California State Route 66

What is California State Route 66?

This is a working road, not a monument. Caltrans owns the state-controlled parts, and for most of its length it is Foothill Boulevard, a long commercial avenue at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. In San Bernardino it becomes Fifth Street before meeting Interstate 215.

History of California State Route 66

The state route number dates from 1974, after the federal highway designation was on its way out. Over time, sections inside Upland, Claremont, Fontana and Rancho Cucamonga were handed over to those cities. Some maps and signs still show the route as one continuous line, but officially those city stretches no longer count as state highway.

Visiting California State Route 66: tips

Simply driving Foothill Boulevard is the way to experience it. Expect traffic lights, shopping centers and suburban traffic rather than open highway, and treat it as the old road's final approach to the coast.

Good stops within a couple of miles include the Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology, about 1.7 miles away, the Ygnacio Palomares Adobe, about 2 miles away, and the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum, about 2.2 miles away.