Route 66 in California is the last stretch of the Mother Road, running about 345 miles from the Colorado River at Needles to the Pacific at Santa Monica, according to the National Park Service. It packs the whole Route 66 story into one state: empty desert highway, a neon-lit ghost town, a silver-mining boomtown, and a pier at the end. And 2026 is the road’s centennial year, a hundred years since U.S. Route 66 was designated on November 11, 1926.
One thing to know before you plan anything: Route 66 in California is not one continuous drivable road anymore. Sections of the old desert highway between Amboy and Needles are closed for bridge repairs, and in Los Angeles the route survives only in fragments. This guide covers the stops in driving order, east to west.
At a Glance
- Route: Needles to Santa Monica, about 345 miles per the National Park Service
- Time needed: 2 to 3 days with stops — desert leg, Barstow to Pasadena, Los Angeles to the pier
- Best season: October through April for the desert; the coastal end is pleasant year-round
- Know before you go: Check the San Bernardino County road-closures page before driving Route 66 in California — the old road is partly closed for bridge repairs
- Fuel warning: Roy’s in Amboy is the only fuel on the old road between Ludlow and Needles, so fill up in Needles and Barstow
Before You Drive Route 66 in California: The Closures
The single most important fact about driving Route 66 in California right now is that the old road is not continuously drivable between Needles and Barstow. The National Trails Highway, the old road’s name through the Mojave, runs over more than 128 timber bridges built over 80 years ago, many damaged by flash floods in 2014 and 2017.
As of November 2026, Cadiz Road to Mountain Springs Road is still closed, and the Kelbaker Road to Essex stretch is closed as well. Bridges 113 and 130 near Essex were closed after storm damage in November 2026, with emergency repairs underway. The Amboy to Kelbaker Road stretch is open, but you cannot drive the old road straight through from Needles to Barstow — use I-40 for the closed stretches and rejoin the historic road where it is open. Check the San Bernardino County road-closures page before you go — flash floods can close the old road with little warning.
In Los Angeles, the National Park Service notes, the remnants of Route 66 are not a single road leading to the pier at Santa Monica — the route survives in fragments, and the freeways have wholly replaced it as a through road. Plan the Los Angeles end as a series of stops, not a continuous drive.
Needles: Where Route 66 in California Begins
Route 66 enters California across the Colorado River at Needles, a railroad town on the Arizona border, where the stop that matters is El Garces, at 950 Front Street. Built to suggest a Greek temple, it opened in 1908 as a Fred Harvey House depot, hotel, and restaurant, named for Father Francisco Garces, the first European to cross the Mojave Desert. It closed in 1949, served as railway offices, and sat abandoned until Needles bought it in 1999. Listed in the National Register in 2002, it reopened in 2014 as an intermodal facility, with an Amtrak waiting room added in 2016.
From here, the old road runs west into the Mojave, and services are almost nonexistent until Barstow.
Amboy and Roy’s Motel & Cafe: The Iconic Stop on Route 66 in California
Amboy is the stop most people picture when they think of Route 66 in California. Roy’s Motel & Cafe, at 87520 National Trails Highway, opened in 1938 as a service station run by Roy Crowl, and with his wife Velma and son-in-law Herman “Buster” Burris, it grew into a cafe, garage, and motel of bungalows, running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The famous 50-foot neon sign went up in 1959 and was restored and relit in 2019, after not functioning since the 1980s.
The opening of I-40 drove traffic away — Burris said business went down to zero the day it opened. The town was sold in 2005 to Albert Okura of Juan Pollo, who pledged to restore it. The gas station reopened in 2008 with the original pumps, and the gift shop sells Route 66 souvenirs. The motel cottages are not yet reopened, so there are no overnight stays at Roy’s — plan Amboy as a stop, not a stay. Hours are not published on the official site, so check current hours before you go. The official Roy’s site has the town’s history and current status.
