Corvette in search of adventure!
6. As four-lane interstate highways emerged, the traffic and tourism on Route 66 declined. In an effort to bring back the attraction of the route, Cadillac Ranch was established in 1974 in Texas. Here, they featured a row of Cadillacs facing nose down in the ground that tourists could graffiti, creating an interactive art piece along the route.
7. Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials removed the highway system due to its increasing obsolescence as a transport system amidst the rising popularity of four-lane highways.
8. Congress passed the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Act in 1999, providing funding and support for the restoration of landmarks along the route.
9. In 2006, Pixar released the first Cars movie, featuring Route 66 as a prominent backdrop in the film. This feature brought the same sense of adventurous culture that was apparent in Route 66’s golden age to the 21st century.
10. A bicycle route was developed along Route 66 in 2018, giving bicyclists access to the scenic landmarks of the route through a safer path.

Throughout the past century, Route 66 has not only inspired a myriad of American films, books, and songs, but it has also shaped American popular culture itself, catalyzing fundamentally American commodities like drive-thru restaurants, road-tripping, and the excitement of exploration. A symbol of the American impulse for western exploration, Route 66 connects the Midwest to the Southwest, bridging the gap between small towns in the U.S. to world-class cities on the American map. With a hundred years under its belt, the birthday of this iconic American landmark is a tribute to a century of American adventure.