In the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
U.S. Route 66U.S. Route 66 was a highway in the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66, US Highway 66, was established on November 11, 1926. However, road signs did not go up until the following year...
is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.
U.S. Route 66 was assigned by the American Association of State Highway Officials in late 1926 and signed in 1928 by the
Automobile Club of Southern CaliforniaThe Automobile Club of Southern California was founded December 13, 1900 in Los Angeles as one of the nation's first motor clubs dedicated to improving roads, proposing traffic laws and improvement of overall driving conditions.-Early years:...
; however historic US 66 shields and even present day US 66 shields remain.
US 66 continued to be signed east of
PasadenaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States; and is a satellite city of Los Angeles. Famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions, including the...
until 1974, when it was removed, and the remaining separate section became State Route 66.
Michael Cutillo helped form the California Historic Route 66 Association, which increased popularity in Route 66.
From San Bernardino to the
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
state line, US 66 followed the old
National Old Trails HighwayNational Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland , to California...
.
In the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
,
U.S. Route 66U.S. Route 66 was a highway in the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66, US Highway 66, was established on November 11, 1926. However, road signs did not go up until the following year...
is a former U.S. highway. All the portions were deleted by 1964 during the 1964 renumbering.
History
U.S. Route 66 was assigned by the American Association of State Highway Officials in late 1926 and signed in 1928 by the
Automobile Club of Southern CaliforniaThe Automobile Club of Southern California was founded December 13, 1900 in Los Angeles as one of the nation's first motor clubs dedicated to improving roads, proposing traffic laws and improvement of overall driving conditions.-Early years:...
; however historic US 66 shields and even present day US 66 shields remain.
US 66 continued to be signed east of
PasadenaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States; and is a satellite city of Los Angeles. Famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions, including the...
until 1974, when it was removed, and the remaining separate section became State Route 66.
Michael Cutillo helped form the California Historic Route 66 Association, which increased popularity in Route 66.
San Bernardino to the Arizona/California state line
From San Bernardino to the
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
state line, US 66 followed the old
National Old Trails HighwayNational Old Trails Road, also known as the Ocean-to-Ocean Highway, was established in 1912, and became part of the National Auto Trail system in the United States. It was long and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland , to California...
. The old highway veers significantly away from I-15 between
VictorvilleVictorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of western San Bernardino County, California, US. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, the city has a total population of 64,029...
and Barstow passing through
Oro GrandeOro Grande is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States. It lies on the city boundary of Victorville and Adelanto. It is at elevation in Victor Valley north of the San Bernardino mountain range. It is located on old Route 66 near...
,
HelendaleHelendale is an unincorporated community located in San Bernardino County, California, on historic Route 66 west of the Mojave Freeway, between Barstow and Victorville, in the Victor Valley. It includes the Helendale resort community of Silver Lakes.-History:...
, and
LenwoodLenwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 3,222 at the 2000 census. It is located West of Barstow.-Geography:Lenwood is located at ....
. Through Barstow, it is Main Street. A Marine Corps base is on top of the original highway and is impassable. From
DaggettDaggett is an unincorporated town located in San Bernardino County, California. The town is located on Interstate 40 ten miles East of Barstow. The town has a population of about 200. The ZIP Code is 92327 and the community is inside area code 760....
, Historic 66 leaves I-40, crossing it three times before winding away through
BagdadBagdad is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States, located east of Barstow along the former U.S. Route 66.The town was founded in 1883 when the railway line between Barstow and Needles was built....
,
AmboyAmboy is a nearly empty ghost town in San Bernardino County, in California's Mojave Desert roughly 60 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms. It was once a major stop along famous Route 66 but has seen much lower visitation since the opening of Interstate 40 to the north in 1973. Amboy is home to the...
,and
EssexEssex is a small unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, California. Essex lies on Old National Trails Highway - part of the old Route 66 - just south of Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.-History:...
.
From Essex, the original alignment followed Goffs Road through
GoffsGoffs, an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Goffs was a stop along famous U.S. Route 66 prior to 1931, when a more direct route between Needles and Amboy was built...
and joining I-40 at the
U.S. Route 95In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 95 traverses through the far eastern edges of both Riverside and San Bernardino counties. US 95 serves Blythe and Needles and junctions with SR 62 at Vidal Junction....
exit. A later alignment is now I-40 from Goffs. The original highway winds around I-40 in the
NeedlesNeedles is a city located on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in Mojave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95. The population was 4,830 at the 2000 census, and was...
area, before crossing the
Colorado RiverThe Colorado River , or the Red River, is a river in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, approximately long, draining a part of the arid regions on the western slope of the Rocky Mountains...
into Arizona.
Route
At the time of the
1964 renumberingIn 1963 and 1964, the California Division of Highways implemented a major renumbering of its state highways. The majority of sign routes — those marked for the public — kept their numbers; the main changes were to the legislative routes, which had their numbers changed to match the sign routes...
