Route 66, part two: Oklahoma City to the Pacific
The Texas Panhandle, the Painted Desert and the Mojave, ending on the Santa Monica Pier.
- Distance
- 2,547 km (1,582 mi)
- Driving
- 28 h 15 min
- Suggested days
- 8
- Stops
- 17
- States
- OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA
- Updated
- August 9, 2026
At a glance: 8-day road trip of about 2,547 km (1,582 mi) with 17 stops, from Oklahoma City to Santa Monica Pier. About 28 h 15 min of driving in total.
Route description
Leave Oklahoma City westbound on I-40, which replaced most of Route 66 across western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle, though old stretches still run beside it through small towns. At Amarillo, Cadillac Ranch stands in a field just off the interstate: ten Cadillacs buried nose-first and layered with decades of spray paint, so bring a can if you want to add a coat. Back in town, The Big Texan Steak Ranch is the home of the 72-ounce steak challenge.
West of Amarillo, the MidPoint Café in Adrian marks the halfway point, 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Santa Monica. In New Mexico, Tucumcari’s Blue Swallow Motel keeps its 1939 neon glowing, and its rooms book up early in summer. At Santa Rosa, the Blue Hole is an 80-foot-deep artesian pool that stays around 62°F all year, before the road climbs across the high desert to Albuquerque.
In Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park protects fossil logs scattered across the Painted Desert, and it is the only national park that includes a stretch of Route 66. Nearby Holbrook has the Wigwam Motel’s concrete teepees, Meteor Crater has viewing decks on the rim of a mile-wide impact crater west of Winslow, and Standin’ on the Corner Park is in downtown Winslow. From Flagstaff or Williams, a detour north leads to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, open all year, where Hopi Point and Mather Point are the classic sunset spots.
Back on the old road, the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66 runs from Seligman past the Hackberry General Store to Kingman. The climb over Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman is narrow, with tight hairpins and steep drops, and long motorhomes or trailers should take I-40 instead; in Oatman, wild burros wander the boardwalks looking for handouts. Across the Colorado River in California, the Mojave section passes Roy’s Motel & Café in Amboy, but check road conditions first, as stretches of this desert road have been closed for long periods after flood damage.
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch at Oro Grande is a quick roadside stop before the route drops through Cajon Pass into the Los Angeles basin. The final miles through the city are slow, and the drive ends at the Santa Monica Pier, where parking is tight for large vehicles. Summer heat in the Mojave and Arizona desert can be extreme, so carry plenty of water and drive the empty stretches in the morning; spring and fall are the best seasons for the whole trip.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Oklahoma City
OK - 2488 km
Cadillac Ranch
OdditiesAmarillo, TXTen Cadillacs buried nose-first in a wheat field and layered with decades of spray paint. Bring a can and add your own coat.
- 325 km
The Big Texan Steak Ranch
FoodAmarillo, TXHome of the 72-ounce steak challenge, finish it with the sides in an hour and it is free. Most people just watch.
- 4100 km
MidPoint Café
FoodAdrian, TXSits at the halfway mark of Route 66, 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Santa Monica. Known for its "ugly crust" pies.
- 5116 km
Blue Swallow Motel
StaysTucumcari, NMA 1939 motor court with a glowing neon sign and a private garage next to each room. Book early in summer.
- 6108 km
Blue Hole
NatureSanta Rosa, NMAn artesian pool of clear blue water in the high desert, 80 feet deep and about 62°F all year. Scuba divers train here.
- 7217 km
Albuquerque
NM - 8346 km
Petrified Forest National Park
NatureHolbrook, AZFossil logs turned to rainbow quartz lie across the Painted Desert. It is the only national park that protects a stretch of Route 66.
- 939 km
Wigwam Motel
StaysHolbrook, AZFifteen concrete teepee-shaped rooms from 1950, with vintage cars parked out front.
- 1096 km
Meteor Crater
NatureWinslow, AZA near-perfect impact crater almost a mile wide, left by a meteorite roughly 50,000 years ago. There are viewing decks on the rim.
- 1136 km
Standin' on the Corner Park
OdditiesWinslow, AZA small downtown plaza with a bronze statue and a painted mural that honor a famous 1970s rock lyric.
- 12209 km
Grand Canyon National Park – South Rim
NatureGrand Canyon Village, AZA mile deep and up to 18 miles across. The South Rim is open all year. Watch sunset from Hopi Point or Mather Point.
- 13195 km
Hackberry General Store
HistoryHackberry, AZOld gas pumps, rusted trucks and a mountain of road memorabilia on the longest unbroken stretch of Route 66.
- 1485 km
Oatman Burros
OdditiesOatman, AZWild burros, descended from mining-era pack animals, wander the boardwalks of this old gold town looking for handouts.
- 15162 km
Roy's Motel & Café
HistoryAmboy, CAIts Googie sign in the middle of the Mojave has been photographed more than almost any other on the road. Stop for a cold drink.
- 16175 km
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
OdditiesOro Grande, CAA forest of welded-steel "trees" hung with thousands of glass bottles that chime in the desert wind.
- 17151 km
Santa Monica Pier
HistorySanta Monica, CAThe symbolic end of Route 66. There is an amusement park, a century-old carousel and the Pacific at your feet.
