95% of US 66 in CA can still be driven!
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Alive and kickn'. Driveable Route 66 in CA
An evolving highway
Route 66's oldest alignment in California followed the National Old Trails highway (or N.O.T. for short). This was created in the 1910s when the use of the automobile had grown considerably and better roads were needed. The N.O.T. association was formed to promote and build a road linking Los Angeles with New York.
In California, this road was aligned close to the AT & Santa Fe railroad tracks from San Bernardino, across Cajon Pass, through Victorville, along the Mojave River valley to Barstow, and from there, across mountains and the Mojave Desert to Needles, and the Arizona state line on the Colorado River.
The state of Californa intervened in 1915 and parts of the N.O.T. became state highways. With the creation of the U.S. Highway system in 1926 (This year, 2026, marks the Route 66 Centennial Celebrations 1926-2026) federal funds were assigned to creagte and maintain a national intersate highway system.
The alignments of U.S. highways were paved, and in the process they were realigned as they were straightened out and shortened. Grades were modified, bridges, , viaducts and underpasses were added, curves made wider, roadways were widened, and better shoulders built.
Some segments of the older alignments were eliminated. The abandoned roadway survives in many areas, with shrubs growing in the creacked paving.
Driveable segment of Route 66
Route 66 has had many alignments, but in this article we will consider the classic alignment that existed after World War II. The gaps in this alignment are detailed in the following section, and shown in our custom, interactive maps.
Gaps in the Classic Route 66 Alignment in California
These are the segments that can't be driven. A link to the map showing their position, and their length in miles is detailed below, from East to West, starting at the Colorado River near Topock, Arizona.
The parts where I-40 runs on top of the original roadway is considered as "driveable", even if the roadway is not the original one (i.e. Some parts of Cajon Pass).
Detail 1930 US 66 map
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See the full map
- 0.25 mi. Near Pirate Cove, cut by I-40
- 0.25 mi. Downtown Needles, cut by I-40
- 0.19 mi. Exit 141, Needles, cut by I-40
- 0.91 mi. W. Park Rd., Needles, eliminated
- 3.76 mi. Exit 133 & Railroad, eliminated
- 0.56 mi. Exit 115, cut by I-40
- 0.56 mi. Gap at Ludlow, cut by I-40
- 1.96 mi. Gap at Argos, cut by I-40 and eliminated
- 1.14 mi. Gap at Lavic, cut by I-40
- 2.16 mi. Nebo Marine Base & I-40 Exit 2, off limits, and cut by I-40
- 0.51 mi. Exit 1, Barstow, cut by I-40
- 0.19 mi. Eastern approach to Cajon Pass, partially eliminated (eastern and western tips)
- 0.73 mi. Cajon Pass (east), eliminated and cut by I-40
- 1.00 mi. Cajon Pass, Baldy Mesa, eliminated and cut by I-40
- 0.25 mi. West of Crowder Canyon, cut by I-40
- 0.76 mi. Jct. I-15 and I-215 at Devore Heights, cut by interchange
How Much of Route 66 can be driven in California?
The parts that can't be driven add up to: 15.18 miles.
Our registered distance from Topock to Santa Monica is 333 miles. The California Historic Route 66 Association clocks it at 315 miles.
Assuming a length of approx. 320 miles, the numbers show that 4.74% of Route 66's alignment can't be driven, and that 95.26% is still driveable.
Over 95% of the original Route 66 is still Driveable in California
Detailed Description of Route 66 in California
The complete itinerary of U.S. Hwy. 66 from its starting point in Topock on the Colorado River across the Mojave desert, St. Andreas Fault, Cajon Pass and into Los Angeles, to reach the Pacific Ocean, the "End of the Road" in Santa Monica. We divided it into the following legs:
The head of "Chicken boy". Los Angeles, CA. Source
- Topock to Barstow - Map of this segment
- Barstow to Pasadena - Map of this segment
- Pasadena to Santa Monica - Map of this segment
It includes the Historic Arroyo Seco Parkway segment used by Route 66 from 1940 to 1964.
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