California

Route 66 itinerary across California

Detailed description of the alignment of U.S. 66 through California, from East to West:

Route 66 in California

Current mileage: 333 mi.

Route 66 crosses California from the Colorado River to the Pacific coast, from Needles to Santa Monica through the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles.

Full description of Route 66 across California from Santa Monica to Needles with its sights, attractions and landmarks. "Get your kicks" in sunny California.

Kelso Dunes in Mohave Preserve California, "Mike" Michael L. Baird

We will start in the middle of the bridge on I-40, over the Colorado River, (mile zero), at the Arizona state line.

The original Route 66 Bridge is the steel arch bridge just south of I-40. It is a Historic Bridge, and it appears in the movie "Grapes of Wrath".

You are entering the driest part of the trip, the Mojave Desert region, which was the toughest on both drivers and vehicles in the old-days. Keep on I-40, which turns north, towards Needles.

Leave I-40 at Exit 148, (6 mi.) turn west and then north along Five Mile Road, and then north along U.S. 95, pass under I-40 (at Exit 144) and enter Needles.

Needles

Amboy Crater, Amboy, California.

Visit the Historic El Garces and its Classic Motels. Go through the town (13 miles) and follow Broadway St. (US 66), follow it, and take a left at Needles Highway, pass under I-40 and keep north, the road (River Road) crosses I-40 again (Exit 141 - 16 mi.), follow the fork to the left along the National Trails Highway and return to I-40 at Exit 139 (18 miles).

Goffs

At Exit 133, (24 mi.) go north along U.S. 95 towards Goffs, then (30 miles) take a left along Highway 66. The road goes by Goffs (45 mi.) and curves to the Southwest.

Route 66 reaches I-40 at Fenner by Exit 107 (55 mi.). Keep South as the road goes on to meet the National Trails Highway with the post-1931 alignment south of I-40, heading with a Southwest course into Essex (visit the Wayside Cafe).

Back to the itinerary (remember the road closures mentioned above): After Essex comes Danby and then Chambless (see the old Store, Cabins and Store there), finally reaching Amboy (94 miles) after crossing the desert with mountains to the north and south.

Amboy

See the vintage Roy's Motel and Café. The dark cinder cone of Amboy Crater is to the south of Route 66 next to the small town. The road skirts its lava field and turns Northwest passing by the ghost towns of Bagdad The driest spot in the USA and Siberia and reaching I-40 at Exit 50 at Ludlow (122 miles).

Ludlow

At Ludlow, pass under the Interstate and take a left along the north frontage road (National Trails Highway) towards the west.

Route 66 crosses to the south side of I-40, then crosses the railroad, and keeps westwards along the south side of I-40. West of the access to Exit 23 it passes by Bagdad Cafe, and reaches Newberry Springs, where it crosses I-40 at Exit 18 (154 mi.).

Follow the road along the north side of I-40 passing through Dagget (166 miles). When you reach Nebo St. you must take a left to return to I-40 (168 mi.) because although US 66 keep on straight, it enters a Marine Base.

Access I-40 via Exit 5 and just after the Base exit again (Exit 2 - 171 miles), pass under I-40 and take East Main St. towards the West, along the south side of I-40, entering Barstow (173 mi.).

Barstow

At Exit 1, follow Main St. to the north of I-40, cross I-15 and keep west. Visit the Harvey House Railroad Depot, a Historic Place with its two Museums.

The Torches Motel, Barstow, California. Highsmith, Carol M

The road arches round Barstow, crosses CA hwy 58 and takes a Southwesterly course.

Route 66 (National Trails Highway) will pass through small towns of Lenwood (179 miles), Hodge, Helendale (197 mi.), with its Polly Gas sign and Oro Grande (site of the Iron Hog biker stop) (205 miles).

It becomes North D St. and passes under I-15 at Exit 153, entering Victorville (210 mi.).

Victorville

Take a right onto Seventh St. southwards and at Exit 150 join I-15 southwards.

I-15 and the old alignment of Route 66 take a sharp curve towards the south through San Bernardino National Forest. You can take Exit 129 (234 miles) and follow Cajon Boulevard, on the west side of I-15. At Exit 124, Kenwood Ave. enter I-15 and keep to the left, along I-215 towards San Bernardino. After the interchange of I-15 with I-215 keep right and exit again, onto Cajon Blvd. (242 mi.) which will take you into San Bernardino.

San Bernardino

The Post-1930s alignment followed Kendall St. and then south along North E. St. until W. 5th St. where it turned west again.

Landmarks

It was on N. E St. where McDonald's opened their first Hamburger store. Don't miss the Wigwam Village #7, a Historic Site and one of the two surviving Wigwam hotels along U.S. 66.

Cajon Blvd. turns into Mount Vernon Ave. take it south until W. 5th St. and take a right (252 miles) . At Lytle Wash Creek it becomes Foothill Blvd. (CA 66).

The road goes through Rialto, Fontana (259 mi.) and Rancho Cucamonga (268 miles) with a westerly direction.

It keeps on west through a chain of towns: Upland, Claremont (275 mi.) , and then takes a NW course at La Verne, crossing CA 210 and going through San Dimas and Glendora (284 miles).

After Azusa it becomes Huntington Dr. through Irwindale, Duarte and Monrovia (with its historical Aztec Hotel), crosses I-210 (Exit 33 - 294 mi.) and keeps on westwards through Arcadia ( there is another town with the same name in Oklahoma) until it becomes Colorado Blvd., on the south of Sierra Madre, through Lamanda Park and into Pasadena (302 mi.).

Aerial view of Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica. Highsmith, Carol M

Pasadena

There are several sites in Pasadena that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places: Foothill Boulevard Milestone, Howard Motor Company Building, Colorado Street Bridge, Bekins Storage Co. and the Rialto Theatre (which is in South Pasadena on an older alignment of Route 66); there are several US 66 alignments from Pasadena into Los Angeles: the original 1926 one that ended in downtown Los Angeles, later 1930-40s variants through Northeast Los Angeles, and the late 1940s ⁄ 50s road which we describe below:

Route 66 into Los Angeles

See all the Route 66 alignments in L.A.

In downtown Pasadena turn left onto Arroyo Parkway southwards which becomes CA 110 and in South Pasadena turns west as Arroyo Seco Parkway (which is a Historical Place). It passes on the north side of Montecito Heights, and right in front of the Dodger Stadium and take Exit onto US 101 N, (right - 311 miles), this is the Hollywood Freeway.

At Exit 7, leave US 101 towards Santa Monica Blvd. (315 miles) and take a left along Santa Monica Blvd. (CA 2) Here you will meet the 1930s and 40s alignment again.

Hollywood

The Boulevard takes you through the heart of Hollywood and West Hollywood famous for its Sunset Strip, and then it takes a southwesterly direction through Beverly Hills and passes under I-405 (325 mi.).

Santa Monica

It heads towards the sea, through Santa Monica. Where it used to end, on Lincoln and Olympic Blvd. in the 30's and 40's.

But don't turn left on Lincoln Blvd. Keep straight ahead to its western terminus, on Ocean Avenue, 0.3 miles north of the Santa Monica Pier. End of Route 66. (333 miles).

There is plaque at Ocean Ave. and Santa Monica Blvd. that dedicates US 66 as the Will Rogers Highway.