, US 66 used the following route (in today's terms):
California was the last state to develop an Association for Route 66
- State Route 2 — Interstate 10
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 10 , is the major east-west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States, runs east from Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific Ocean, through Los Angeles and San Bernardino to the border with Arizona...
to U.S. Route 101 (designated SR 2 in 1964, the same number it had before 1936)
- U.S. Route 101 — State Route 2 to State Route 110
- State Route 110 — U.S. Route 101 to Colorado Boulevard (designated State Route 11 in 1964, moved from Figueroa Street
Figueroa Street is a street in Los Angeles County, California named for General José Figueroa , governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835, who oversaw the secularization of the missions of California...
)
- Colorado Boulevard
Colorado Boulevard is a major east-west street in Southern California, United States. It runs from Griffith Park in Los Angeles east through Glendale, the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles, Pasadena, and Arcadia, ending in Monrovia...
, Colorado Street and Colorado Place — State Route 110 (Arroyo Parkway) to Huntington Drive
- Huntington Drive
Huntington Drive is a major east-west street in Southern California, United States. It runs from the merge of Soto Street and Mission Road near the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Los Angeles east through the El Sereno section of Los Angeles, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Arcadia,...
and Foothill BoulevardFoothill Boulevard is a major road in the city and county of Los Angeles, as well as an arterial road in the city and county of San Bernardino, stretching well over 60 miles in length, with some notable breaks along the route...
— Colorado Place to Alosta Avenue
- Alosta Avenue — Foothill Boulevard to Amelia Avenue
- Foothill Boulevard — Amelia Avenue to State Route 66
through Duarte to the west terminus of State Route 66 in
La VerneLa Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,638 at the 2000 census.- History :The history of this area dates back to the 1830s when Ygnacio Palomares received the Rancho San Jose land grant from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1837. The land...
from 1964 to ca. 1970, when I-210 was completed on new alignment).
- State Route 66 — State Route 210 in La Verne to Interstate 215 in San Bernardino
San Bernardino is a large city located in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. San Bernardino is also the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. San Bernardino's estimated population, as of 2006, is 205,010. As of 2006, it was the 18th largest city...
.
- Interstate 215
Interstate 215 in California is a long north-south Interstate Highway in the "Inland Empire" region of Southern California. Part of I-215 was originally built and signed as Interstate 15E, but this was later changed. California was also eliminating such numberings as Interstate 5W and Interstate 5E...
(part of I-15 in 1964) — State Route 66 to I-15
- Interstate 15
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 15 is a major north-south route through the San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, and it has a length of in the state. It is a major thoroughfare for traffic between Southern California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and points beyond. The Cronese...
— I-215 to I-40
- Interstate 40
In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 40 has its western terminus in Barstow. Known as the Needles Freeway, a major east-west route of the Interstate Highway System, and it heads east from Barstow across the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County past the Clipper Mountains to Needles, before...
— I-15 to ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
Route 66 Communities in California
The following past and present communties are located along the Route 66 in California.
- Mojave National Preserve
The Mojave National Preserve is located in the Mojave Desert in Southern California, USA. It lies between Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. The preserve was established October 31, 1994 with the passage of the California Desert Protection Act by the US Congress...
- Needles
Needles is a city located on the western banks of the Colorado River in San Bernardino County, California. It is located in Mojave Valley, which straddles the California–Arizona border. The city is accessible via Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 95. The population was 4,830 at the 2000 census, and was...
- Goffs
Goffs, an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, California, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Goffs was a stop along famous U.S. Route 66 prior to 1931, when a more direct route between Needles and Amboy was built...
- Essex
Essex is a small unincorporated town in San Bernardino County, California. Essex lies on Old National Trails Highway - part of the old Route 66 - just south of Interstate 40 in the Mojave Desert.-History:...
& Danby
- Summit
Summit is a small unincorporated community more frequently referred to by locals as the Loma Prieta Community located predominantly in Santa Cruz County, California, in the mountain ranges of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It lies at the summit along Highway 17 from which is gets its name...
& ChamblessChambless is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States, just south of Interstate 40 along the famous U.S. Route 66. Chambless, originally known as Chambless Station, is one of the "alphabet towns" located along Route 66 that provided water towers to...
- Amboy
Amboy is a nearly empty ghost town in San Bernardino County, in California's Mojave Desert roughly 60 miles northeast of Twentynine Palms. It was once a major stop along famous Route 66 but has seen much lower visitation since the opening of Interstate 40 to the north in 1973. Amboy is home to the...
- Bagdad, California
Bagdad is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States, located east of Barstow along the former U.S. Route 66.The town was founded in 1883 when the railway line between Barstow and Needles was built....
