Arizona State Route 66

State Route 66
SR 66 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by ADOT
Length	66.74 mi[1] (107.41 km) Only includes state-maintained mileage
Existed	1984–present
History	Previously US 66
Tourist routes	Historic Route 66
Major junctions
West end	Historic US 66 / Michael Road in Kingman
Major intersections	Future I-11 / I-40 / US 93 in Kingman
East end	BL 40 / Historic US 66 in Seligman
Location
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Highway system
Arizona State Highway System Interstate US State Proposed Former
← US 66 → SR 67

State Route 66 (SR 66) is a surface road in the U.S. state of Arizona in Mohave and Coconino Counties. In 1914, the road was designated "National Old Trails Highway" but in 1926 was re-designated as U.S. Route 66.^[2] In 1985, U.S. Route 66 was dropped from the highway system. Parts of the highway were either absorbed into I-40, turned over to the state (SR 66), or turned over to Yavapai County.

Route description

State Route 66 is a relic of the former U.S. Route 66 in Arizona and is the only part of old US 66 in Arizona to have state route markers. Its western terminus is near Kingman at exit 52 on Interstate 40 and its eastern terminus was near Seligman at exit 123 on Interstate 40. In 1990, the state turned over the easternmost 16.8 miles (27.0 km) of SR 66 (known as Crookton Rd) to Yavapai County for maintenance.^[3]

State Route 66 tends downward toward the west, with the vegetation becoming more desert-like toward Kingman. The terrain changes at a slower pace than the more direct Interstate 40, making it a scenic alternative at the cost of some time. It still serves communities that the freeway avoids, including Valentine and Peach Springs; it enters the Hualapai Indian Reservation.

History

U.S. Route 66 in Arizona

Between the California state line and Kingman, the original alignment is now known as Oatman Road and passed through the old mining town of Oatman. A later alignment (via Yucca) is now Interstate 40. The older alignment passes through the Black Mountains complete with numerous hairpin turns. This area is desert.

From Kingman to Seligman, it took a path now followed by modern State Route 66.

East of Seligman and continuing beyond Flagstaff, the area is mountainous (not desert) and covered with pine forests. Continuing toward the New Mexico state line, much of US 66 has been replaced with I-40. Various stretches of the old highway exist as frontage roads and business loops of I-40.

State route

In 1984, US 66 was officially removed from the state highway system of Arizona. Most of the old highway had been replaced by I-40, but the portion of the interstate between Kingman and Seligman was developed to follow a new alignment to the south. The remaining northern segment ultimately became SR 66.^[4] In 1990, the state turned over the easternmost 16.8 miles (27.0 km) of SR 66 (known as Crookton Rd) to Yavapai County for maintenance.^[3]

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Mohave	Kingman	0.00	0.00	Historic US 66 west (Andy Devine Street west) / Michael Street	Western terminus; west end of Historic US 66 concurrency; road continues as Historic US 66 west
		0.22– 0.25	0.35– 0.40	I-40 / US 93 – Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Flagstaff, Phoenix	ADOT signs this as western terminus; exit 53 on I-40
Coconino–Yavapai county line		66.74	107.41	East end state maintenance
Yavapai	Seligman			Historic US 66 east / BL 40 to I-40 – Seligman, Kingman, Los Angeles, Flagstaff	ADOT signs this as eastern terminus; highway continues as BL 40/Historic US 66 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

Further reading

• Miller, Blue (2021). Abandoned Route 66 Arizona: Where the Road Came to an End. America Through Time (Fonthill Media). ISBN 978-1634993043.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arizona State Route 66.

• SR 66 at Arizona Roads

This page was last edited on 24 March 2024, at 18:00