Route 66 in San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is where Route 66 comes down from Cajon Pass into the Los Angeles basin, about 2,384 miles from Chicago. From here the old road runs west along Foothill Boulevard through Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, Upland and Claremont, and the stops we group under San Bernardino follow that line.
- About mile 2,384 of 2,448 from Chicago
- 31 stops in and around San Bernardino
- 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 San Bernardino on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.
The Route 66 highlight is the Cucamonga Service Station on Foothill Boulevard, the last Route 66 gas station of its design left in California. In Fontana, Bono's Restaurant and Deli is a 1940s Streamline Moderne roadside restaurant, now closed, with a giant orange juice stand on its lot. History goes back to the ranchos: the Tapia Adobe marks the home site of Tiburcio Tapia, who held the 1839 Rancho Cucamonga land grant, and the 1860s John Rains House, with its tale of wine, debt and murder, is now a county history museum.
Claremont, at the west end of this stretch, is a college town with a lot to see on foot. At Pomona College, José Clemente Orozco's Prometheus, painted in 1930, is widely seen as America's earliest modern fresco, and the Benton Museum of Art opened in 2020. The California Botanic Garden spreads 86 acres of California native plants below the San Gabriel foothills.
The mountains are close. Cucamonga Peak rises 8,862 feet above Rancho Cucamonga, a short canyon hike leads to the three-tier Etiwanda Falls, and Santa's Village, a mountain adventure park, sits up in Skyforest.
Practical note: this is busy suburban driving with many traffic lights, so allow extra time. Pasadena is about 40 miles further west.
Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around San Bernardino
Retro roadside (3)
See all Retro roadside on Route 66 →
Art & landmarks (6)
See all Art & landmarks on Route 66 →
.jpg/500px-Adobe_(1_of_1).jpg)
_de_Jos%C3%A9_Clemente_Orozco_en_Pomona_College.jpg/500px-Prometheus_(1930)_de_Jos%C3%A9_Clemente_Orozco_en_Pomona_College.jpg)
Nature & parks (12)
See all Nature & parks on Route 66 →
.jpeg/500px-Potato_Mountain_(197314141).jpeg)
Museums (3)
See all Museums on Route 66 →
Historic theaters (1)
See all Historic theaters on Route 66 →
Ghost towns (2)
See all Ghost towns on Route 66 →Historic districts (1)
See all Historic districts on Route 66 →
Historic buildings (3)
See all Historic buildings on Route 66 →
Where to eat in and around San Bernardino
All diners on Route 66 →
.jpg/250px-Magic_Lamp_Inn_(NBY_432829).jpg)
Next towns on Route 66
Route 66 in San Bernardino: questions
- Did Route 66 go through San Bernardino?
- Yes. Route 66 came through San Bernardino after crossing Cajon Pass and continued west along Foothill Boulevard; the Cucamonga Service Station stands on that road in Rancho Cucamonga.
- What is there to see on Route 66 in San Bernardino?
- We list 31 stops in and around San Bernardino, mostly parks and nature areas, landmarks and roadside art and historic buildings. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Wigwam Motel, Cucamonga Service Station and Prometheus. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
- How far is San Bernardino from the next towns on Route 66?
- San Bernardino sits at about mile 2,384 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Victorville, CA, about 56 miles back. Heading west, Pasadena, CA is about 31 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
- Is San Bernardino a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?
- It works for a night. Our trip planner ends a day in San Bernardino when the day's miles fit, and otherwise prefers a bigger overnight town nearby.