As the 100th anniversary of Route 66 approaches in 2026, join us as we spotlight the stops and people who live along America’s highway.

"I want to see America the way it used to be," said transportation reporter Jerry Carnes of his road trip along Route 66, from Chicago to Santa Monica, California.

Santa Monica Beach, Santa Monica Image Credit: Shutterstock. Another historic beach, this one sits below the iconic Santa Monica Pier at the end of the old Route 66.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Our Route 66 road trip began at the end, at the famed fishing pier jutting out into the Pacific Ocean. On a breezy Sunday afternoon, the first day of June, a steady stream ...

Everyone knows Route 66—but few know where it really ends. We trace four conflicting “final” stops from downtown LA to the Santa Monica Pier and uncover why this iconic highway's ending is ...

They continue sporadically, with elements such as the Route 66 State Park Visitor Center just outside St Louis, Missouri, and the iconic signpost at the end of the trail at Santa Monica pier.

Visitors pose for pictures at the Santa Monica Pier, where Route 66 ends, on June 1, 2025. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune) Stop No. 1: The end of the road at Santa Monica pier ...

Once the end point of Route 66, Barney’s Beanery is on Santa Monica Boulevard. Credit: Julie Ansiau “Remember, 100 years ago, the people who were coming to California were getting away from ...

Started in 1926, Route 66 would eventually offer more than 2,400 miles of paved road from Michigan Avenue in Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in California. It acquired a hallowed place in popular ...

“People think the Santa Monica Pier is the end point, but it’s really Mel’s Diner” about a half-mile inland, Madeira said. “In our very first year, we had a guy drive the whole way with us.

Even after nearly a century, Route 66 still turns a cross-country drive into something unforgettable. America’s most famous highway still knows how to deliver a great story and a fantastic photo op.