Route 66 Association is the generic name of the non-profit associations established for preservation, restoration and promotion of the historic

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) is one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The high ...

. They exist in all eight Route 66 states:

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

and

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The first Route 66 Association was established on

U.S. Route 66 in Arizona U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) also known as the Will Rogers Highway, was a major United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926, to June 26, 1985. US 66 ...

by businessman

Angel Delgadillo Angel Delgadillo (born April 19, 1927) is an American barber and businessowner in Seligman, Arizona who has been dubbed the "guardian angel" of U.S. Route 66. He is the main founder of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, established i ...

. An initial meeting of 15 people on February 18, 1987, in Seligman led to efforts which yielded a state-issued "Historic Route 66" designation for a portion of former Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman later that year. By 1990, similar organizations had been established in all eight U.S. Route 66 states.

California Historic Route 66 Association

The California Historic Route 66 Association is the youngest of the eight, established in December 1990 and dedicated to the

U.S. Route 66 in California U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) is a part of a former United States Numbered Highway in the state of California that ran from the west in Santa Monica, California, Santa Monica on the Pacific Ocean through Los Angeles and San Ber ...

. It publishes a quarterly newsletter ''Roadsigns'', which includes various news and history related to Route 66 in

, among other things. It published the ''Guide to Historic Route 66 in California'', a travel guide with maps, directions, mileage, photos, and other travel information.

Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona

The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona was established in February 1987 and dedicated to the

. The Arizona association was instrumental in making the Seligman- Kingman stretch of Route 66 to be officially recognized as "Historic Route 66" later that year, a designation subsequently extended to the whole Route 66 in Arizona. Seligman businessman

was a key early advocate both of the creation of this Route 66 association and of the introduction of the "Historic Route 66" designation and signage.

New Mexico Route 66 Association

The New Mexico Route 66 Association is dedicated to the education, promotion and preservation of Historic Route 66 in New Mexico.

Texas Old Route 66 Association

The Texas Old Route 66 Association, dedicated to the U.S. Route 66 in Texas, was incorporated in 1991. It publishes the ''Texas Route 66 Newsletter'' quarterly and maintains the Texas Route 66 Exhibit, the first Route 66 museum on the route, among other activities.

Oklahoma Route 66 Association

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association, organized in 1989, is dedicated to the

U.S. Route 66 in Oklahoma U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) in Oklahoma ran from west to northeast across the state of Oklahoma, along the path now taken by Interstate 40 in Oklahoma, Interstate 40 (I-40) and State Highway 66 (SH-66). It passed through ...

. It publishes a quarterly newsletter and the ''Official Oklahoma Route 66 Association Trip Guide''.

Kansas Historic Route 66 Association

The Kansas Historic Route 66 Association, founded in 1990, is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the 13.2 mile stretch of

U.S. Route 66 in Kansas U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) was a United States Numbered Highway System, U.S. highway in southeastern Cherokee County, Kansas, Cherokee County, Kansas. It entered the state south of Baxter Springs, Kansas, Baxter Springs and ...

Route 66 Association of Missouri

The Route 66 Association of Missouri was organized in 1989 (a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit corporation A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a nonprofit corporation ma ...

since January 13, 1990) is dedicated to the

U.S. Route 66 in Missouri U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) is a former east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Santa Monica, California to Chicago, Illinois. In Missouri, the highway ran from downtown St. Louis at the Mississippi River to ...

. The association publishes the quarterly newsletter, ''Show Me Route 66'', which describes various projects associated with Route 66.

Route 66 Association of Illinois

The Route 66 Association of Illinois is dedicated to

U.S. Route 66 in Illinois U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66) was a United States Numbered Highway in Illinois that connected St. Louis, Missouri, and Chicago, Illinois. The historic Route 66, the ''Mother Road'' or ''Main Street of America'', took long distance automobile t ...

. Initiated in March 1989, it was incorporated in October 1989 in

Dwight, Illinois Dwight is a village (Illinois), village located mainly in Livingston County, Illinois, with a small portion in Grundy County, Illinois, Grundy County. The population was 4,032 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Dwight contains an orig ...

, and currently has Pontiac, Illinois, where the Route 66 Association Hall of Fame and Museum is located, as its home base. The association publishes a quarterly magazine, ''The 66 News''.

National Historic Route 66 Federation

Founded in 1995, the National Historic Route 66 Federation publishes the "Route 66 Dining & Lodging Guide'' (since 1999, currently including over 500 mostly vintage businesses) and a 200-page ''EZ66 Guide For Travelers" (since 2005). With a stated objective of bringing Route 66 historians, authors, artists, photographers, business people and enthusiasts with citizens within

host communities, the federation presents an annual “John Steinbeck Award” to an individual who had contributed significantly to the preservation of Route 66 and organizes an “Adopt-A-Hundred” program in which adopters watch 100-mile segments for possible preservation problems along the route such as bridges, businesses or stretches of roadbed being closed. These same adopters were to review the dining and lodging businesses while they traveled. The National Historic Route 66 Federation is working with the National Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program to issue $10 million in matching fund grants under the National Route 66 Preservation Bill (1999) to individuals, corporations and communities preserving or restoring historic properties along the historic route.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.national66.org/about-us/ – National organization U.S. Route 66 Non-profit organizations based in Arizona Non-profit organizations based in Illinois Non-profit organizations based in Missouri Non-profit organizations based in Kansas Non-profit organizations based in Oklahoma Non-profit organizations based in Texas Non-profit organizations based in New Mexico Pontiac, Illinois