Did Route 66 go through Williams?

Yes. Route 66 runs right through Williams as its main street, and Williams was the last town on the road to be bypassed by Interstate 40, in 1984.

What is there to see on Route 66 in Williams?

We list 11 stops in and around Williams, mostly historic buildings, museums and historic districts. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Urban Route 66, Williams, Pete's Route 66 Gas Station Museum and Keyhole Sink. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.

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

Williams sits at about mile 1,929 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Flagstaff, AZ, about 37 miles back. Heading west, Seligman, AZ is about 47 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.

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

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

Route 66 town guide · Arizona

Route 66 in Williams, Arizona

Williams is a small mountain town about 1,929 miles from Chicago, and for many Route 66 travelers it is a highlight of Arizona. It was the last town on the road to be bypassed by Interstate 40, in 1984, and its main street still looks the part.

About mile 1,929 of 2,448 from Chicago
11 stops in and around Williams
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 Williams on the full map to filter by kind or add stops to your trip.

The whole downtown is the stop. Urban Route 66, Williams is the old main street, still lined with 1920s–1940s motels, gas stations and restaurants, and the Williams Historic Business District protects four blocks of storefronts where the railroad, Route 66 and the Grand Canyon road meet. Behind it, the Williams Residential Historic District covers 65 acres of homes and churches built from 1890 to 1941.

Williams calls itself the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and the Grand Canyon Railway runs from here to the South Rim; the Arizona State Railroad Museum works beside it to save the state's historic railroad equipment. For something odder, the Poozeum is a museum of fossilized dinosaur dung, including a record-setting specimen nicknamed Barnum.

The forest starts at the edge of town. Bill Williams Mountain, a volcanic peak named for an 1800s mountain man, rises to the south, and Keyhole Sink in the Kaibab National Forest is a keyhole-shaped canyon with rock art left by the Cohonina people. The 1934 Camp Clover Ranger Station, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, sits on the edge of town.

Practical note: Williams is high up in the pines, so nights are cool even in summer. It works as a small-town night between Flagstaff and Seligman, which is about 47 miles further west; Kingman is about 140.

Top 10 Route 66 attractions in and around Williams

Urban Route 66, WilliamsWilliams' main street is still lined with 1920s–1940s motels, gas stations and restaurants on old Route 66.
Pete's Route 66 Gas Station MuseumA restored 1949 gas station in downtown Williams, filled with pumps, signs and oil cans.
Keyhole SinkA keyhole-shaped canyon in the Kaibab National Forest with rock art left by the Cohonina people.
PoozeumA quirky Williams museum of fossilized dinosaur dung, including a record-setting specimen nicknamed Barnum.
Bill Williams MountainA volcanic peak south of Williams, named for the 1800s mountain man Old Bill Williams.
Arizona State Railroad MuseumA Williams nonprofit working to save Arizona's historic railroad equipment beside the Grand Canyon Railway.
Sultana BarA 1912 movie theater and pool hall turned saloon on the old Route 66 in Williams, with Prohibition-era lore.
Williams Historic Business DistrictFour blocks of vernacular storefronts where the railroad, Route 66 and the Grand Canyon road meet.
Williams StationThe Williams depot, southern end of the Grand Canyon Railway, steps from downtown Route 66 in Williams.
Williams Residential Historic DistrictSixty-five acres of homes and churches built in Williams from 1890 to 1941, a short walk from Route 66.

Route 66 sites (1)

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Urban Route 66, Williams

Williams, Arizona · on Route 66

Williams' main street is still lined with 1920s–1940s motels, gas stations and restaurants on old Route 66.

Route 66 sitePhoto credit

Museums (3)

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Arizona State Railroad Museum

Williams, Arizona · 0.4 mi from Route 66

A Williams nonprofit working to save Arizona's historic railroad equipment beside the Grand Canyon Railway.

Museum

Pete's Route 66 Gas Station Museum

Williams, Arizona · on Route 66

A restored 1949 gas station in downtown Williams, filled with pumps, signs and oil cans.

MuseumPhoto credit

Poozeum

Williams, Arizona · on Route 66

A quirky Williams museum of fossilized dinosaur dung, including a record-setting specimen nicknamed Barnum.

MuseumPhoto credit

Nature & parks (2)

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Keyhole Sink

Williams, Arizona · 0.9 mi from Route 66

A keyhole-shaped canyon in the Kaibab National Forest with rock art left by the Cohonina people.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Bill Williams Mountain

Williams, Arizona · 2.5 mi from Route 66

A volcanic peak south of Williams, named for the 1800s mountain man Old Bill Williams.

Nature & parksPhoto credit

Historic buildings (3)

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Sultana Bar

Williams, Arizona · on Route 66

A 1912 movie theater and pool hall turned saloon on the old Route 66 in Williams, with Prohibition-era lore.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Williams Station

Williams, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

The Williams depot, southern end of the Grand Canyon Railway, steps from downtown Route 66 in Williams.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Camp Clover Ranger Station

Williams, Arizona · 0.1 mi from Route 66

A 1934 Forest Service ranger compound built by the Civilian Conservation Corps on the edge of Williams.

Historic buildingPhoto credit

Historic districts (2)

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Williams Residential Historic District

Williams, Arizona · 0.3 mi from Route 66

Sixty-five acres of homes and churches built in Williams from 1890 to 1941, a short walk from Route 66.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Williams Historic Business District

Williams, Arizona · on Route 66

Four blocks of vernacular storefronts where the railroad, Route 66 and the Grand Canyon road meet.

Historic districtPhoto credit

Where to eat in and around Williams

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Diner & restaurant
Rod's Steak House
Williams, Arizona · on Route 66
A 1946 steakhouse on Route 66 in Williams, AZ, with a neon steer over the door and a cow-shaped menu.

Next towns on Route 66

Route 66 in Williams: questions

Did Route 66 go through Williams?: Yes. Route 66 runs right through Williams as its main street, and Williams was the last town on the road to be bypassed by Interstate 40, in 1984.
What is there to see on Route 66 in Williams?: We list 11 stops in and around Williams, mostly historic buildings, museums and historic districts. The ones our trip planner rates highest are Urban Route 66, Williams, Pete's Route 66 Gas Station Museum and Keyhole Sink. Every stop is on the map above with a photo where one exists, and the distance from the old road.
How far is Williams from the next towns on Route 66?: Williams sits at about mile 1,929 of Route 66, counting from Chicago. The next town east with its own guide is Flagstaff, AZ, about 37 miles back. Heading west, Seligman, AZ is about 47 miles on. Distances are measured along the road and rounded.
Is Williams a good place to stay overnight on Route 66?: It works for a night. Our trip planner ends a day in Williams when the day's miles fit, and otherwise prefers a bigger overnight town nearby.