Route 66 · State 5 of 8

Route 66 in Texas: Map, Towns & Things to See

15 stops
7 categories

Photo: U-Drop Inn · Wikimedia Commons

Plan a trip through Texas

The planner builds a day-by-day plan from the Texas line (east) to the Texas line (west) — about 207 mi.

Towns in Texas (3)

East to west. Tap a town for its guide and stops.

Kinds of stops in Texas

Where to eat: one classic place to eat on or near Route 66 in Texas. See it →

Texas has about 180 miles of Route 66, all of it across the flat, windy Panhandle between Oklahoma and New Mexico. Interstate 40 now covers much of the old line, but the road survives through the small towns and along Sixth Street in Amarillo. The stretch is short on numbers, with 15 stops on our map, and long on famous names: a painted Cadillac row, a leaning water tower and the halfway point of the whole road.

15 of 15 stops on the map

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

What to see on Route 66 in Texas

Shamrock opens with the U-Drop Inn, an Art Deco gas station and cafe with twin towers and neon trim. McLean has the Devils Rope Barbed Wire Museum, and Groom the tilted water tower called the Leaning Tower of Britten. In Amarillo, walk the Sixth Street historic district, then drive west to Cadillac Ranch, where ten old Cadillacs stand nose-down in a field and visitors are welcome to spray-paint them. At Adrian the Midpoint Café marks the halfway point of Route 66, and at the state line Glenrio is a ghost town split between Texas and New Mexico.

By kind, our 15 Texas stops include 5 museums, 3 retro roadside stops, 2 landmarks and roadside art pieces, 2 ghost towns and 1 historic bridge.

The Texas stretch followed the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf railroad, and most of its towns grew up as railroad stops; grain elevators still mark each one from miles away. When the interstate bypassed them, several towns shrank to a few hundred people, which is why so much of the old roadside survives untouched.

Towns, overnight stops and how long to allow

Route 66 towns in Texas, east to west: Shamrock, Amarillo and Adrian. Amarillo has the widest choice of motels for the night; Shamrock and Adrian suit a shorter day.

One day covers Texas, with a night in Amarillo, the only big city on the route. Leave time for Cadillac Ranch late in the day, when the light is low, and fill the tank in Amarillo before the long, empty run to Tucumcari.

Best time to drive Route 66 in Texas

Spring and fall bring mild days on the Panhandle. Summer is hot and dry, and winter can bring sudden snow and ice storms that close I-40 for a day. Wind is a constant here, so hold on to the car door when you open it at Cadillac Ranch.

Museums in Texas (5)

Devils Rope Barbed Wire Museum

McLean, Texas · on Route 66

A McLean museum all about barbed wire, ranching and the Texas stretch of Route 66, set in an old bra factory.

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Texas Air & Space Museum

Amarillo, Texas · 1.3 mi from Route 66

An aviation museum by Amarillo's airport, with civilian and military aircraft and space artifacts.

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Don Harrington Discovery Center

Amarillo, Texas · 0.2 mi from Route 66

Amarillo's hands-on science center, with a full-dome planetarium and a helium monument by the door.

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American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame

Amarillo, Texas · 1.7 mi from Route 66

The Quarter Horse breed's own hall of honor and museum, a short hop off the old road in Amarillo.

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Amarillo Museum of Art

Amarillo, Texas · 1.3 mi from Route 66

A free art museum on the Amarillo College campus, a short drive from the Sixth Street stretch of Route 66.

MuseumPhoto credit

Retro roadside stops in Texas (3)

U-Drop Inn

Shamrock, Texas · on Route 66

Shamrock's Art Deco gas station and cafe, with twin flared towers, glazed tile walls and neon trim.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Ranchotel

Amarillo, Texas · on Route 66

A 1940 motel on Amarillo's old Route 66 that was a favorite with highway travelers.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Midpoint Café

Adrian, Texas · on Route 66

The Adrian, TX, diner that marks the halfway point of Route 66, known for its "ugly crust" pies.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Art & landmarks in Texas (2)

Leaning Tower of Britten

Groom, Texas · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A water tower tilted on purpose beside the highway in Groom, and a favorite of Route 66 photo books.

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Cadillac Ranch

Amarillo, Texas · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Ten old Cadillacs buried nose-first in a row in Amarillo, a 1974 artwork about the rise of the tail fin.

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Ghost towns in Texas (2)

Boise

Boise, Texas · 0.9 mi from Route 66

A quiet Texas ghost town at about 4,000 feet, south of Interstate 40 and east of Glenrio.

Ghost town

Glenrio

Glenrio, Texas · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A Route 66 ghost town split in two by the Texas–New Mexico line, just off I-40 at Texas Exit 0.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Historic bridges in Texas (1)

Route 66 Bridge over the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railroad

Shamrock, Texas · on Route 66

A 1932 steel-and-concrete Route 66 bridge near Shamrock that still carries traffic over an old rail line.

Historic bridgePhoto credit

Nature & parks in Texas (1)

McClellan Creek National Grassland

Amarillo, Texas · 1.9 mi from Route 66

A small national grassland around McClellan Lake in the Texas Panhandle, recovering from a huge 2006 fire.

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Route 66 sites in Texas (1)

U.S. Route 66-Sixth Street Historic District

Amarillo, Texas · on Route 66

Amarillo's preserved stretch of Route 66 along Sixth Street, home of the old Amarillo Natatorium.

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Route 66 in Texas: questions

What town is halfway on Route 66?

Adrian, Texas. The Midpoint Café there marks the halfway point between Chicago and Santa Monica, and a roadside sign marks the spot; the exact mile depends on which of the road's alignments you count.

Did Route 66 go through Amarillo?

Yes. The road ran through the middle of Amarillo along Sixth Street and later Amarillo Boulevard, and the Sixth Street section is now a historic district with shops, cafes and old storefronts. Cadillac Ranch is on the city's western edge, beside I-40.

How many miles of Route 66 are in Texas?

About 180 miles, depending on which of the road's alignments you follow. The whole road, from Chicago to Santa Monica, is about 2,448 miles long.

What towns does Route 66 go through in Texas?

The main stops, east to west, are Shamrock, Amarillo and Adrian. Smaller places on the road include McLean, Alanreed, Groom, Conway and Vega.

Can you still drive Route 66 in Texas?

Mostly, on business loops and frontage roads beside I-40 through Shamrock, McLean, Groom, Amarillo and Adrian. West of Glenrio the old road turns to gravel on its way into New Mexico, so check conditions before you take it.