U.S. Route 66 in Arizona

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 66 in Arizona. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 66.
U.S. Route 66 marker
U.S. Route 66
Will Rogers Highway
Map
1940 alignment of US 66 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ASHD
Length385.20 mi[1][2] (619.92 km)
Mileage reflects US 66 as it was in 1940.
ExistedNovember 11, 1926 (1926-11-11)–June 26, 1985 (1985-06-26)
HistoryWestern end at I-40 in Kingman during final years
Tourist
routes		  Historic Route 66
Major junctions[2][3]
West end US 66 at California state line
Major intersections
East end US 66 at New Mexico state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountiesMohave, Yavapai, Coconino, Navajo, Apache
Highway system
  • Arizona State Highway System
← SR 65→ SR 66

U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was a major United States Numbered Highway in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926, to June 26, 1985. US 66 covered a total of 385.20 miles (619.92 km) through Arizona. The highway ran from west to east, starting in Needles, California, through Kingman and Seligman to the New Mexico state line. Nationally, US 66 ran from Santa Monica, California, to Chicago, Illinois. In its height of popularity, US 66 was one of the most popular highways in the state of Arizona, sometimes carrying over one million cars a year.

In the early years, US 66 had to compete with other major U.S. Highways for construction and improvement funding. The highway also played an important role during the Dust Bowl as a means for refugees (also known as "Okies") to escape the ruined farmlands of the Great Plains and migrate to California. The experiences of these refugees traveling through Arizona were largely detailed in John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and the 1940 movie adaption that followed. During the mid-20th century, the highway became a tourist destination, spawning the existence of several new motels, restaurants and other road-side businesses and attractions.

With the introduction of Interstate 40 (I-40), US 66 began declining considerably, with some of the towns along the highway becoming ghost towns. Following the completion of I-40, US 66 was completely decommissioned by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) in 1984, then retired nationwide the following year. Significant portions of the old highway remain, such as State Route 66 (SR 66) between Kingman and the Yavapai–Coconino county line east of Peach Springs. Since 1987, other sections have been designated as Historic Route 66, which is both an Arizona Historic Road and a National Scenic Byway.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference ASHD1939 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Rand McNally & Co.; State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau (1940). "Road Map of Arizona and New Mexico" (Map). State Farm Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. 1:1,964,000. Bloomington, Illinois: State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau. pp. 20–21. §§ D1–C6. OCLC 34743885. Retrieved August 22, 2019 – via David Rumsey Map Collection.
  3. ^ Multimodal Planning Division (2015). "State Highway System (ArcGIS)". Arizona Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2018.