Historic Route 66 - Illinois

Historic Route 66 - Illinois

Parks Directory of the United States / National Scenic BywaysAddress:c/o Illinois Route 66 Heritage Project, Inc.
CITDO - 700 E. Adams
Springfield, IL 62704

Phone:217-525-7980
Web: www.illinoisroute66.org Description:Route 66 was designated in 1926 as a federal highwaylinking Chicago,IL to Los Angeles, CA. The 2,448-mile route passed through Illinois,Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.The road was decommissionedin 1985 in favor of the new interstate highway system and today only1,410 miles of the original route in three states (Illinois, New Mexicoand Arizona) have been designated as National Scenic Byway.Traversing more than 70 Illinois communities, the"Mother Road" joins the urban cityscape of Chicago with the countrysideof Illinois' heartland, presenting memories of an era inthe development of the American highway through restored andpreserved attractions.
Legth: 436 miles (Illinois section); 1,410 miles (entire byway). Start/Endpoint: The Illinois section of the byway runs from Chicagosouthwest to the Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge at the Missouristate line. Time to Allow: 8 hours (Illinois section); 5-6 days (entire byway). Designation/Year: National Scenic Byway (2005).

See other parks in Illinois.