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Route 66 Original Western Terminus

Route 66 site
In Los Angeles, California
On Route 66

The corner of 7th Street and Broadway in Los Angeles, CA, was the western end of U.S. Route 66 when the highway was created in 1926. In the 1930s the route was pushed west to Santa Monica, so this is the road's first finish line, not its last. A roadside marker on the Broadway sidewalk, outside the 1921 State Theatre, names the spot, inside the city's historic Broadway theater district.

What is Route 66 Original Western Terminus?

This is a downtown street corner, not a park or museum. The marker stands in front of the State Theatre, which opened in 1921 as Loew's State and later served as the downtown first-run house for MGM films. The city lists the theatre as Historic-Cultural Monument No. 522. The corner also lies inside the Broadway Theater and Commercial District, on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979, with twelve movie palaces built between 1910 and 1931.

History of Route 66 Original Western Terminus

Early in the 20th century this was one of the busiest crossings downtown. It was also where the Los Angeles branch of the National Old Trails Road, an earlier named auto road, came to an end, and early US 66 followed that road's route in from Pasadena. In the 1930s the highway's end moved to Olympic and Lincoln boulevards in Santa Monica.

Visiting Route 66 Original Western Terminus: tips

Plan on a short photo stop. Look for the marker on the Broadway side and view the theatre's facade from the sidewalk. Then walk a few blocks of Broadway past more old movie palaces.

Updated October 10, 2026 · Written by Route 66 Trip Guide

Practical info

Address: S Broadway & W 7th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
On site & nearby

Sources: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · official site — may be outdated. Suggest a fix

Where to eat near Route 66 Original Western Terminus

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Philippe's
Los Angeles, CA · 1.4 mi from Route 66 Original Western Terminus
A downtown Los Angeles restaurant running since 1908 that claims to have invented the French dip sandwich.
Diner & restaurant
Pink's Hot Dogs
Los Angeles, CA · 5.8 mi from Route 66 Original Western Terminus
A Los Angeles hot dog stand on North La Brea Avenue, serving since 1939 at the edge of Hollywood.
Diner & restaurant
Musso & Frank Grill
Los Angeles, CA · 6.1 mi from Route 66 Original Western Terminus
Hollywood's oldest restaurant, operating on Hollywood Boulevard since 1919 and named for its two founders.