Kansas & Route 66
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About Kansas
Facts, Trivia and useful information
Area: 82,277 sq. mi. (213,096 km2). Population: 2,943,767 (2024).
Width: 417 mi. (645 km). Length 211 mi. (340 km)
Time zone (along U.S. 66 alignment): Central (CST): UTC minus 6 hours. Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5).
- Nickname: "The Sunflower State" which is the official one and also "The Wheat State".
- Motto: "Ad astra per aspera" (Latin for: "Through hardship to the stars")
- Capital: Topeka
- Highest point: Mount Sunflower 4,041 ft. (1.232 m)
- 34th most populous state in America.
- 15th largest state in the U.S.
- Admitted as the 34th state of the Union on January 29, 1861
- Route 66 length in Kansas is 13 miles (21km), the shortest of the whole Route 66.
Name: Kansas
The name of the local Kansa Native Americans was applied to the land they lived on. Its meaning is believed to be "people of the wind" or "people of the south wind", but it is uncertain.
Kansas History
Paleo-Indians peopled the region about 10,000 years ago. Their descendants were hunter gatherers that lived on the plains.
Spanish explorer Francisco de Coronado crossed the region in 1541. It was part of the French Louisiana and purchased by the US in 1803. Southwestern Kansas belonged to Spain and was incorporated to the union after the Mexican-American War in 1848.
It was formed into a Territory in 1854 and admitted as a slave-free state into the Union in 1861.
Geography of Kansas
Most of Kansas is flat, forming part of the Great Central Plain of the U.S., with an average elevation of 2,000 ft. (610 m)
Kansas is located on a geologically stable region and there are no volcanoes in the state. Earthquake risk is low.
Kansas' Climate
It western part has a semiarid steppe climate, its eastern region has a Humid Continental climate with hot damp summers and cold winters. The southeast, where US 66 cuts across the state, has a humid subtropical climate with very hot summers and winters which alternate between warm and very cold.
The lack of mountains allows the cold Arctic winds and the hot and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico to cross the state.
Rainfall in SE Kansas is highest averaging 47 inches (1,200 mm) per year. Snowfall is around 5 inches (130 mm) in that area.
The intrusion of hot and cold air makes it prone to thunderstorms which spawn tornadoes. Kansas is part of Tornado Alley, and experiences an average of 50 tornados yearly.
Average High and Low Temperatures in summer range between 92 and 60°F (33 to 16°C), and in winter from 40 to 20 °F (4 to -7°C).
Cities in Kansas and along its Route 66 segment
Wichita is the largest city in Kansas with almost 395,500 inhabitants (2024). Kansas City has a pop.: 151,800.
Baxter Springs with 3,813 inhabitants is the most populated town in KS along Route 66 (Galena has 2,750) both in 2024.
Around 13,000 people live along Route 66's corridor through Kansas.
Where to Stay in Kansas: Lodging
Accommodation in Kansas
The towns along Route 66 offer different lodging options. Check out hotels and motels in the main towns.
Nearby, close to Route 66
- 7 miles. Joplin Missouri.
- 25 miles. Motels and Hotels in Miami Oklahoma .
- 19 miles. Columbus Kansas.
> > Book your Hotel in Kansas
>> Check out RV and Motorhome Parks & Campgrounds in Kansas
Map of Route 66 through Kansas
Route 66 itinerary across Kansas
Old 1926 map showing Route 66 in Kansas
Bureau of Public Roads (November 11, 1926).
Below is the description of the course of U.S. 66 through SE Kansas, from East to West, starting at its eastern side between Galena and Joplin MO, and ending on the state line with OK south of Baxter Springs. Find a detailed description with modern and old maps. This is the shortest leg in the whole of our Route 66 itineraries:
Historic U.S. highway 66, "Route 66" has been designated as an All-American Road and National Scenic Byway in the state of Kansas.
It was aligned in 1926 along pre-existing highways, as you can see in the following map published in 1924, two years before Route 66 was created. The road marked (2) is Jefferson Highway, and (50) is Ozark Trails.
Towns located on Route 66
Below are links to oue pages on each city along Route 66 in Kansas. Click to find out about their attractions, sights, stops, weather, history, maps, and where to stay along the way.
Kansas towns, from East to West
Click on the links above for full information on each town and village
Accommodation Search box:
Route 66 FFA steel shield sculpture, made from hubcaps. Riverton KS
A List of Kansas' Main Route 66 Attractions
Kansas and its Top Ten Route 66 sights
- Kan-O-Tex (Galena)
- Tag Flag and Texaco (Galena)
- Galena Historic District (Galena) Historic Site
- Litch Historical and Mining Museum (Galena)
- Williams Store - Eisler Brothers Old Riverton Store (Riverton) Historic Site
The oldest continuously operating store on Route 66 - Independent Oil & Gas (Baxter Springs) Historic Site
- Historic Rainbow Bridge (Riverton) Historic Site
- Fort Baxter site (Baxter Springs) Civil War battleground
- The shortest alignment of Route 66 (13 miles in Kansas)
- Cafe on Route 66 (Baxter Springs)
Route 66 itinerary across the state of Kansas
Below is a detailed description of the alignment of U.S. 66 through Kansas, from East to West. For each town we give details of Route 66's alignment through it. You can also click above on a town and read more about the course of US 66 in that specific community.
Kansas
California ¦ Arizona ¦ New Mexico ¦ Texas ¦ Oklahoma ¦ Kansas ¦ Missouri Illinois
Route 66 in Kansas
The shortest segment of US 66 in any state.
Current mileage: 13 mi.
Route 66 crosses the southeastern corner of Kansas, the shortest segment of the whole Route 66: 13 miles. Below is a description of the towns, landmarks and attractions along the road.
From Joplin in Missouri, we described the alignment up to the KS-MO state line following W. Old 66 Blvd., at the State Line (mile zero), it changes its name to Front St.
Galena
Follow it to Main St., and reach Galena (1.3 mi); take a left. At 7th St, (KS 66) take a right. Stop at the Kansas Route 66 Historic District-East Galena, a Historic Place.
The road runs to the west, crosses Spring River and entering Riverton (5 mi).
Riverton
Visit the Williams' Store, a Historical Place.
At the west of the town, the alignments split at U.S. 400 - Alt US 69: the later one follows U.S. 400 - Alt US 69), but the 1926 road keeps on west. Follow it to the Historic Bridge, over Brush Creek (7.5 mi): the Rainbow Curve Bridge is the last Marsh Arch Bridge of all Route 66, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
After the bridge, the road curves south towards Baxter Springs.
Baxter Springs
The Ritz neon sign, Baxter Spgs. KS. Source
The highway enters the town (10 mi) and curves left to meet again with Alt US 69. Take a right. The road passes through the central part of the town and there are several old gas stations along it. Visit the Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas, a listed Historic Place.
The road leaves town, curving around a Walmart (the 1926 alignment went behind it, along Roberts Rd. on the east and W 30th St. on the south). Keep straight until you reach the Oklahoma state line (13 mi).
This marks the End of your trip through Kansas.
US 66 keeps on southbound, along Alternate US 69 towards Quapaw in Oklahoma.
Spook Lights, the legend
The Tri-state corner area, where Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma meet is the site of a mysterious phenomenon known under various names: "spook lights", "ghost lights", "Indian lights" and "Hornet lights" (after the town of Hornet, Mo.).
> > Click to read about the Spook Lights on Route 66
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>> Book your Hotel in Kansas
Credits
Banner image: Hackberry General Store, Hackberry, Arizona by Perla Eichenblat.