Traveling Route 66

1926. Gas is 17¢ a gallon. Haircuts are 25 cents. And U.S. Route 66—two thousand miles of road and concrete—connects Chicago with Los Angeles, making long—distance travel a reality for millions of Americans.

Often called America’s Main Street, this famous highway played a key role in the development of U.S. industry and commerce. It offered the prospect of a better life in the West for families trapped in rural poverty along its path. And, by the early 1940s, it was a lifeline in the U.S. w...