Route 66 California
The California stretch of the Mother Road, Santa Monica to the Arizona border.
We drove Route 66 from Santa Monica through the Mojave Desert to the Arizona border, stopping at a classic 60s-style soda fountain, Wigwam Motels, ghost towns and roadside diners along the way. This guide covers everything you cannot miss in California, how to break up the drive and where to stay, the best food stops along the way, and how to save money on the classic Mother Road trip.
We cover all of this and more on our YouTube channel. And if you would rather skip the planning altogether, we can build you a bespoke Route 66 itinerary. Carrying on into Arizona? Read our Route 66 Arizona guide.
When to Visit Route 66
We travelled in May and loved it. It was quieter, with far less people around, and we could do all of the activities along the route without any real crowds. The weather was warm too, we averaged temperatures in the high 20s°C, around 80 to 84°F. The national parks we visited along the way were also much quieter than we expected.
April, May, September and October give you the most comfortable temperatures across the Mojave and Arizona high desert. June through August looks tempting because it is school holiday season, but daytime temperatures through Barstow, Needles and the desert floor regularly climb past 38°C (100°F), and that is when the long gaps between fuel stops start to feel risky rather than just inconvenient.
Whether you need to pre-book depends entirely on your dates. Outside of the summer holiday season, most motels along this stretch have rooms available on the day, and calling ahead from the road works fine. Across summer weekends, and for anything with real character like the Wigwam Motels, book in advance, they fill up.
Areas to Visit Along Route 66
This is a road trip, so we have set it out in route order, step by step from first stop to last, covering California from Santa Monica to the Arizona border. For each stop we tell you what it is really like, where to stay and why, who it suits and everything you cannot miss.
This is one of the things we would definitely do again. Arizona has its own Route 66 Passport, which you get stamped at the visitor centres along the way, and you get a certificate once you have collected them all. The passport only cost a couple of dollars. It is a really fun way to make sure you visit every visitor centre on the route, and it has all the stops built in for you. There is also a bigger passport covering the whole Route 66 stretch across all eight states. Pick one up at any visitor centre, or order the larger one online beforehand. The centennial edition was not available at any of the visitor centres we went to, so pre-order it before you go.
Most of this is free to view or enter. The roadside museums, general stores and photo stops do not charge admission, and the wild burros in Oatman only want a carrot. Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park are the two exceptions on this stretch, both charge an entrance fee.
Santa Monica, CA Must see
The official start of this stretch, and worth an hour before you set off. Park up, walk the pier, and get your photo by the "End of the Trail" sign, the classic first photo of any Route 66 trip. It is also a great place to stay in LA, and we would recommend a couple of nights here before or after the drive.
Where to stay:
- Shore Hotel, we have stayed here before and loved it, directly opposite Santa Monica Pier.
Best for:
- First-time visitors
- Photography lovers
- Families
- Santa Monica Pier & the "End of the Trail" sign, the official starting point, worth stopping for the photo before you set off.
- Mel's Drive-In, the original location in LA, a fitting place to grab food before starting the drive.
Pasadena, CA Must see
Your first stop after Santa Monica, and an easy one to fit in before the long drive east. Downtown is really nice to walk around, and the stops below sit close together.
Where to stay:
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Glendale, our stay, in neighbouring Glendale and close to Pasadena.
Best for:
- Route 66 enthusiasts
- Movie lovers
- History seekers
- Fair Oaks Pharmacy & Soda Fountain, in neighbouring South Pasadena, the original soda fountain on the old road. It feels like stepping back into the 60s, with delicious fountain drinks and ice cream sundaes, so we definitely recommend a stop. It opens around 11am, and it did at the weekend for our Sunday ice cream.
- Back to the Future filming locations, loads of them, including the Gamble House and different houses around town, a fun stop for any movie fan.
- Pasadena City Hall, one of the first passport stamps on the route.
- Downtown Pasadena, a really nice area to walk around.
San Bernardino / Rialto, CA
Your first main stop heading out from Santa Monica, and home to one of the two surviving Wigwam Motels on the entire route. We would not hang around downtown, some of the surrounding area does not feel comfortable to walk around after dark, and the same goes for central Barstow further up the road. Stick to well-lit, well-reviewed spots and you will be fine.
Where to stay:
- Wigwam Motel, Rialto, sleep in one of the original concrete teepees, a real piece of Route 66 history and reason enough on its own to break your journey here. The accommodation itself is pretty basic, and it can be loud being so close to the main road, not recommended if you are a light sleeper.
The Wigwam books up, especially at weekends and through the busier spring and autumn months. Reserve this one ahead of time.
