U.S. Route 66 in Arizona
U.S. Route 66 also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was a major United States Numbered Highway in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926, to June 26, 1985. US 66 covered a total of through Arizona. The highway ran from west to east, starting in Needles, California, through Kingman and Seligman to the New Mexico state line. Nationally, US 66 ran from Santa Monica, California, to Chicago, Illinois. In its height of popularity, US 66 was one of the most popular highways in the state of Arizona, sometimes carrying over one million cars a year.
In the early years, US 66 had to compete with other major U.S. Highways for construction and improvement funding. The highway also played an important role during the Dust Bowl as a means for refugees to escape the ruined farmlands of the Great Plains and migrate to California. The experiences of these refugees traveling through Arizona were largely detailed in John Steinbeck's novel, The Grapes of Wrath, and the 1940 movie adaption that followed. During the mid-20th century, the highway became a tourist destination, spawning the existence of several new motels, restaurants and other road-side businesses and attractions.
With the introduction of Interstate 40, US 66 began declining considerably, with some of the towns along the highway becoming ghost towns. Following the completion of I-40, US 66 was completely decommissioned by the Arizona Department of Transportation in 1984, then retired nationwide the following year. Significant portions of the old highway remain, such as State Route 66 between Kingman and the Yavapai–Coconino county line east of Peach Springs. Since 1987, other sections have been designated as Historic Route 66, which is both an Arizona Historic Road and a National Scenic Byway.
Route description
US 66 was one of the main transnational highways in Arizona, serving as the main east–west highway through the northern end of the state. Nationally, US 66 ran from Chicago, Illinois, to the Los Angeles, California, metropolitan area. The highway in Arizona was over in its earlier years, between California and New Mexico. The route originally went from Topock through Oatman to Kingman. Later, the route between Topock and Kingman was switched to an alignment going through Yucca.From Kingman, US 66 went northeast to Peach Springs before heading southeast to Seligman. Between Seligman and the New Mexico state line near Lupton, US 66 traveled the same basic route I-40 takes today, through Flagstaff, Winslow and Holbrook. Save for several city streets east of Flagstaff, most of US 66 has either been cut off, abandoned, destroyed or rebuilt into sections of I-40. Notable exceptions include the original route through Oatman, SR 66, multiple current and former I-40 Business Loops and Townsend–Winona Road from US 89 to I-40 in Winona. Several sections of the highway no longer part of the Arizona State Highway System are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The following route description roughly follows the path US 66 would have traversed across Arizona in 1940.
California border to Kingman
US 66 entered Arizona from Needles, California, on the Old Trails Bridge across the Topock Gorge and Colorado River, within the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, arriving in Topock, Arizona. The route headed northeast, where it crossed the path of present-day I-40 and the BNSF Railway. The highway then curved east for less than a mile, before curving directly north on County Route 10, past present-day Golden Shores through Bureau of Land Management-managed federal lands.Approximately north of Golden Shores, US 66 arrived at the foothills of the Black Mountains, following the base of those mountains for before entering them. Shortly afterward, the old highway arrived in the town of Oatman, passing through the center of the old mining town. North of Oatman, US 66 turned in a generally eastward direction winding its way up and through the Black Mountains over treacherous curves. US 66 passed through the small mining community of Goldroad and the adjacent mine, before continuing on its winding path up the mountainsides.
Less than east of the Goldroad Mine, US 66 crossed over Sitgreaves Pass at an elevation of, making its slow winding descent towards the other side of the Black Mountains. The highway finally exited the mountains at Cold Springs Station, heading straight east before curving northeast again, away from the mountains. As it headed northeast, US 66 entered the town of McConnico, crossing the path of present-day I-40 again, before turning it turned north, and paralleled the Santa Fe Railway and curving through a small set of mountains. The highway and railroad then arrived in Kingman; US 66 followed Main Street. US 66 met US 93 and US 466 at a former highway junction, which is now the spot of Locomotive Park, the home of Santa Fe Railway No. 3759, a 3751 class 4-8-4 Northern steam locomotive. US 66 continued through town on Main Street, and curved northeast towards I-40 at the eastern end of Kingman. About northeast of Kingman, US 66 crossed under present-day I-40, and continued northeast through the present day Kingman metro area on what is now SR 66.
