Sandia Peak Tramway
USAroadtrip

Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica

The Mother Road. 2,400 miles of diners, motels and neon across eight states

Distance
2151 mi
3462 km
Driving
38 hr 36 min
excl. stops
Suggested
9 days
balanced split
Stops
10
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 10 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Sandia Peak Tramway · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Opens the planner with every stop loaded. Free, no card needed.

Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

About 55% of it is on the I40, and most of the rest on the I44 and the I55.

This is a mountain drive. It reaches about 2,197 m and climbs around 5,360 m in total, so check the high roads are open before you set off.

The bigger places on the way are Bolingbrook, Channahon, Dwight and Normal, handy for fuel and food between the stops.

The Mulholland Drive is 11 km off the route if you have time for a detour.

  • I4055%
  • I4415%
  • I5513%
  • I44Business7%

How high it goes

~2,197 mChicago, ILSanta Monica, CA · 3,432 km
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 5,360 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Famous road · 11 km off the route

Mulholland Drive

Before you go

Best time to drive it

May to June, or September to October

Spring and autumn avoid the worst of the summer heat in the desert states and the winter snow in Illinois, Missouri and around Flagstaff.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Every stop on the Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica

  1. Chicago, IL

    Start

  2. Springfield, IL

    +321 km from the last stop

  3. St. Louis, MO

    +154 km from the last stop

  4. Springfield, MO

    +343 km from the last stop

  5. Oklahoma City, OK

    +458 km from the last stop

  6. Amarillo, TX

    +411 km from the last stop

  7. Albuquerque, NM

    +460 km from the last stop

  8. Flagstaff, AZ

    +517 km from the last stop

  9. Barstow, CA

    +560 km from the last stop

  10. Santa Monica, CA

    +208 km from the last stop

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 6 more

  • Rock Cafe

    cafe

    A Route 66 landmark in Stroud, Oklahoma built from local sandstone in 1939, which inspired the character Sally Carrera in Pixar's Cars.

  • Peggy Sue's 50s Diner

    cafe

    A retro 1950s-themed diner in Yermo off Interstate 15 between LA and Vegas, famous for its dinosaur garden and classic American road trip vibe.

  • Bagdad Cafe

    cafe

    The real-life cafe on Route 66 in Newberry Springs made famous by the 1987 cult film, a quirky desert oasis decorated with memorabilia from around the world.

  • The Bent Door

    cafe

    A quirky Route 66 cafe in Adrian, Texas built from a repurposed airplane fuselage, sitting in the vast Texas Panhandle alongside the Midpoint marker.

  • Big Texan Steak Ranch

    cafe

    An iconic Route 66 steakhouse in Amarillo famous for its free 72-ounce steak challenge, giant cowboy sign, and Texas-sized roadside personality.

  • Meramec Caverns

    landmark

    A Route 66 roadside attraction near Stanton, Missouri famous for its barn-roof billboard advertising campaign and cave tours that have drawn road trippers since the 1930s.

Common questions about the Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica

How long does the Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica take?

The driving itself is about 38 hr 36 min across 2151 miles (3462 km). Most people spread it over 9 days: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica?

2151 miles, or 3462 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the Route 66: Chicago to Santa Monica?

May to June, or September to October. Spring and autumn avoid the worst of the summer heat in the desert states and the winter snow in Illinois, Missouri and around Flagstaff.

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