Route 66 AssociationEdit
The Route 66 Association is a network of citizen-led organizations dedicated to preserving the historic path of the former U.S. Route 66 and turning its legacy into a driver-friendly, economically vibrant corridor. Central to the mission is keeping the physical remains of the route—neon-lit motels, vintage gas stations, diners, and signage—visible and accessible to travelers while promoting responsible tourism that benefits small towns along the way. The associations work across state lines to celebrate a distinctly American story rooted in mobility, entrepreneurship, and regional character, often framing the route as a symbol of American ingenuity and resilience.
State and local chapters coordinate diverse activities under the broader umbrella of the Route 66 movement. In practice, there are many organizations at the state level, such as Route 66 Association of Illinois, Route 66 Association of Missouri, and Route 66 Association of Arizona, among others, each focusing on locally meaningful sites and communities. The network emphasizes partnerships with local businesses, historical societies, chambers of commerce, and state transportation agencies to sustain tourism, preserve landmarks, and improve infrastructure where feasible. The effort is often framed around practical outcomes: keeping towns economically competitive, preserving family-owned establishments, and giving travelers a tangible link to a bygone era while still serving modern traffic needs. For broader context on the route’s enduring cultural footprint, see U.S. Route 66.
From a pragmatic, pro-business perspective, the Route 66 Association movement champions limited-government solutions, private philanthropy, and volunteer-driven projects. The emphasis is on private investment to restore and repurpose old properties, on marketing the corridor as a national heritage tourism destination, and on supporting small businesses that depend on steady visitor traffic. In this view, preservation is not about turning back the clock but about creating a predictable, workmanlike framework for sustainable tourism, local employment, and regional pride. The movement also advocates for sensible infrastructure improvements that respect the historical alignment while allowing safely for today’s highway standards, with cooperation from Department of Transportation agencies and local authorities. See also Heritage tourism.
History
U.S. Route 66, established in 1926, ran from Chicago to Santa Monica and became a cross-country artery for travel, commerce, and popular culture. As the highway era evolved, many of the original alignments and roadside businesses faced obsolescence. In the decades after the route’s decommissioning as a federal highway, communities along the corridor formed or joined regional and state associations to safeguard their portions of the road, celebrate their local history, and leverage tourism as an engine of economic vitality. The rise of these associations reflected a broader belief that private groups and local governments, working together, could preserve a shared heritage without waiting for central top-down mandates. The network gradually expanded to include multiple state chapters and a loose national coordinating presence, often aligning with federal and state designations that recognize scenic and historic value—such as National Scenic Byways designations and related programs for historic routes.
Programs and projects typically emphasize a mix of physical preservation, interpretive storytelling, and marketing aimed at travelers who are intent on experiences rather than just speed. The history of Route 66 preservation is thus as much about community rebuilding and small-business stewardship as it is about bricks, signs, and ledges of faded neon. See Historic preservation for background on the methods and goals common to these efforts.
Activities and programs
Preservation and restoration of historic properties along the corridor, including motels, gas stations, diners, and signage. These efforts are typically pursued through private funding, grants, and volunteer labor, often in partnership with local businesses and historical societies. See Historic preservation.
Heritage tourism initiatives, including guided tours, printed maps, and digital content that help travelers plan trips along authentic segments of the old route. The aim is to convert nostalgia into sustainable economic activity for communities that otherwise depend on tourism.
Local events, car shows, road trips, and commemorative projects that celebrate the route’s culture and history. These activities frequently involve volunteers, family-owned businesses, and local civic groups.
Education and archives work, such as collecting photographs, oral histories, and historical records to document the route’s impact on daily life across generations. See Archives and digital archives for related concepts.
Advocacy and coordination with state Departments of Transportation to maintain signage, protect historic alignments, and optimize traffic management in ways that respect the integrity of the corridor. See Public-private partnership.
Scholarships and community grants that support preservation-related research, restoration work, and youth interest in American historical geography. See Scholarship for general background.
Controversies and debates
Like many projects that intertwine heritage with economic development, the Route 66 Association movement faces critiques from different angles. From a practical, market-friendly stance, the chief concerns center on balancing preservation with modern traffic needs and on ensuring that public resources are used efficiently to deliver broad economic benefits. Critics sometimes worry that heavy preservation requirements can hinder development or impose costs on towns that would rather pursue growth through market-driven projects. Proponents respond that preservation and smart development are not mutually exclusive: well-chosen upgrades can improve safety and access while maintaining character. See Public-private partnership for a framework that is often invoked in these discussions.
A related debate concerns the representation of history along the corridor. Critics of preservation efforts argue that some emphasis may privilege a particular narrative—often centered on mid-20th-century car culture—over broader, more inclusive histories of the route’s diverse communities, including earlier Indigenous histories and the experiences of black and other communities who lived and worked along the road. Advocates counter that the goal is to preserve tangible heritage that benefits all residents and visitors, and that many associations actively incorporate a range of local voices in planning and interpretation. In this context, the broader point is that heritage tourism can be a tool for inclusive economic development when it reflects the real diversity of the corridor’s communities, not merely a nostalgic simplification. See Heritage tourism and Gentrification for related considerations.
Some critics argue that “woke” or identity-focused critiques overemphasize heritage at the expense of economic vitality or practical infrastructure needs. From the perspective of proponents, preservation serves tangible, bipartisan interests: preserving job opportunities for small towns, maintaining local control over land use, and showcasing entrepreneurial resilience. In their view, the best defense of preservation is evidence of jobs created, revenue generated for local taxpayers, and a stronger sense of place that attracts residents as well as visitors. See Gentrification for a discussion of the economic and social impacts of tourism-driven preservation, and Small business for the livelihoods that often accompany revitalized roadside commerce.