Route 66 Road Maps Display

Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926, when the U.S. introduced the numbered highway system. Known as the “Mother Road,” it spans eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California, and is an enduring symbol of American travel. The evolving identity of the road can be seen through maps produced by oil companies and state agencies. These maps served as the main navigation tools for decades. The Route 66 Road Maps exhibit, presented by the Road Map Collectors Association (RMCA), commemorates Route 66’s story with dozens of maps from the 1920s to the 1970s, and features Route 66 Remap, a digital resource by the National Trust for Historic Preservation that shares the region’s history through StoryMaps.