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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Susan Montoya Bryan

Eight states, three time zones and a ton of history: Take a trip down Route 66 as it turns 100

Route 66 Centennial - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

If you’ve ever planned to motor west and take the highway that’s the best, this might be time: Route 66 turns 100 this year.

The Mother Road, as author John Steinbeck dubbed it, has evolved over the years from an escape for poor farmers fleeing the devastating dust storms of the 1930s to perhaps the quintessential American road trip that’s still delivering kicks.

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