Map by National Park Service
The year 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Route 66 as the first paved, all-weather highway in the United States connecting the Midwest to California.
In celebration of the Centennial, 10 Sections of the American Society of Civil Engineers representing the 8 states through which Route 66 passes, from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California jointly propose to nominate the route as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
This site is a repository for historical information and accounts of the activities of numerous organizations that are involved in the preservation of Route 66 as a national treasure.
The states that are home to Route 66, from east to west, are Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) has a program to recognize historically significant local, national, and international civil engineering projects, structures, and sites. Recognition is defined by ASCE as being selected as a "National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (NHCEL)."
The purpose of the program is to increase public appreciation of civil engineering contributions to the progress and development of society. Preservation of historic civil engineering contributions includes documentation of landmarks for inclusion in encyclopedias, guidebooks, and maps.
The above link, "NOMINATION PACKAGE", will display the master Route 66 Nomination page with an interactive map showing the alignment from Chicago to Santa Monica with links to pages for each state through which Route 66 passes, as well as driving distance from any location to major cities along the route. The master page also contains links to pages describing the historic significance of the project, comparable or similar projects, contributions which this project has made toward the development of the Civil Engineering Profession and the nation, unique features of Route 66, resolutions adopted by the 10 ASCE Sections endorsing the nomination, and additional documentation as required by ASCE guidelines.
Each state's home page contains an interactive map with links to pages listing Key Professionals who were involved in the development of Route 66, a list of locations on Route 66 that have been designated by the National Park Service in its National Register of Historic Places as being worthy of preservation, references specific to each state, and a link to pages with interactive maps showing the location of bridges on Route 66 in that state. On the sidebar of each state's home page is a table with links to additional interactive pages which divide the route into enlarged segments with links to historic alignments within those segments, as well as links to web pages which contain information about Route 66 in the towns through which Route 66 passes.
An application using the ASCE standard form was submitted to ASCE on July 1,2024 to allow sufficient time for review by the ASCE History & Heritage Committee prior to the Route 66 Centennial in 2026. The form contains links to this site and the various pages of information in support of the nomination.