Route 66 in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is the end of Route 66, about 2,448 miles from Chicago by the usual count. The road's traditional finish is the Santa Monica Pier, where a replica End of the Trail sign has greeted drivers since November 2009. The highway itself reached the city in the 1930s, when it was extended west from downtown Los Angeles, and it ended less than a mile inland, where Olympic and Lincoln boulevards meet. Stops in downtown, Hollywood and Mid-City appear under Los Angeles; the stops we group in and around Santa Monica cover the Westside, from Beverly Hills and Culver City to the Pacific.
- About mile 2,444 of 2,448 from Chicago
- 23 stops in and around Santa Monica
- Main overnight town
Tap a dot to see that stop here.
Tap a dot for the photo and a link to the stop. Open Santa Monica on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.
At the pier itself, the Heal the Bay Aquarium sits beneath the pier at the symbolic end of the road. In Santa Monica, the Museum of Flying tells the story of Donald Douglas and his aircraft company, and Frank Gehry's Edgemar complex stands on Main Street. A short drive south, the Venice Heritage Museum tells the story of the beach town Abbott Kinney founded in 1905.
Museums make up most of our list here, so pick by interest. The Getty Center pairs art and gardens with wide views over the city, and the Getty Villa shows the art of ancient Greece, Rome and Etruria on the coast at Pacific Palisades. Culver City's Museum of Jurassic Technology mixes art, science and history with exhibits that fit no category at all. In the mountains, Topanga State Park offers 36 miles of trails and dirt roads. For the Petersen Automotive Museum, the La Brea Tar Pits and Hollyhock House, see Los Angeles.
Practical note: Los Angeles traffic is heavy and the stops are spread out. Our planner treats Santa Monica as the final overnight town; Los Angeles and Pasadena lie back to the east.
Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Santa Monica
Art & landmarks (1)
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Retro roadside (1)
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Museums (14)
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Nature & parks (7)
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Next towns on Route 66
Route 66 in Santa Monica: questions
- Did Route 66 go through Santa Monica?
- Yes. Santa Monica is the western end of Route 66. The traditional finish is the Santa Monica Pier, with its End of the Trail sign; from the 1930s the highway itself ended less than a mile inland, at Olympic and Lincoln boulevards.
- What is there to see on Route 66 in Santa Monica?
- We list 23 stops in and around Santa Monica, mostly museums, parks and nature areas and landmarks and roadside art. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Santa Monica Pier, J. Paul Getty Museum and Getty Center. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
- How far is Santa Monica from the next towns on Route 66?
- Santa Monica sits at about mile 2,444 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Los Angeles, CA, about 10 miles back. It is the western end of the road. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
- Is Santa Monica a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?
- Yes. Our trip planner uses Santa Monica 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.