Route 66 Quiz: America's Mother Road Turns 100

This Route 66 quiz follows America's Mother Road from Chicago to Santa Monica, with questions on John Steinbeck, the short Kansas stretch, Cadillac Ranch in Texas, Pixar's Cars, Bobby Troup's famous song and the highway's 2026 centennial. Ten questions, 90 seconds.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Route
Route 66 originally linked which two cities?
History
In which year was Route 66 officially established?
Culture
Which nickname for Route 66 did John Steinbeck use in The Grapes of Wrath?
Route
How many states did Route 66 pass through?
History
In which year was Route 66 officially removed from the U.S. highway system?
Film
Which Pixar movie was inspired by small towns along Route 66?
States
Which state has the shortest stretch of Route 66, only about 13 miles long?
Landmarks
Which Texas art installation features ten old cars buried nose-down in a field?
Music
Who wrote the 1946 song (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66?
Centennial
Route 66 celebrated its 100th anniversary in which year?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Route 66 originally linked which two cities?
Answer: Chicago and Los Angeles
Route 66 ran about 2,450 miles from downtown Chicago to Los Angeles, and later to the Santa Monica Pier on the Pacific Ocean.
Q2: In which year was Route 66 officially established?
Answer: 1926
Route 66 was created on November 11, 1926, as part of the new U.S. highway system. Much of it was not fully paved until 1938.
Q3: Which nickname for Route 66 did John Steinbeck use in The Grapes of Wrath?
Answer: The Mother Road
Steinbeck's 1939 novel followed families fleeing the Dust Bowl along Route 66 to California. The highway's other nicknames include the Main Street of America and the Will Rogers Highway.
Q4: How many states did Route 66 pass through?
Answer: 8
The highway crossed Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Oklahoma has the longest drivable stretch of the old road.
Q5: In which year was Route 66 officially removed from the U.S. highway system?
Answer: 1985
Interstates such as I-40, I-44 and I-55 gradually replaced it, and Route 66 was decommissioned in 1985. Many sections now carry the sign Historic Route 66.
Q6: Which Pixar movie was inspired by small towns along Route 66?
Answer: Cars
Cars (2006) is set in the fictional town of Radiator Springs, which was inspired by real places on Route 66 that lost traffic when the interstate bypassed them.
Q7: Which state has the shortest stretch of Route 66, only about 13 miles long?
Answer: Kansas
Kansas's short section passes through Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs in the state's southeast corner. A tow truck in Galena helped inspire the Cars character Mater.
Q8: Which Texas art installation features ten old cars buried nose-down in a field?
Answer: Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch was created near Amarillo in 1974. Visitors are encouraged to spray-paint the cars, so their colors change constantly. Carhenge is a different car sculpture in Nebraska.
Q9: Who wrote the 1946 song (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66?
Answer: Bobby Troup
Songwriter Bobby Troup wrote the song during a road trip to California, and Nat King Cole made it a hit. Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones later recorded famous versions.
Q10: Route 66 celebrated its 100th anniversary in which year?
Answer: 2026
Route 66's centennial falls on November 11, 2026. Towns along the route planned festivals, car shows and restored neon signs to celebrate.

Route 66 Quiz – America's Most Famous Highway

Route 66 is probably the most famous road in the world. Opened in 1926, it stretched about 2,450 miles from Chicago to the Pacific coast in California and passed through eight states. For decades it was the main route west for families, truckers and dreamers, and it became a symbol of freedom, adventure and the open road.

During the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, thousands of families from Oklahoma and nearby states traveled Route 66 to look for work in California, a journey John Steinbeck described in The Grapes of Wrath. After World War II, a new generation of tourists took to the road in their cars, and diners, motels, gas stations and quirky roadside attractions sprang up to serve them.

The arrival of the interstate highways in the 1950s and 60s changed everything. Faster roads bypassed many small towns, businesses closed and Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985. But fans refused to let it disappear. Historic associations restored neon signs and old motels, and today travelers from around the world come to drive what is left of the Mother Road.

Route 66 lives on in pop culture, from Bobby Troup's song and Nat King Cole's recording to the Pixar film Cars. In 2026 the highway celebrated its 100th birthday.

This quiz covers the route, its history and the landmarks that make it unforgettable.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for road-trip planners, classic car fans and anyone who loves Americana.

Where Route 66 began and ended
When it opened, closed and turned 100
Why John Steinbeck called it the Mother Road
Which states it crossed and which had the shortest stretch
How Route 66 inspired Pixar's Cars
The stories behind Cadillac Ranch and the famous song

Quick Facts About Route 66

The Blue Whale of Catoosa in Oklahoma is a giant concrete whale built in the 1970s.
The Wigwam Motels in Arizona and California let guests sleep in teepee-shaped rooms.
Route 66 crosses the Mississippi River at the Chain of Rocks Bridge near St. Louis.
The Midpoint Café in Adrian, Texas, marks the halfway point of the route.
Many Route 66 travelers start at a sign on Adams Street in Chicago.
The road passes near the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.