& Siberia, CaliforniaSiberia is a disappeared town in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States. It lies along the former U.S. Route 66 between Bagdad and Ludlow, in the ZIP code 92357 and area code 760....
- Ludlow
Ludlow is a small town, with a population of about 10 residents, in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States.The town started as a water stop for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad in 1883. Ore was found in the nearby hills, leading to a boom. By the 1940s, mining had...
- Newberry Springs
Newberry Springs is a unincorporated area which stands within San Bernardino County, California, USA. Precisely situated in Southern California in the western Mojave Desert -- northeast of Barstow, approximately due west of the Mojave National Preserve, and approximately south of Death Valley...
- Daggett
Daggett is an unincorporated town located in San Bernardino County, California. The town is located on Interstate 40 ten miles East of Barstow. The town has a population of about 200. The ZIP Code is 92327 and the community is inside area code 760....
- Barstow
Barstow is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 21,119 at the 2000 census.Barstow is a major regional transportation center. Several major highways including Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 converge in the city. It is the site of a large rail...
- Lenwood
Lenwood is a census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States. The population was 3,222 at the 2000 census. It is located West of Barstow.-Geography:Lenwood is located at ....
- Helendale
Helendale is an unincorporated community located in San Bernardino County, California, on historic Route 66 west of the Mojave Freeway, between Barstow and Victorville, in the Victor Valley. It includes the Helendale resort community of Silver Lakes.-History:...
(Silver Lakes)
- Oro Grande
Oro Grande is an unincorporated community in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, United States. It lies on the city boundary of Victorville and Adelanto. It is at elevation in Victor Valley north of the San Bernardino mountain range. It is located on old Route 66 near...
- Victorville
Victorville is a city located in the Victor Valley of western San Bernardino County, California, US. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 census, the city has a total population of 64,029...
- Cajon Summit
- San Bernardino
San Bernardino is a large city located in the Inland Empire Metropolitan Area of Southern California. San Bernardino is also the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. San Bernardino's estimated population, as of 2006, is 205,010. As of 2006, it was the 18th largest city...
- Rialto
Rialto is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. According to Census Bureau estimates, the city had a total population of 93,284 in 2005...
- Fontana
Fontana is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire region of southern California, the City of Fontana is a fast-growing community known for its varied and colorful history, and for some of its important new local landmarks...
- Rancho Cucamonga
Rancho Cucamonga is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 127,743, but a 2009 estimate by the state of California put the city's population at 177,736 people. In 2006, Money magazine ranked Rancho Cucamonga as the...
- Upland
Upland is a city in San Bernardino County, California with an elevation of . As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,393. It was incorporated on May 15, 1906, after previously being named North Ontario.-History and culture:...
- Claremont
Claremont is a college town in eastern Los Angeles County, California, USA, about 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population as of 2008 is 37,242. Claremont is known for its seven higher-education institutions, its tree-lined streets, and its...
- Pomona
Pomona is the fifth largest city in Los Angeles County, California . As of the 2000 census, the city population was 149,473. In 2005, its population was estimated as 160,815....
- La Verne
La Verne is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 31,638 at the 2000 census.- History :The history of this area dates back to the 1830s when Ygnacio Palomares received the Rancho San Jose land grant from Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1837. The land...
- San Dimas
San Dimas is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2004 census, the city had a total population of 36,200.-History:...
- Glendora
Glendora is a municipality in Los Angeles County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2006, the population of Glendora was estimated at 51,608....
- Azusa
Azusa is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 44,712 at the 2000 census. Though sometimes assumed to be a compaction of the phrase "everything from A to Z in the USA" from an old Jack Benny joke, the place name "Azusa" traces back to at least the eighteenth...
- Irwindale
Irwindale is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 1,446 at the 2000 census.With relatively few residents, Irwindale consists mostly of rock quarries, which are the major revenue source for the city. The Irwindale Speedway is also located in the city, as is...
- Duarte
Duarte is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 21,486.The name of the city is pronounced "dwohr'-dee" by most locals, or often the Spanish pronunciation "doo-ahr'-teh" is used...
- Monrovia
Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,929 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monrovia is located at ....
- Arcadia
Arcadia is a U.S. city in Los Angeles County, California that is located about northeast of downtown Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Valley, at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is the site of the Santa Anita Park racetrack and home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. ...
- Pasadena
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States; and is a satellite city of Los Angeles. Famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions, including the...
- South Pasadena
South Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 24,292.-History:...
- Highland Park
- Los Angeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
- Chinatown
- West Hollywood
West Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County, California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984. The latest residential population estimate was 34,675. The city is well-known for its nightlife, celebrity culture, and diverse atmosphere. The city has large gay, Jewish and eastern European populations...
- Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles. The area's "Platinum Triangle" of wealthy neighborhoods is formed by Beverly Hills and...
- Century City
- Santa Monica
Santa Monica is a city in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and Venice on the...