Route 66 turns 100: Illinois gears up for 2026 centennial celebration

JOLIET, Ill. - Getting your kicks on Route 66 will be a popular activity in 2026, as the iconic road from Chicago to Los Angeles celebrates its centennial.

What we know:

On Thursday, Route 66 enthusiasts gathered in Joliet along what’s known as the "Mother Road" and "America’s Main Street" to begin planning a big birthday celebration for the historic highway.

"2026 will be the 100th anniversary of Route 66," said Cory Jobe, chairman of the Route 66 State Centennial Commission for Illinois.

Signs promoting the centennial are posted throughout the Joliet Area Historical Museum, which serves as a gateway for travelers seeking the Route 66 experience.

"We meet a lot of people who are excited. They’re just beginning that journey," said museum Executive Director Greg Peerbolte. "So we certainly hope to shine a light on our organization."

Tourism and political officials from across Illinois and the country are meeting at the museum to plan for the centennial, which is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the U.S. and overseas.

"I just think it’s that romance, that love affair with this historic road," Jobe said. "And what it means for Illinois is those visitors spend a lot of money."

Route 66 History and Hype:

Supercharged into popular culture by the 1946 Nat King Cole song of the same name and a popular 1960s TV series, Route 66 was the first paved road between Chicago and California when it opened in 1926.

Starting at the corner of Jackson Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, the road ends at the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica. Illinois accounts for 301 of the road’s 2,448 miles.

Over time, as it was replaced by the U.S. interstate highway system, Route 66 came to symbolize a simpler era in American life.

"Route 66 is the real America," Peerbolte said. "There’s a lot of authenticity in these old towns before the highways came in. Certainly Joliet goes back to the railroads and the canals. So there’s a little bit of grit."

Among those stopping in Joliet were Paul Haney and his son Hunter, visiting from Seattle. They’re planning to spend the next month meandering across the country on Route 66.

"I think it’s pretty cool," said Hunter. "The first time I heard of Route 66 was in the ‘Cars’ movie when Lightning gets stuck in Radiator Springs because he destroys the road."

Route 66 even holds allure for celebrities, including one who knows a thing or two about The Long and Winding Road.

"We knew Route 66 was a big deal when Paul McCartney walked through the door here in 2008," Peerbolte said. "We almost chased him away because he was parked in a lot he shouldn’t have been."

Sir Paul signed an autograph before setting off on his own Route 66 road trip.

Jobe said the famed route has traditionally been more popular with international travelers, but that’s beginning to change.

"Route 66 is really known and is more popular with the international traveler than the domestic traveler," he said. "But we’ve seen an increase in domestic travelers on the road because of the centennial."