ROUTE 66

the main road from Chicago to Los Angeles between 1926 and the 1960s. Its popular name was the ‘Mother Road’. It was 2 448 miles/3 940 kilometres long, passing through eight states, and became a symbol of Americans’ freedom of movement. Parts of Route 66 still exist, but it was officially replaced by interstate motorways/freeways in the 1980s. It gave its name to the CBS television series Route 66 (1960–3), whose popular theme song ended: ‘Get your kicks on Route 66’.