Route 66: driving from Chicago to Santa Monica

Stage routesUnited States

Route 66: driving from Chicago to Santa Monica

3,940 km, eight states and 17 days of neon motels, deserts and back roads.

By car · Stage by stage · 3,940 km · 9 stages · 2 min read

What Route 66 is like

The Mother Road runs from Chicago to Santa Monica pier across eight states: the plains of Illinois and Missouri, Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle at Amarillo, the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona, and the Mojave before Los Angeles. It is no longer on official maps, so you drive between historic stretches and the interstate.

You drive little and stop a lot: the neon signs, diners and fifties motels are the trip.

Key facts

TypeBy car
Distance3,940 km
Start and finishChicago → Santa Mónica
Length17 days
When to goMay, June and September. July and August top 40 °C in the Mojave; winter brings snow in New Mexico and Arizona.
Pick your stages

From where to where?

The whole route is 9 stages. Pick where you start and finish: always in a stage town.

Usual: 17 days.

KEAGO MAP
ⓘ© MapTiler · © OpenStreetMap contributors

17 days, 3,939.8 km and 0 m of climbing: about 231.8 km a day and 16 nights on the way.

  1. Chicago → Springfield (Illinois)≈ 240 kmEat: Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield
  2. Springfield (Illinois) → St. Louis≈ 240 km
  3. St. Louis → Cuba (Missouri)≈ 153 kmEat: Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba
  4. Cuba (Missouri) → Joplin≈ 307 km
  5. Joplin → Oklahoma City340 km · 0 m D+Eat: Rock Café in Stroud
  6. Oklahoma City → Elk City≈ 210 kmEat: Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan in Amarillo
  7. Elk City → Amarillo≈ 210 km
  8. Amarillo → Tucumcari≈ 153 kmEat: Midpoint Café in Adrian
  9. Tucumcari → Albuquerque≈ 307 km
  10. Albuquerque → Gallup≈ 265 kmEat: El Rancho in Gallup
  11. Gallup → Holbrook≈ 265 km
  12. Holbrook → Flagstaff≈ 160 kmEat: Meteor Crater
  13. Flagstaff → Tusayan (Grand Canyon)≈ 160 km
  14. Tusayan (Grand Canyon) → Seligman≈ 160 km
  15. Seligman → Kingman≈ 240 kmEat: The Oatman burros
  16. Kingman → Barstow≈ 240 km
  17. Barstow → Santa Mónica290 km · 0 m D+Eat: The 'End of the Trail' sign on the pier

Create your account and build Chicago to Santa Mónica in 17 days.

It is free and takes a minute.

  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
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How to plan it

In 17 days it is about 230 km a day with room for the Grand Canyon, where a night inside the park is worth it. Ten days only covers the big landmarks; twenty-four lets you stop in every town.

September is the best window: the Mojave can be crossed by day and motels get cheaper. Pick the car up in Chicago and drop it in Los Angeles with a one-way fee, and historic motels like the Wigwam or the Blue Swallow have very few rooms.

Stages

  1. Chicago → St. Louis480 km · 2 days (days 1 to 2)Sleep: Springfield (Illinois), St. Louis · Eat: Cozy Dog Drive In in Springfield, Ted Drewes in St. Louis
  2. St. Louis → Joplin460 km · 2 days (days 3 to 4)Sleep: Cuba (Missouri), Springfield (Missouri) · Eat: Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba, Gay Parita filling station
  3. Joplin → Oklahoma City340 kmSleep: Oklahoma City (Bricktown) · Eat: Rock Café in Stroud, Pops in Arcadia
  4. Oklahoma City → Amarillo420 km · 2 days (days 6 to 7)Sleep: Elk City, Amarillo · Eat: Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan in Amarillo
  5. Amarillo → Albuquerque460 km · 2 days (days 8 to 9)Sleep: Tucumcari, Santa Fe or Albuquerque · Eat: Midpoint Café in Adrian, Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari
  6. Albuquerque → Holbrook530 km · 2 days (days 10 to 11)Sleep: Gallup, Holbrook (Wigwam Motel) · Eat: El Rancho in Gallup, Petrified Forest on the way
  7. Holbrook → Seligman480 km · 3 days (days 12 to 14)Sleep: Flagstaff, Tusayan (Grand Canyon), Seligman · Eat: Meteor Crater, Mather Point at sunset, Delgadillo's in Seligman
  8. Seligman → Barstow480 km · 2 days (days 15 to 16)Sleep: Kingman, Barstow · Eat: The Oatman burros, Roy's Motel in Amboy
  9. Barstow → Santa Mónica290 kmSleep: Santa Monica · Eat: The 'End of the Trail' sign on the pier

Multi-day sections as guidebooks give them. Approximate distance and climbing: every GPX varies a little.

Frequently asked questions

How long is Route 66: driving from Chicago to Santa Monica?3,940 km in total.
How many days does it take?17 days end to end.
Where do people usually sleep?The usual overnight points are Springfield (Illinois), St. Louis, Cuba (Missouri), Springfield (Missouri), Oklahoma City (Bricktown), Elk City, Amarillo. The stage table lists them section by section.
Where does Route 66: driving from Chicago to Santa Monica start and end?It starts in Chicago and ends in Santa Mónica. You can start or finish at any stage end.
When is the best time to go?May, June and September. July and August top 40 °C in the Mojave; winter brings snow in New Mexico and Arizona.

In Keago this route becomes a plan: one card per stage with time and duration, the daily track, each night's accommodation with link and location, the meals, and both travel tickets where the whole group can see them. Everyone confirms and you know who is missing.

Create your account and keep building your Route 66: driving from Chicago to Santa Monica plan.

It is free and takes a minute.

  • Save the plan and pick up where you left off
  • Carry it on your phone, map and times included
  • Send it to your group with one link
  • Download the itinerary and the calendar
Create my accountI already have an account