Best for:
- Road trippers
- Route 66 enthusiasts
- One-night stopovers
- Cucamonga Service Station, the stop just before San Bernardino, a restored old gas station that now works as part museum, part gift store. You can even buy a brick and have your name added permanently.
- Wigwam Motel, Rialto, concrete teepee-shaped rooms dating back to 1949, worth pulling in for photos even if you are not staying the night.
- Historic Original McDonald's Museum, a compact museum on the site of the very first restaurant, a fun 30 minute stop. They have every toy ever issued around the world on display, plus props from the movie The Founder.
Barstow, CA Must see
Barstow doesn't have the same character as other stops on Route 66, so we would come for the museums rather than the town itself. The whole stop can be done in half a day, the main museums sit right by the train station and are all walking distance from each other.
Where to stay:
We would not base ourselves overnight in Barstow, downtown does not feel that comfortable after dark. If you need to break here, stick to a well-reviewed chain motel just off the interstate road rather than staying downtown, or keep going to Topock or Bullhead City and stop for the night there instead. This is what we did.
Best for:
- Road trippers
- History seekers
- Route 66 Mother Road Museum, a small, well-run museum covering the history of the road, worth thirty minutes, walking distance from the train station.
- Barstow Station, the gateway into the Mojave stretch of the route, a good place to fuel up before the longer empty sections ahead. There is a McDonald's here where you actually sit inside old train carriages, plus a few other eateries.
- Del Taco, Barstow is home to the oldest still-operating Del Taco in the chain, open since 1964, worth a stop if you want a bite of fast food history.
- Calico Ghost Town, a restored 1880s silver-mining town just 20 minutes from Barstow, with old buildings you can walk through, mine tours and a mine train running most days. A good few hours of fun.
- Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch, around 30 minutes from Barstow, dozens of tree sculptures built from glass bottles and vintage junk, one of the strangest and most photogenic stops on the whole route.
Needles & Topock
The run between Barstow and the Arizona border. These stops are much further along the road. Roy's Motel & Cafe is around an hour and 20 minutes from Barstow, so treat it as its own stop rather than a Barstow add-on.
Where to stay:
- Topock66, right on the Colorado River just outside Needles, with gorgeous views, an outdoor pool and desert surrounding the property on all sides. A recommended stop for the river views alone.
Best for:
- Road trippers
- Photography lovers
- Roy's Motel & Cafe, Amboy, the single most photographed sign on this stretch of the route, in the middle of empty desert.
- Goffs Schoolhouse, a restored one-room schoolhouse from the early 1900s, a quiet, easy-to-miss piece of history just off the main road.
- Needles, the last California town before the Colorado River, a natural place to stop before the border. Wagon Wheel Restaurant here is worth a stop if you want to eat before crossing over.
- Topock, where the route crosses into Arizona, worth a short photo stop.
Driving Route 66
This stretch runs from Santa Monica through the Mojave Desert, mostly on quiet two-lane roads that run alongside the modern interstate rather than on it. Some sections narrow down to single lanes, so slow down rather than expecting it to behave like the interstate. Santa Monica to Holbrook comes to around 600 miles and about 9 hours of driving before you factor in any stops, which is why we recommend a stop halfway.
Day one was Santa Monica to Bullhead City, about 10 hours including stops. It was not all driving, we made the most of the stops along the way, and we kept going past Barstow to stop for the night at Bullhead City.
A standard rental car is all you need, including for the climb over the Black Mountains into Oatman. Keep to the old alignments where they are signposted rather than jumping onto the interstate, that is where the actual character of the road is.
Keep a minimum of half a tank at all times. You do not always know when your next gas station is coming on this stretch, and running it close is not worth the risk. We filled up at Costco just outside LA before setting off, it works out a fair bit cheaper than most stations further along the route, worth the detour if you have membership.
Google Maps will often try to route you off Route 66 and onto the interstate, since it is usually quicker. We took it occasionally ourselves, especially on sections with no stops worth making on the old road. Just be aware the historic route itself can narrow to single track in places, so slow down rather than expecting it to behave like the interstate.
There are a few Route 66 apps out there that keep you on the historic road and call out attractions as you pass them. We downloaded a guide through Viator and it was fun having commentary running along the route, it felt more like a guided tour than just driving.
Download offline maps before you set off. Signal drops out for long stretches between towns, particularly through the desert between Needles and Kingman.
Food and Drink Stops Along Route 66
This is not a fine dining stretch. You expect diners, saloons and general stores. And here is where we visited during our route.