Barstow and Calico Ghost Town
Barstow is the practical hub of the desert leg of Route 66 in California, with full services and two Route 66 stops. The Route 66 Mother Road Museum sits at 681 N 1st Avenue, inside the historic Harvey House, Casa del Desierto, built in 1911 as a hotel, restaurant, and train depot. The museum closed in June 2024 and has since reopened under new management, with current hours of Wednesday through Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 3:00 p.m. Exhibits include a 1958 Edsel, a 1923 Model T, and a Barbie-pink classic car. Admission is not stated on the current homepage, so check current details before going.
Calico Ghost Town is the detour worth taking on Route 66 in California — about ten minutes from Barstow, off I-15 at Yermo. This 1880s silver-mining town, California Historical Landmark No. 782 and the state’s official Silver Rush Ghost Town, was restored by Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm and deeded to the county in 1966. It is now a county regional park at 36600 Ghost Town Road, Yermo, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed Christmas Day. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 4 to 11, free for ages 3 and under, and $1 per dog on a six-foot leash at all times. The Lucy Lane Museum is free. The Maggie Mine, the Calico Odessa Railroad, the Mystery Shack, and gold panning cost extra — check current prices. The Calico House Restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, ten cabins rent for $75 a night, and the campground offers RV sites. Campers get free admission to the town. Check the San Bernardino County Calico page for current details.
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch and the Victorville Museum
Between Barstow and Victorville, Route 66 in California passes two very different stops. Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch, at 24266 National Trails Highway in Oro Grande, is a two-acre folk-art forest of more than 200 welded-metal trees hung with thousands of bottles, created starting in 2000 by Elmer Long. Elmer died in June 2019, and the ranch reopened that September under his son Elliott Long. It is free to visit, with donations on site. Hours are not stated on the official site — listings conflict between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and sunrise to sunset — so plan on daylight hours and expect the gates to sometimes be closed while work is done on the property.
In Old Town Victorville, the California Route 66 Museum sits at 16825 D Street in the former 1930s Red Rooster Cafe. It opened on November 11, 1995, and holds historic photographs and maps, automotive memorabilia, model cars, and a 1950s diner recreation. Admission is free, and the museum is volunteer-run. Hours are a problem: listings conflict and the official site publishes none, so call ahead at (760) 951-0436.
San Bernardino: Wigwam Motel and the Original McDonald’s
San Bernardino holds two of the most photographed stops on Route 66 in California. The Wigwam Motel, at 2728 E Foothill Boulevard, was built in 1949, the seventh and final one ever built. Nineteen 30-foot concrete teepees ring a kidney-shaped pool, each one a motel room. Listed in the National Register on January 3, 2012, it inspired the Cozy Cone Motel in Pixar’s Cars. Rooms are pet-friendly, WiFi is free, check-in is 4:00 p.m., and check-out is 11:00 a.m. Rates are not published on the official site, so check current rates before booking.
A few miles away, the Original McDonald’s Site and Museum at 1398 N E Street marks the site of the first McDonald’s restaurant, opened in 1940 by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald. The original building was demolished in 1971, and the property was bought in 1998 by Albert Okura — who also owns Roy’s in Amboy — and preserved as an unofficial museum. Admission and parking are free. There is no standalone official website, only a Facebook page, and hours conflict between sources, so check current hours before going.
Pasadena and the Colorado Street Bridge
Through Pasadena, Route 66 in California follows Colorado Boulevard, and the stop to see is the Colorado Street Bridge over the Arroyo Seco. Completed in 1913, its arches rise 150 feet above the Arroyo Seco, and it was proclaimed the highest concrete bridge in the world when finished. It carried Route 66 until the Arroyo Seco Parkway opened in 1940. Listed in the National Register in 1981, it closed after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and reopened in 1993 after a $27 million renovation. Old Pasadena’s Colorado Boulevard is the Route 66 corridor through town.
Los Angeles Fragments and the Santa Monica Finish
Through Los Angeles, do not expect a single marked route. The historic alignments shifted over the decades, and today the freeways carry the through traffic. Treat the Los Angeles end as a string of stops: Highland Park, where a Park Service grant restored two historic Route 66 signs, then west along Santa Monica Boulevard toward the coast.
