US 66 2,200 Miles of 4 Lane Highway Main Street of America

Best…Across the Scenic West. See the U.S.A. the 66 way!

This fascinating brochure for Route 66 was published in 1973 by the U.S. 66 Highway Association, operating under the slogan “Main Street of America,” in Clinton, Oklahoma. It is one of at least three editions issued by the organization between the early 1950s and the late 1970s, collectively documenting the development and evolution of one of America’s most iconic thoroughfares, the “Mother Road.”

A pictorial base map is overlaid with a simple strip map labeling connecting highways, major towns, and local radio stations. A solid black line indicates four-lane sections, which encompass most of the route, with several notable exceptions in the West. Captioned photographs along the top and bottom edges highlight local attractions and recreational opportunities, ranging from Knott’s Berry Farm to Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive. The booklet concludes with a list of Highway Boosters and sponsoring businesses.

By 1973, Route 66 was increasingly overshadowed by the Interstate Highway System, with several portions of the historic highway co-designated or replaced by Interstate routes. The resulting bypasses progressively diverted traffic from the Mother Road, contributing to its eventual decommissioning as a U.S. Highway in 1985. This brochure therefore captures Route 66 during its final era as a nationally recognized highway, even as the system that would ultimately replace it was already well established.