Mel's Drive-In, Santa Monica
Mel's Drive-In, the original in LA, and a great meal as you would expect from any diner, with burgers, fries and other traditional classics. It is world-renowned and one of the original parts of the end of Route 66.
Barstow Station and Del Taco
Barstow Station, home to a McDonald's where you sit inside old train carriages, plus a few other eateries. Del Taco, Barstow has the oldest still-operating branch, open since 1964, and we were surprised how fresh and delicious the food was.
Wagon Wheel Restaurant, Needles
Wagon Wheel Restaurant, a great option to eat before crossing the Colorado River. We loved the decor, it is a very traditional diner, and the food was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced.
Stock up on snacks and water before Barstow. Choices thin out fast once you are well into the desert stretch.
Save Money & Travel Tips
Most of the savings on this stretch come from planning around fuel, food and timing rather than any pass or discount card.
It is mostly free to enter the roadside stops along this route, most are privately owned or locally owned museums and general stores rather than paid attractions, and simply ask for a small donation instead. Bring some cash in small notes for these.
Fuel is cheaper in the bigger towns like Barstow than at the small stations in between. Fill up there rather than topping off at every stop along the way.
Fifteen to twenty percent is standard at any sit-down restaurant or diner, even the roadside ones. Cash is appreciated at small family-run stops.
Go in spring or autumn if you can. We travelled in May and it was already hot by midday, summer through the Mojave is a different level of heat entirely.
Get an eSIM before you set off so you have data the second you land, without roaming charges. We use Ubigi every time and it has never let us down, though expect signal to drop out completely for stretches through the desert regardless. Get your Ubigi eSIM →
Route 66 California: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Route 66 safe?
Yes. The road itself is well maintained and the small towns along it are friendly, this is tourism country. The only real risks are practical ones, long empty stretches with no fuel or phone signal. We would take those seriously and keep the tank topped up, but we never once felt unsafe.
What do we wish we had known before doing Route 66?
We pre-booked all our hotels because there is not always much vacancy along the route, and it meant we knew exactly where to go and what to do. We would recommend a couple of nights in both Williams and Flagstaff rather than rushing through, as they are the busiest towns, along with Seligman. We would also add a couple of nights in Santa Monica before or after the route, we love visiting LA.
Where should you stay on Route 66 in California?
We would not base ourselves in downtown Barstow or San Bernardino, neither felt comfortable after dark. The Wigwam Motel in Rialto is the exception, it is basic and loud, but a real piece of history. We kept going to Topock or Bullhead City for the night instead, and would stay in Santa Monica at either end.
Is Santa Monica worth a couple of nights?
Yes. It is a great place to stay in LA, and the Route 66 sign at the pier makes it a fun start or finish. We have stayed at the Shore Hotel before and loved it, directly opposite Santa Monica Pier. We would do a couple of nights there either side of the drive.
How long does it take to drive Route 66 from LA to Arizona?
You could drive it in about 9 hours straight through. We did it in two full days, Santa Monica to Bullhead City, then Bullhead City to Holbrook and back to Flagstaff to sleep, but they were really busy days and we had visited some of these towns before. We would recommend 4 days so you can actually get out of the car and enjoy the stops.
Is Route 66 worth doing if you only have a few days?
Yes. You do not need the full 2,400 miles to get the feel of it. We did this stretch in two very full days, and we couldn't believe how much changed in a single day's drive through the desert.
What is the best time of year to drive Route 66?
We travelled in May and loved it. It was quieter, with less crowds, and temperatures averaged the high 20s°C (80 to 84°F). We would do spring or autumn over summer every time, the desert gets very hot in July and August and there is very little shade at the roadside stops.
Is there phone signal along Route 66?
Barely, in the long stretches between towns. We lost signal for a good hour at a time between stops and would download offline maps before setting off rather than relying on data in the middle of the desert.
Should you stick to Route 66 itself or take the side roads?
We would take the old alignments where they are signposted, that is where the real character is. Google Maps will often send you onto the interstate because it is quicker, and we took it occasionally ourselves, but you miss almost everything that makes the drive worth doing.
Does Route 66 still exist, can you actually still drive it?
Yes, although not as one continuous road anymore. Around 85% of the original route is still drivable. Where the old road disappears under the interstate, you just join it for a few miles and pick the old road back up, we did this ourselves a handful of times.
Is 2026 a special year to drive Route 66?
Yes, Route 66 reached its 100th anniversary in 2026. The centennial edition of the passport was not available at any of the visitor centres we went to, so we would pre-order it beforehand rather than hope to find one on the road.
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