In his Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck wrote a chapter about Dust Bowl migrants traveling Route 66, which he nicknamed “The Mother Road.' The highway is also sometimes called 'The Will Rogers Highway' and 'The Main Street of America'. But it finally, officially became Route 66. Its supporters originally sought the Route 60 designation, and after opposition from several states, Route 62.
Route 66' was assigned on April 30, 1926. Route 66 became the first national highway to be completely paved, in 1938. But it was the shortest, year-round route between the Midwest and the Pacific Coast. Route 66 was not America's oldest or longest road, surpassed by transcontinental highways like U.S.
Was Route 66 the longest national highway? However, as the route evolved over its 60 years of existence with new, improved alignments, the mileage varied over time. It is generally accepted that, from beginning to end in 1926, Route 66 traversed 2,448 miles, or 3,940 kilometers. Route 66 began in downtown Chicago, Illinois, and ended in Santa Monica in California. Historic Route 66 begins in Chicago, Illinois, and ends in Santa Monica, CA
