Route 66 turns 100 this year – the part no one talks about is the California part, and it’s breathtaking
One hundred years after a stretch of sand, gravel and wooden planks first connected the American heartland to the Pacific coast, Route 66 is celebrating its 100th anniversary – and the California portion of the Mother Road, which winds through deserts, canyons and ends with an epic beachside finale, is at the center of the national conversation.
From the sun-drenched Mojave terrain of San Bernardino County to the salty air of the Santa Monica Pier, the Golden State’s 310-mile stretch is buzzing with new cultural installations, retro-inspired motels, a brand new visitor center and a calendar of centennial events happening in 2026.
“Route 66 is more than a highway; it is a living symbol of America’s pioneering spirit,” he said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California and chair of the Route 66 Centennial Commission. “From the bustling gateway to Chicago to the epic Pacific sunsets, this legendary road connects people not just across miles, but through generations of shared discoveries. Intrepid travelers should hit the road this year to enjoy the nostalgia, diversity and open-hearted welcome that make Route 66 – and the American road trip – so unforgettable.”
When Route 66 first opened on November 11, 1926, connecting eight states and stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, only about a third of its 2,500 miles were paved. The rest was dirt, gravel or wooden planks.
John Steinbeck later immortalized it as the ‘Mother Road’ The grapes of wrathand Bobby Troup turned it into one of the most enduring road songs in American history. The route was officially decommissioned in the 1980s and never really disappeared – and in 2026 it will be back in the spotlight more than ever.
Where the journey to California begins: San Bernardino and the Inland Empire
The California portion of Route 66 enters the state at Needles on the Arizona border and travels west through the Mojave before reaching San Bernardino, the unofficial gateway to Southern California. The city wears its Route 66 heritage openly.
The iconic Wigwam Motel – a row of concrete tepee-shaped rooms that became one of the highway’s most photographed landmarks – anchors the downtown area next to surviving mid-century motels, diners and gas stations. The Inland Empire 66ers baseball teamNamed after the Mother Road, it will celebrate the Route 66 Centennial at every home game at San Manuel Stadium through the 2026 season, making it one of the most distinctive ways to soak up the atmosphere of the highway while in the region.
The Mojave Middle: Amboy, Newberry Springs and the desert no one stops anymore
Between San Bernardino and Los Angeles lies one of the most cinematic and historically underappreciated stretches of California Route 66. The Mojave stretch – which runs through Needles, Ludlow, Newberry Springs and Amboy – is having its biggest tourism moment in decades.
Roy’s Motel & Cafe in Amboy hosted its first-ever centennial car show on March 7, 2026, featuring classic vehicles, live music, a pin-up contest, outdoor movies and camping under the Mojave sky.
Roy’s – a striking example of mid-century Googie architecture – will be expanded by 2026 with a newly restored motel and café. There is also one on the site 4 meter high mural in honor of Albert Okurathe entrepreneur who bought the entire city of Amboy in 2005 and played a crucial role in revitalizing this stretch of highway
Nearby, Newberry Springs will host its own Route 66 Big Birthday Bash on May 2, 2026, with horseback rides, a beer garden, live music and a car show – a community celebration that will put this Mojave community on the map for the first time in years.
Via Pasadena: A Colorado Boulevard Double Centennial
As Route 66 descends from the Cajon Pass and passes through the San Gabriel Valley, it enters Pasadena along Colorado Boulevard – one of the most historically intact urban stretches of highway in the country. Colorado Boulevard itself will be 150 years old in 2026, marking a double centennial for the corridor. Part of the celebration will include the Route 66 and Colorado Boulevard themes for the city’s annual chalk art festival, held in the Paseo outdoor shopping district, with dates expected in mid-June 2026.
The Route 66 centenary calendar lists even more community events in Pasadena related to the historic year, in addition to a national Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series that takes place the second Tuesday of every month and brings together historians, advocates and authors in a webinar format open to the public.
The Final Miles: Santa Monica Pier and the end of the route
Route 66 doesn’t just end, it arrives. The final blocks of the Mother Road take travelers down Colorado Avenue and straight to Santa Monica Pierwhere the ‘End of the Trail’ sign marks the conclusion of one of the world’s most emotionally resonant rides.
On January 3, 2026, The Drive Home VII: Route 66 – A century of adventure launched from Santa Monica as a huge caravan of vintage vehicles that traveled the entire route of Route 66 to kick off the centennial celebration, ending in Chicago on January 12 before being on display at the Detroit Auto Show.
Later, in June 2026, the Main Street of America Route 66 Centennial Caravan departs from Santa Monica with one representative from all fifty states and members of the international community on a coast-to-coast journey back to Chicago – the most important organized ride along the entire route since the highway’s heyday. Santa Monica also has one Route 66 Centennial Song Contest with a top prize of $10,000inviting musicians around the world to add a new chapter to Mother Road’s musical legacy.
Plan your California Route 66 trip: important dates and what you need to know
While Route 66 officially celebrates its 100th anniversary on November 11, 2026, the national festivities begin on April 30, 2026 – 100 years after the road received its numerical designation – with simultaneous opening ceremonies and community events along the route.
The peak of the celebration in California runs from April through June, with events in San Bernardino, Amboy, Newberry Springs, Pasadena and Santa Monica.
Visit California’s Official Centennial Guide provides a comprehensive, state-specific itinerary with confirmed and scheduled event dates, recommended stops, and EV-friendly route options for modern road trippers. For the complete national calendar of events in all eight states, the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission maintains a continuously updated list of certified programs and community initiatives.
For travelers who want to experience California’s stretch without completing the entire 2,000-mile National Route, the stretch of state alone—from Needles to Santa Monica—offers ghost towns, Googie architecture, desert sunsets, mountain passes, classic car shows, retro motorcycle lodges, and one of the most satisfying arrivals in American road travel: climbing one last hill as the Pacific Ocean fills the windshield. A hundred years later, the Moederweg still manages to make an entrance.
