Did Route 66 go through Carthage?

Yes. Route 66 ran through Carthage; the Boots Motel sits about 0.2 miles from the old road and the Courthouse Square is right beside it.

What is there to see on Route 66 in Carthage?

We list 8 stops in and around Carthage, mostly historic buildings, retro roadside stops and ghost towns. The ones our trip planner rates highest are 66 Drive-In, Boots Motel and Battle of Carthage State Historic Site. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.

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

Carthage sits at about mile 632 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Springfield, MO, about 69 miles back. Heading west, Joplin, MO is about 15 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.

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

It works for a night. Our trip planner ends a day in Carthage when the day's miles fit, and otherwise prefers a bigger overnight town nearby.

Route 66 town guide · Missouri

Route 66 in Carthage, Missouri

Carthage is a courthouse town in southwest Missouri, about 632 miles from Chicago and just 15 miles east of Joplin. It is small, but it holds two of the best-loved Route 66 survivors in the state.

About mile 632 of 2,448 from Chicago
8 stops in and around Carthage
Small-town overnight

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Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop. Open Carthage on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

The Boots Motel is a 1939 streamline motor court with black glass trim, green neon and a carport for every room. On the edge of town, the 66 Drive-In opened in 1949 and still shows movies under the stars. Plan an evening here if the season and the schedule line up; there are few better ways to end a day on the old road.

The rest of Carthage is a walk through a prosperous county seat of the 1890s to the 1920s. The Carthage Courthouse Square Historic District gathers 42 old commercial buildings around the county courthouse, and the Carthage South Historic District fills a neighborhood with hundreds of Victorian and Craftsman homes, churches and a 1904 library. Much of this was built from local stone; the Phelps Country Estate outside town has a main house of Carthage marble. History goes back further, too: the Battle of Carthage State Historic Site preserves part of an 1861 battle from the first months of the Civil War.

Practical note: everything except the drive-in and the estate is within about half a mile of the square, so you can park once and walk. Carthage is a pleasant small-town night between Springfield and Joplin, and the short Kansas stretch of Route 66 begins a little west of Joplin.

Top 8 Route 66 attractions in and around Carthage

66 Drive-InA 1949 drive-in theater on Route 66 near Carthage that still shows movies under the stars.
Boots MotelA 1939 streamline motor court in Carthage with black glass trim, green neon and a carport for every room.
Battle of Carthage State Historic SiteA small state-run field in Carthage that preserves part of an 1861 battle from the start of the Civil War.
GaitherA short-lived Lawrence County post-office town named for one of its early settlers.
Carthage Courthouse Square Historic DistrictDowntown Carthage's historic square: 42 old commercial buildings gathered around the county courthouse.
Carthage South Historic DistrictHundreds of Victorian and Craftsman homes, churches and a 1904 library fill this Carthage neighborhood.
Cassill Place Historic DistrictA tiny Carthage enclave of eight Victorian and Craftsman homes built between the 1890s and the 1920s.
Phelps Country EstateA turn-of-the-century country estate near Carthage, its main house built of local Carthage marble.

Retro roadside (2)

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Boots Motel

Carthage, Missouri · on Route 66

A 1939 streamline motor court in Carthage with black glass trim, green neon and a carport for every room.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

66 Drive-In

Carthage, Missouri · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1949 drive-in theater on Route 66 near Carthage that still shows movies under the stars.

Retro roadsidePhoto credit

Nature & parks (1)

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Battle of Carthage State Historic Site

Carthage, Missouri · 0.5 mi from Route 66

A small state-run field in Carthage that preserves part of an 1861 battle from the start of the Civil War.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Ghost towns (1)

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Gaither

Gaither, Missouri · 2.5 mi from Route 66

A short-lived Lawrence County post-office town named for one of its early settlers.

Ghost town

Historic districts (1)

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Carthage Courthouse Square Historic District

Carthage, Missouri · 0.1 mi from Route 66

Downtown Carthage's historic square: 42 old commercial buildings gathered around the county courthouse.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Historic buildings (3)

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Phelps Country Estate

Carthage, Missouri · 3.6 mi from Route 66

A turn-of-the-century country estate near Carthage, its main house built of local Carthage marble.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Carthage South Historic District

Carthage, Missouri · 0.6 mi from Route 66

Hundreds of Victorian and Craftsman homes, churches and a 1904 library fill this Carthage neighborhood.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Cassill Place Historic District

Carthage, Missouri · 0.2 mi from Route 66

A tiny Carthage enclave of eight Victorian and Craftsman homes built between the 1890s and the 1920s.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Carthage: questions

Did Route 66 go through Carthage?: Yes. Route 66 ran through Carthage; the Boots Motel sits about 0.2 miles from the old road and the Courthouse Square is right beside it.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Carthage?: We list 8 stops in and around Carthage, mostly historic buildings, retro roadside stops and ghost towns. The ones our trip planner rates highest are 66 Drive-In, Boots Motel and Battle of Carthage State Historic Site. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Carthage from the next towns on Route 66?: Carthage sits at about mile 632 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Springfield, MO, about 69 miles back. Heading west, Joplin, MO is about 15 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Carthage a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?: It works for a night. Our trip planner ends a day in Carthage when the day's miles fit, and otherwise prefers a bigger overnight town nearby.