Did Route 66 go through Barstow?

Yes. Route 66 ran through downtown Barstow along Main Street, past the Harvey House depot. Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 now meet at the edge of town, and the old road continues east toward Daggett and Newberry Springs.

What is there to see on Route 66 in Barstow?

We list 11 stops in and around Barstow, mostly museums, parks and nature areas and landmarks and roadside art. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Calico, Liberty Sculpture Park and Barstow Harvey House. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.

How far is Barstow from the next towns on Route 66?

Barstow sits at about mile 2,291 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Oatman, AZ, about 196 miles back. Heading west, Victorville, CA is about 36 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.

Is Barstow a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?

Yes. Our trip planner uses Barstow as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.

Route 66 town guide · California

Route 66 in Barstow, California

Barstow is the crossroads of the Mojave Desert, about 2,291 miles from Chicago, where Route 66 meets the railroad and the road to Las Vegas. After the long empty run from Needles and Amboy it is the first real town in California, and the stops we group here range from downtown Barstow to Yermo, Daggett and the desert mountains around them.

About mile 2,291 of 2,448 from Chicago
11 stops in and around Barstow
Main overnight town

Tap a dot to see that stop here.

Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop (the fork-and-knife markers are places to eat). Open Barstow on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

The main sight is the Barstow Harvey House, a Spanish-style railroad hotel and depot named Casa del Desierto. It houses the Route 66 Mother Road Museum and the Western America Railroad Museum, with big locomotives parked outside. In town, the Mojave River Valley Museum covers local history, and the Desert Discovery Center is a small nature center about the Mojave.

North of town the desert does the talking. Calico, an 1881 silver mining town rebuilt as a county park, has its name spelled out on the hills, and Rainbow Basin is a canyon of colorful, folded rock layers known for its fossils, reached by a dirt loop road. East of Barstow, Yermo has the Liberty Sculpture Park, and near Daggett stood the CACTUS solar plant turned telescope, demolished in 2009.

Practical note: Barstow is a main overnight town on our planner, with plenty of motels and fuel before the empty desert to the east. Summer afternoons are very hot, so visit Calico and Rainbow Basin early in the day and carry water. Victorville is about 35 miles on toward Los Angeles.

Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Barstow

CalicoAn 1881 silver boomtown near Barstow, restored by Walter Knott and now a county park with mine tours.
Liberty Sculpture ParkAn outdoor sculpture park in Yermo honoring victims of communist regimes, with a focus on China.
Barstow Harvey HouseBarstow's 1911 Santa Fe depot and Harvey House, home of the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.
Western America Railroad MuseumRailroad history of the desert Southwest, with big locomotives outside Barstow's Harvey House depot.
Rainbow BasinA National Natural Landmark north of Barstow, with rock formations and fossil beds on a dirt loop road.
Desert Discovery CenterA Barstow desert-life center that shows the Old Woman Meteorite, second largest found in the country.
Newberry MountainsA Mojave range southeast of Barstow that rises just south of Route 66 and Newberry Springs.
Mitchel RangeA small desert range just northeast of Barstow, near the railroad museum.
Waterman HillsLow desert hills on the north edge of Barstow, next door to the Mitchel Range.
Mojave River Valley MuseumA member-supported Barstow museum tracing the Mojave River valley from early peoples to the space age.

Ghost towns (1)

See all →

Calico

Calico, California · 6.1 mi from Route 66

An 1881 silver boomtown near Barstow, restored by Walter Knott and now a county park with mine tours.

Ghost townPhoto credit

Art & landmarks (2)

See all →

CACTUS

Yermo, California · 1.6 mi from Route 66

The site of a desert solar plant turned telescope near Daggett, demolished in 2009.

Art & landmarks

Liberty Sculpture Park

Yermo, California · 3.7 mi from Route 66

An outdoor sculpture park in Yermo honoring victims of communist regimes, with a focus on China.

Art & landmarksPhoto credit

Museums (4)

See all →

Western America Railroad Museum

Barstow, California · 0.4 mi from Route 66

Railroad history of the desert Southwest, with big locomotives outside Barstow's Harvey House depot.

MuseumPhoto credit

Barstow Harvey House

Barstow, California · 0.4 mi from Route 66

Barstow's 1911 Santa Fe depot and Harvey House, home of the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.

MuseumPhoto credit

Desert Discovery Center

Barstow, California · 0.6 mi from Route 66

A Barstow desert-life center that shows the Old Woman Meteorite, second largest found in the country.

MuseumPhoto credit

Mojave River Valley Museum

Barstow, California · 0.7 mi from Route 66

A member-supported Barstow museum tracing the Mojave River valley from early peoples to the space age.

Museum

Nature & parks (4)

See all →

Newberry Mountains

Barstow, California · 4.2 mi from Route 66

A Mojave range southeast of Barstow that rises just south of Route 66 and Newberry Springs.

Nature & parks

Mitchel Range

Barstow, California · 3.1 mi from Route 66

A small desert range just northeast of Barstow, near the railroad museum.

Nature & parks

Waterman Hills

Barstow, California · 5.0 mi from Route 66

Low desert hills on the north edge of Barstow, next door to the Mitchel Range.

Nature & parks

Rainbow Basin

Barstow, California · 9.0 mi from Route 66

A National Natural Landmark north of Barstow, with rock formations and fossil beds on a dirt loop road.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Where to eat in and around Barstow

All diners →

Diner & restaurant
Bagdad Café
Barstow, California · on Route 66
A desert café in Newberry Springs, right on the old road through California's Mojave Desert.

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Barstow: questions

Did Route 66 go through Barstow?: Yes. Route 66 ran through downtown Barstow along Main Street, past the Harvey House depot. Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 now meet at the edge of town, and the old road continues east toward Daggett and Newberry Springs.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Barstow?: We list 11 stops in and around Barstow, mostly museums, parks and nature areas and landmarks and roadside art. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Calico, Liberty Sculpture Park and Barstow Harvey House. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Barstow from the next towns on Route 66?: Barstow sits at about mile 2,291 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Oatman, AZ, about 196 miles back. Heading west, Victorville, CA is about 36 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Barstow a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?: Yes. Our trip planner uses Barstow as one of its main overnight towns, so on a two-week trip a day often ends here. Plan the stops in town for the evening or the next morning.