The Route 66 centennial celebration is currently under way in Springfield in Missouri through Sunday, May 3, 2026, and activities and events have been planned for the historic iconic highway that epitomized the classic American road trip.
Route 66 Centennial Celebration is Under Way
United States Highway 66 was one of the original highways in what is known as the United States Numbered Highway System, which was formed on Thursday, November 11, 1926 — the same date that Route 66 became official.
Prior to United States Highway 66 being officially decommissioned on Wednesday, June 26, 1985, the highway stretched between downtown Chicago in Illinois and Santa Monica northwest of Los Angeles in California.
Members of the House of Representatives of the United States officially enacted the Route 66 Centennial Commission Act on Wednesday, December 23, 2020, which established an official body that is responsible for studying and recommending activities that are fitting and proper to honor Route 66 on its one hundredth anniversary in 2026.
“Route 66 has become a symbol of the heritage of travel and the legacy of seeking a better life shared by the people of the United States, and because Route 66 has been enshrined in the popular culture of the United States”, according to Public Law No: 116-256 of the 116th Congress, which “stipulates that the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission includes 15 members appointed by the President, based upon recommendations from the Secretary of Transportation, the Governors of the eight Route 66 states, and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate and House.”
You can become an official member of the following Centennial Birthday Party Clubs for Route 66:
- Exploring 66 Centennial Birthday Party Club at no cost
- Cruisin’ 66 Centennial Birthday Party Club for an annual membership fee of $66.00
- Mother Road Centennial Birthday Party Club for an annual membership fee of $166.00
Activities and events are being planned for the remainder of 2026.
Final Boarding Call
Many songs and stories of lore were created from this special highway throughout the decades.
I never completely understood the reasons why United States Highway Route 66 was officially decommissioned. Numerous other United States Highways still exist despite the growth of the network of the Interstate Highway System.
Why not just recommission the highway for current and future generations? That would be the best way to celebrate the centennial of Route 66, in my opinion…
All photographs ©2017, ©2020, and ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
