| cl | | | | Route 66 played a valuable role in the |
| U.S. Route 66, though no longer an official U.S. | | | | development and growth of businesses and |
| highway, remains a coveted symbol of | | | | communities throughout the eight states along its |
| Americaâs history and culture. One of | | | | course. Passing through many small towns, the |
| the first highways in the United States Numbered | | | | route spurred the establishment of numerous |
| Highways system, Route 66 opened to traffic in | | | | family owned businesses such as restaurants and |
| the 1920s, establishing an unprecedented direct | | | | gas stations aimed at capitalizing on the increasing |
| route along an over 2,400 mile stretch between | | | | number of travelers along the highway. Such |
| Chicago Illinois and Los Angeles California. Though | | | | events as the Dust Bowl and World War II |
| the highway was decommissioned in 1985, its | | | | prompted the westerly migration of many |
| spirit lives on through historic designations as well | | | | Americans, increasing traffic on Route 66 and |
| as numerous pop culture references in books, | | | | further contributing to its popularity. The route |
| songs, television shows and movies. In The | | | | also saw increased traffic in later decades due to |
| Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck coined the | | | | vacationers en route to Los Angeles as well as its |
| phrase âThe Mother Roadâ in | | | | accessibility to such attractions as the Grand |
| reference to Route 66, a nickname for the | | | | Canyon and the Painted Desert located near the |
| highway that remains widely recognized today. | | | | highway. |