How long does it take to drive Route 66? How much time do you have?
Route 66 stretches more than 2,400 miles, crossing eight states from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. It’s a journey, to say the least. So it’s no surprise that one of the most common Route 66 questions is: How long does it take to drive Route 66? The answer? It depends.
If you’re just focused on just the drive, you could really hustle through all the miles of Route 66 and cover the whole route in about two days—without stopping or sleeping (which we definitely don’t recommend). But if you want to actually experience the sights, sounds, and neon glow of The Mother Road, you’ll need more time.
- In a week, you can hop off the highway to admire a giant blue whale or sleep under the glow of the Blue Swallow Motel’s neon sign.
- In two weeks, you can feast on every diner special your stomach can handle.
- In three weeks, you can dive deep into history at Route 66 museums.
- In four weeks, you can take the slow lane, detouring to every quirky roadside attraction, abandoned gas station, and oddity that catches your eye.
- And if you had a lifetime, you still wouldn’t see it all.
If you’re planning a Route 66 road trip and wondering how long to set aside, read on for ideas and itineraries to help you make the most of your journey—whether you have a few days, a few weeks, or more to explore The Mother Road.
Your Route 66 Road Trip. Your Way.
Our Route 66 Road Trip Planning Toolkit offers a customizable travel spreadsheet with over 1,400 stops, a detailed eBook, and a step-by-step video guide to help you craft your personalized Route 66 road trip. Whether you have four days or four weeks for your road trip, you can start planning your perfect itinerary today!
How Long Does it Take to Drive Route 66?
Drive Route 66 in Less Than One Week
Technically, the 2,400 mile drive from Chicago to Santa Monica takes around 30 hours if you stick to the highway. So, if you want to throw on a diaper, load up your cup holder with strong gas station coffee, and down a couple of 5-hour energy shots, you can make the entire journey in around a day and a half. But that’s not going to be a fun road trip, is it? And it certainly isn’t the spirit of Route 66.
Even spending just a week traveling The Mother Road is pushing it in terms of travel time and experience. You won’t get to actually drive any of the original route other than those sections that intersect with the highway and won’t have time to load up on fun stops. So only plan to spend less than a week on Route 66 if you need to make the trek for other reasons anyways, like you’re moving across the country or driving your whole family to DisneyLand in a rented minivan, and want to make a couple of detours off the highway each day and maybe spend a couple of nights in iconic neon-lit motels. Otherwise, plan for at least a week or more.
If you have less than a week of PTO to kill and want to experience Route 66, consider instead taking a vacation to one of the bigger cities on Route 66, like Santa Fe, St. Louis, Chicago, or Flagstaff.
Drive Route 66 in One Week
Is it possible to drive Route 66 in one week? Yes. Is it recommended? No. With more than 2,400 miles to cover between Chicago, Illinois and Santa Monica, California, you would need to book it to go from end to end in just seven days. In order to drive Route 66 in one week you’ll need to travel around 350 miles each day, which means you’ll probably have to stick to the highway instead of the actual remaining stretches of Route 66. You’ll also have to be super selective over how many stops you can make in a day and plan your daily destinations based on the distance you need to travel to stay on track, rather than what town has a must-eat diner for dinner or must-stay motel to rest your head.
Like those traveling for less than seven days, a one-week Route 66 road trip is ideal for anyone who needs to make the journey anyway and just wants to get a taste of America’s Main Street along the way. But if you have just seven days and want to take a bigger bite, consider driving a smaller chunk of the road. Drive from Chicago to St. Louis, take in all of Oklahoma, or explore Arizona with a side trip to the Grand Canyon.
Drive Route 66 in Two Weeks
With two weeks to travel, you’ll start to get a much better appreciation for Route 66. You’ll still have to be selective over how many stops you can make in a day, you might have to speed past some roadside attractions on the highway, you won’t have much time to devote to museums or National Parks, and you won’t be able to linger in the small towns or big cities that Make Route 66 the Main Street of America. Your itinerary will be pretty packed, and you won’t have much time to sit back and relax, but you will be able to experience twice as much as you would if you only had one week.
If you only have two weeks and want to get the most out of Route 66, consider splitting up your journey and traveling halfway across the mother road. Drive from Chicago to the midpoint in Adrian, Texas or from Amarillo to the Santa Monica Pier. This will allow you to slow down, get off the highway, stay at some famous motels, and really have time to explore what makes Route 66 unique. You can always pick up where you left off next year.
Drive Route 66 in Three Weeks
Three weeks is a good amount of time to drive Route 66. With a full 21 days to explore, you’ll be able to take in a breadth of museums, gawk at oversized roadside attractions, sip your coffee at famed diners, dawdle for an extra day here and there, and enjoy a menagerie of neon before resting up at an original motel. Three weeks of travel offers a great blend of sightseeing adventures with the slower-moving pace of the original byway. You’ll have enough time to see all the highlights and some off-the-beaten-path gems. Of course, there’s always room for more!
Drive Route 66 in Four Weeks
Can you drive Route 66 in four weeks? Absolutely! Should you drive Route 66 in four weeks? Absolutely! A four-week road trip on Route 66 gives you the luxury to slow down and really enjoy everything the Mother Road has to offer. You can stay in as many iconic neon-lit motels as you want; try 84 Route 66 restaurants across breakfast, lunch, and dinner; take a leisurely hike at a National Park or two; get your admissions worth at each Route 66 museum; get a million selfies with every muffler man you see; and take your time, and an extra night, wherever you see fit. With four weeks you won’t have to feel bound to a tight schedule and can plan to have a more go-with the flow itinerary that allows you to stop and go wherever you please. You’ll have time to enjoy good food, great motels, and everything Route 66 has to offer!
Drive Route 66 in More Than Four Weeks
Of course, Route 66 doesn’t stop at four weeks! You can spend as much time as you want on the Mother Road and never see it all. You can plan to spend time exploring every Route 66 roadside attraction, every Route 66 museum, every Route 66 gift shop, and every Route 66 outdoor park. You can plan to dine at every Route 66 restaurant and stay at every Route 66 motel. You can also plan to take as many Route 66 tours and attend as many Route 66 events as you want! The sky is the limit as to how long you want to explore and how much you want to see!
How long does it take to drive Route 66? There is no right or wrong answer! Whether you want to speed across the country in a few days or take your time over a month or more, there’s a Route 66 trip waiting for you! So how long are you going to take to drive Route 66?
Your Route 66 Road Trip. Your Way.
Our Route 66 Road Trip Planning Toolkit offers a customizable travel spreadsheet with over 1,400 stops, a detailed eBook, and a step-by-step video guide to help you craft your personalized Route 66 road trip. Whether you have four days or four weeks for your road trip, you can start planning your perfect itinerary today!