The official terminus from 1936 to 1964 was the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica. The symbolic end most travelers photograph is the “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica Pier, dedicated in 2009, when the Pier was designated as the official western terminus of Route 66. Pick up a Route 66 completion certificate at any Santa Monica Visitor Center, and look for the bronze Will Rogers Highway marker in Palisades Park.
The Pier was constructed in 1909, the first concrete pier on the West Coast, and the Pacific Wheel is the world’s only solar-powered Ferris wheel. As of November 2026, the city is building a new seismically resilient bridge to the Pier ahead of the 2028 Olympics, but the Pier and all its attractions remain fully open. The closest parking is the lot at the bottom of the ramp on the Pier, plus Lot 1 North. The Big Blue Bus and Metro E Line serve the Pier, and the Marvin Braude Bike Trail runs 22 miles along the coast. Our Pacific Coast Highway road trip guide picks up where this one ends, and our Malibu travel guide covers the coast just up the road. For another Southern California desert drive, see our scenic drive from San Diego to Palm Desert.
Practical Info for Route 66 in California
Best season. The National Park Service calls the Needles-to-Barstow leg one of the hottest on the entire route, so fall through spring, roughly October through April, is the best window for the desert — summer midday driving in the Mojave is dangerously hot. The coastal end is pleasant year-round.
Where to stay. Barstow has full services and motels. The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino is the classic overnight on Route 66 in California. Calico has cabins and RV camping. There are no overnight stays at Roy’s, and essentially no lodging between Needles and Barstow on the old road.
Gas and food. The old road between Needles and Barstow has almost no services. Roy’s in Amboy is the only fuel on National Trails Highway on that stretch — fill up in Needles and Barstow and treat Amboy as a top-up, not a plan. I-40 parallels the route with services along the way. Carry water, and expect spotty cell service.
One more stop to know about. Mojave National Preserve, a short detour south of the route, has no entrance fee and is open around the clock — but the Kelso Depot Visitor Center has been closed since January 2022, so do not plan a visit around it.
FAQ
How long is Route 66 in California?
About 345 miles, according to the National Park Service, though the figure is approximate and alignment-dependent — other sources say about 314 miles. It runs from Needles on the Arizona border to Santa Monica on the Pacific.
Can you still drive all of Route 66 in California?
Not continuously. Sections of National Trails Highway between Amboy and Needles are closed for timber-bridge repairs — Cadiz Road to Mountain Springs Road is still closed, and the Kelbaker Road to Essex stretch is closed. Drivers use I-40 for those stretches and rejoin the historic road where it is open. In Los Angeles the route survives only in fragments. Check the county’s road-closures page before going.
Where does Route 66 officially end in California?
The official terminus from 1936 to 1964 was the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard in Santa Monica. The symbolic end most travelers photograph is the “End of the Trail” sign on Santa Monica Pier, dedicated in 2009.
How many days do you need for Route 66 in California?
Allow two to three days for Route 66 in California with stops: one day for the desert leg from Needles to Barstow, with Amboy and Calico; one day from Barstow through Victorville, San Bernardino, and Pasadena; and a final stretch through Los Angeles to Santa Monica Pier. The stops are the point.
What is the best time of year to drive Route 66 in California?
Fall through spring, roughly October through April, is best for the desert leg — the National Park Service calls the Needles-Barstow stretch one of the hottest legs anywhere on Route 66. The coastal end is pleasant year-round.
Is Calico Ghost Town worth stopping at, and how much is it?
Yes, if you like Old West history — an 1880s silver-mining town run as a county regional park, open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Christmas Day. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for youth ages 4 to 11, free for ages 3 and under, and $1 per dog on a six-foot leash. The mine tour, train ride, Mystery Shack, and gold panning cost extra.
Conclusion
Route 66 in California rewards the driver who plans around what is actually there: a desert highway with real closures, a neon sign that shines again after decades dark, a ghost town that charges eight dollars, and a pier where the road meets the Pacific. Check the closures, fill the tank in Needles and Barstow, and give the trip two or three days. Check the National Park Service Route 66 California page and the Santa Monica Pier page for current conditions before you go.
