Route 66 in Pasadena, California
Pasadena sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, more than 2,400 miles from Chicago and close to the end of the road. The stops we group in and around Pasadena stretch a long way: east through Arcadia, Monrovia, Glendora, San Dimas and Pomona, and west to Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge and Highland Park.
- About mile 2,414 of 2,448 from Chicago
- 40 stops in and around Pasadena
- Small-town overnight
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 Pasadena on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.
The number 66 has not disappeared here. California State Route 66 is the state highway that still carries the number from La Verne east to San Bernardino, mostly on Foothill Boulevard. In Pasadena, the rooftop Bekins Storage Co. Roof Sign was aimed at drivers on Fair Oaks Avenue, then part of Route 66, and was turned into a neon sign in 1929. The curving Colorado Street Bridge, opened in 1913, carried Route 66 traffic high above the Arroyo Seco until the Arroyo Seco Parkway took over in 1940. Out east, the 1887 San Dimas Hotel was built for a land boom that never arrived, and not one paying guest ever stayed there.
Museums and gardens make up most of our list. The Huntington in San Marino combines a research library, art galleries and roughly 120 acres of gardens. The Norton Simon Museum has Rodin sculptures out front and European and Asian art inside, and the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia spreads 127 acres at the foot of the mountains. Toward Los Angeles, the 22-foot fiberglass Chicken Boy in Highland Park makes a quick, offbeat photo stop.
Practical note: this is big-city driving and the stops are far apart, so pick a few. Downtown Los Angeles, where Route 66 first ended, lies to the southwest, and Santa Monica and the end of the trail are farther west.
Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Pasadena
Route 66 sites (1)
See all Route 66 sites on Route 66 →Historic bridges (1)
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Historic hotels (3)
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Art & landmarks (2)
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Retro roadside (1)
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Nature & parks (13)
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Historic theaters (1)
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Museums (12)
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Historic buildings (5)
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Historic districts (1)
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Where to eat in and around Pasadena
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Next towns on Route 66
Route 66 in Pasadena: questions
- Did Route 66 go through Pasadena?
- Yes. Route 66 ran through Pasadena on its way into Los Angeles, and east of the city the number lives on as California State Route 66 along Foothill Boulevard.
- What is there to see on Route 66 in Pasadena?
- We list 40 stops in and around Pasadena, mostly parks and nature areas, museums and historic buildings. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Colorado Street Bridge, San Dimas Hotel and Raging Waters. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
- How far is Pasadena from the next towns on Route 66?
- Pasadena sits at about mile 2,414 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is San Bernardino, CA, about 31 miles back. Heading west, Los Angeles, CA is about 19 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
- Is Pasadena a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?
- It works for a night. Our trip planner ends a day in Pasadena when the day's miles fit, and otherwise prefers a bigger overnight town nearby.