How Cities are Using Route 66’s Centennial to Fuel Road Trip Tourism

In November, Route 66 turns 100. But across the eight states and three time zones stitched together by the so-called Mother Road, the party has already begun.

From vintage car caravans to retro motel revivals and immersive roadside activations, cities along America’s most mythologized highway are treating the centennial like much more than a birthday. Rather, consider it a yearlong cultural draw aimed at turning nostalgia into tourism dollars.

Few destinations are leaning in harder than Albuquerque, New Mexico, home to the longest continuous urban stretch of Route 66. There, Visit Albuquerque has spent nearly three years preparing for the anniversary, building a marketing strategy designed to turn the city into an anchor destination for the centennial.

The effort started with a wave of paid campaigns across social media, local networks, and airport advertising, all funneling travelers toward the DMO’s dedicated centennial hub, Route66ABQ.com.

Since July alone, digital campaigns have generated more than 83 million impressions across channels and another 92 million through airport advertising, according to Madison Garay, a marketing specialist hired specifically to develop and support Route 66 centennial initiatives.

As part of the campaign, Visit Albuquerque launched a newsletter in July 2025 called The Roadrunner, a dispatch that covers “not simply what's new and events on Route 66 but historical tidbits, interesting stories, interviews with local leaders, and exciting campaigns that our partners are doing," Garay said.

Since launch, sign-ups to The Roadrunner have increased 315%, signaling that travelers feel primed to pull off a Route 66-centric road trip itinerary.

With audiences already revved up online, the DMO shifted gears into experiential territory with the launch of “Route 66 Remixed,” a public art exhibition designed to be activated across a citywide road trip. “We say 18 miles, 19 locations, 20 artists, and one poet, because a poet narrates it,” Garay said.

Spread across Albuquerque’s Route 66 corridor, each stop along the installation features QR codes that unlock poems tied to the artwork and artist, while an augmented reality feature layers animated 3D graphics over the physical environment through a phone camera.

The exhibit will remain active until the end of the year.

The campaign is already paying dividends. Visit Albuquerque tracked 300,000 leisure trips influenced by its Route 66 centennial efforts, translating into roughly 25,000 hotel bookings and more than 73,000 room nights. It means Route 66 travelers are staying in the city for an average of three days.

Altogether, those visits generated an estimated $81.1 million in economic impact for the destination. “And we got a return on ad spend $90 to every $1 for the destination as a whole,” Garay said. With Albuquerque now heading into peak summer travel season, the DMO expects the momentum to keep cruising.

Even better, the Mother Road’s actual birthday is still five months away.

Here’s what’s drawing travelers farther up and down Route 66.

Chicago is celebrating its role as the origin point of Route 66. Credit: Choose Chicago

Chicago

In the Windy City, Choose Chicago is leaning into the city’s role as Route 66’s point of origin:

-At the Art Institute of Chicago, new works by artist Susan Folwell will anchor a dedicated centennial programming slate. Folwell is also leading an “Artist Talk” event exploring the inspirations behind her Route 66-themed ceramic series, while the museum is updating its walking tour guide to further spotlight the highway’s cultural history and Chicago roots.

- The city is also giving travelers an actual ride through Route 66 history via a partnership with Mike McMains, founder of Tours With Mike. From May through November 2026, McCains is leading dedicated trolley tours through Route 66 neighborhoods and landmarks.

“Route 66 is an American icon, and the Chicago neighborhoods surrounding it have truly amazing stories, landmarks, and attractions that I love featuring on this unique tour experience,” McCains said.

-Hotels are also getting in on the nostalgia play. Fairmont Chicago, The Whitehall Hotel, Loews Chicago Hotel, Best Western Grant Park Hotel, and Palmer House are packaging the centennial into immersive overnight experiences complete with Route 66-inspired welcome amenities, commemorative souvenirs, and discounts at local attractions and businesses.

Santa Monica, California

Meanwhile, at the opposite end of Route 66, Visit Santa Monica is turning the road’s final stop into a centennial curtain call:

-Inspired by the enduring popularity of “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” the destination launched the Santa Monica Route 66 Music Contest, a nationwide search for the next anthem inspired by America’s most legendary highway. Submissions are open through September 13, with a $10,000 grand prize awaiting the winning track, set to be announced in November.

-Of course, no Route 66 pilgrimage is complete without the obligatory finish-line photo. The “End of the Trail” sign on the Santa Monica Pier remains one of the most recognizable roadside landmarks along the entire 2,448-mile route.

-Before snapping the photo, Visit Santa Monica encourages visitors to grab a burger and side of nostalgia at Mel's Drive-In, the iconic retro diner located near the official western terminus of Route 66 at Lincoln and Olympic boulevards. To this day, it remains dripping in chrome-heavy 1950s aesthetic, featuring walls lined with memorabilia, and serving up a menu of classic American comfort food.

Main Image Credit: Visit Albuquerque