Kingman to Seligman
Between Kingman and Seligman, I-40's more southerly and more direct path diverges from former US 66 by approximately, putting considerable distance between former US 66 and the current Interstate. SR 66 and Crookton Road comprise the route of old US 66 between Kingman and Seligman. The state highway designation currently covers just of a section east of Kingman. As US 66 headed northeast from Kingman on SR 66 and paralleled the Santa Fe Railway, the highway made a gradual northeastern curve about from Kingman, and entered another mountain range, where it arrived at the town of Hackberry.From Hackberry, US 66 then curved northeast through the mountains, passing through the towns of Valentine and Crozier. Upon entering a small mountain valley, the highway passed through the town of Truxton before entering the mountains again at Peach Springs. Between Valentine and Peach Springs, SR 66 takes a later routing of US 66, which is straighter and has fewer curves. The older, less straight alignment, used through 1940, can be seen on either side of present-day SR 66. A natural feature and tourist attraction called the Grand Canyon Caverns, just east of Peach Springs, are among the largest dry caverns in the United States.
Upon leaving Peach Springs, US 66 curved southeast into the Hualapai Indian Reservation. Shortly afterwards, the highway left Mohave County and continued east into Coconino County. Shortly after entering Coconino County, US 66 entered Yavapai County. The route briefly entered Coconino County again for less than, before crossing into Yavapai County for a second time, where it remained for several miles. This final crossing of the Yavapai–Coconino county line also serves as the present terminus of SR 66. From here on out, US 66 continued southeast as a county-maintained road. This segment was previously the easternmost of SR 66, until ADOT retired this section and handed it over to Yavapai County in 1990 for maintenance.
Old US 66 continued in a straight southeasterly direction for, then made a long curve south and east around a large volcanic bluff. After curving around the bluff, US 66 continued into Seligman, becoming Chino Street into the center of town. Seligman is the birthplace of the first Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, established by local barber Angel Delgadillo in 1987. The association obtained the first "Historic Route 66" designation, which the state initially placed on the segment of US 66 between Kingman and Seligman. East of Seligman, old US 66 diverged from the current business route. Where the business route turns south to return to I-40, US 66 headed southeast on Crookton Road. US 66 proceeded to follow Crookton Road through high desert towards Ash Fork.
Seligman to Williams
From Seligman, US 66 continued heading southeast for on Crookton Road. At I-40 exit 139, the highway briefly took on the route of the present-day Interstate, but curved southeast less than a mile later onto the south frontage road. The volcanic cinder asphalt road curved northeast from the Interstate and crossed over a small three-span concrete bridge, rejoining I-40 where the frontage road curves east. In the same spot as present day exit 144, US 66 curved northeast, taking Pine Avenue into downtown Ash Fork. US 66 continued straight onto 8th Street where Pine Avenue turned east, then made a right-hand curve onto Lewis Avenue. Today, Lewis Avenue is a one-way street, heading westbound only. Traffic heading east through Ash Fork must take Park Avenue, one block to the south. Both Lewis and Park make up a one-way pair carrying I-40 Business through town.At the spot where the I-40 Business Loop turns south to become SR 89, there used to be an intersection where US 66 met at a junction with US 89. US 89 shared a wrong-way concurrency with US 66 between Ash Fork and Flagstaff. Both US 66 and northbound US 89 continued straight east from this intersection on to a highway alignment which no longer exists. The former highway straddled the north side of I-40, at times, often joining and leaving the present westbound lanes of the Interstate. East of Ash Fork, the route left the high desert terrain and entered a mountainous area, covered with Ponderosa pine forests. US 66/US 89 left I-40 around exit 149, heading northeast along an abandoned section of highway through the Monte Carlo truck stop. Approximately from the Interstate, the highway turned straight east for, then wound southeast for, crossing over the Interstate. The old highway made a broad curve less than southeast of I-40, then curved northeast, merging back into the route of I-40. Today, part of this section of former US 66/US 89 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Abandoned Route 66, Ash Fork Hill.
Both US 66 and US 89 split from I-40 again at Bill Williams Loop Road near McClelland Lake. The highway took the loop road for south of the Interstate before merging back into the route of I-40. At exit 161, US 66/US 89 curved northeast from I-40, then headed east on Historic Route 66 into downtown Williams. Parts of downtown Williams surrounding former US 66/US 89, including the roadway itself, are listed on the NRHP. The Williams Historic Business District and Urban Route 66, Williams, were added to the NRHP in 1984 and 1989, respectively. East of town, US 66/US 89 met the Santa Fe Railway at an underpass, then curved southeast onto an abandoned road, which tied into Mountain Man Trail in front of the Bearizona Wildlife Park. This was also the spot where US 66/US 89 intersected with the western terminus of SR 64, which headed north towards Valle and the Grand Canyon, while US 66 and US 89 continued east towards Flagstaff.