Route 66 · 14 days

Route 66

Self-drive route · free to read, day by day

days
14
km
4,001
stops
42
drive / day
3h 2m

Drive the Mother Road from Chicago to Santa Monica past neon motels, roadside giants, red-rock canyons, a desert tramway, pueblo ruins, burro-filled Oatman and classic diners. The trip ends on the Pacific shore at Venice Beach.

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Curated by Lance · drove it, filmed it

updated Oct 2026

Highlights

one per day

The route

Tap a day or a town

You sleep in Chicago · Springfield · St. Louis · Devil's Elbow · Tulsa · Oklahoma City · Amarillo · Tucumcari · Albuquerque · Holbrook · Flagstaff · Hackberry · Amboy — start in Chicago, end in Los Angeles.

What the in-car version adds

  • Tap-to-navigate, every stop

    Opens Google Maps or Apple Maps, in order.

  • Works with no signal

    Download the PDF once: every day, stop and drive time.

  • Your own trip to change

    Shorten it, swap stops or ask AI to adjust it.

  • Cost estimate

    Fuel, rental car and stays for this route.

  • What to book, and when

    Tours, ferries and stays that sell out.

Day by day

all free to read
DAY01

Lou Mitchell's → Chicago

3 km · 20m driving · overnight in Chicago

  1. 1Lou Mitchell's
  2. 2⭐ Cloud Gate
  3. 3Chicago Riverwalk
DAY02

Gemini Giant → Cozy Dog Drive In

350 km · 3h 42m driving · overnight in Springfield

  1. 1⭐ Gemini Giant
  2. 2Funks Grove
  3. 3Cozy Dog Drive In
DAY03

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge → The Hill

172 km · 1h 52m driving · overnight in St. Louis

  1. 1Old Chain of Rocks Bridge
  2. 2⭐ Gateway Arch
  3. 3The Hill
DAY04

Meramec Caverns → Devil's Elbow

214 km · 2h 14m driving · overnight in Devil's Elbow

  1. 1⭐ Meramec Caverns
  2. 2St. James Winery
  3. 3Devil's Elbow Bridge
DAY05

Red Oak II → Mother Road Market

482 km · 5h 4m driving · overnight in Tulsa

  1. 1Red Oak II
  2. 2⭐ Blue Whale of Catoosa
  3. 3Mother Road Market
DAY06

Rock Café → Bricktown

198 km · 2h 4m driving · overnight in Oklahoma City

  1. 1Rock Café
  2. 2⭐ Pops 66
  3. 3Bricktown
DAY07

Pony Bridge → Big Texan Steak Ranch

515 km · 5h 26m driving · overnight in Amarillo

  1. 1Pony Bridge
  2. 2⭐ Cadillac Ranch
  3. 3Big Texan Steak Ranch
DAY08

Palo Duro Canyon → Blue Swallow Motel

257 km · 2h 42m driving · overnight in Tucumcari

  1. 1⭐ Palo Duro Canyon
  2. 2MidPoint Café
  3. 3Blue Swallow Motel
DAY09

Blue Hole → Old Town Albuquerque

333 km · 3h 30m driving · overnight in Albuquerque

  1. 1Blue Hole
  2. 2⭐ Sandia Peak Tramway
  3. 3Old Town Albuquerque
DAY10

El Morro National Monument → Joe & Aggie's Cafe

387 km · 4h 4m driving · overnight in Holbrook

  1. 1El Morro National Monument
  2. 2⭐ Painted Desert
  3. 3Joe & Aggie's Cafe
DAY11

Meteor Crater → Lowell Observatory

170 km · 1h 48m driving · overnight in Flagstaff

  1. 1⭐ Meteor Crater
  2. 2Walnut Canyon
  3. 3Lowell Observatory
DAY12

Mather Point → Hackberry

346 km · 3h 38m driving · overnight in Hackberry

  1. 1⭐ Mather Point
  2. 2Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In
  3. 3Hackberry General Store
DAY13

Sitgreaves Pass → Roy's Motel and Cafe

247 km · 2h 44m driving · overnight in Amboy

  1. 1⭐ Sitgreaves Pass
  2. 2Oatman
  3. 3Roy's Motel and Cafe
DAY14

Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch → Venice Beach

327 km · 3h 26m driving · end of trip

  1. 1Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
  2. 2Grand Central Market
  3. 3⭐ Venice Beach

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Included

  • Tap-to-navigate for all 42 stops
  • Offline PDF for no-signal stretches
  • Unlimited AI edits for 30 days: days, stops, pace
  • Cost estimate: fuel, car and stays

Not included

  • Rental car
  • Accommodation
  • Fuel
  • Entry tickets and paid activities

Heads up

  • Day 5: 5h 4m driving — plan rest stops
  • Day 7: 5h 26m driving — plan rest stops
  • The Oatman Highway over Sitgreaves Pass is narrow with tight hairpins and no guardrails; drive it in daylight and watch for burros on the road.
  • El Morro National Monument's Inscription Rock and mesa-top trails have set hours; arrive early to finish before closing and the drive to Holbrook.
  • Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest charge park entry fees; Mojave stretches have few services, so fuel up and carry water.
  • Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, Sandia Peak Tramway and Lowell Observatory have limited hours; verify schedules and local road conditions before each day.

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