Hello all, I have tried the search bar but no luck. I would like to plot in the historical route 66 but when I put in the waypoints, the map chooses the shortest/fastest route. That leads me away from the historical route 66.
Is there any who has plottet in the excact route? Or do you have any tips so I don’t have to drag the route “back on track” the whole way from Chicago to Santa Monica? That leaves me with a trillion “via”points in my inteniary.
Please help me and thank you 
Hello fellow Route 66 traveler! I’m actually out on the route right now myself - just left Oatman and heading into California. Love hearing that more folks are jumping on the Mother Road this year, especially with the centennial buzz.
You’re absolutely right: Roadtrippers defaults to the most efficient route. While you can toggle “avoid highways,” that setting alone won’t necessarily keep you on Historic 66 the whole way.
Route 66 is a bit of a puzzle. You’ll see signage for “Historic Route 66” through much of it, but large portions of the original road have been absorbed into interstates, especially along I-55 and I-40. In many areas, the original scenic stretches still exist, often running parallel to the interstate as frontage roads or state highways, making it tricky to pre-plan on the planner. And do know that once you’re in heavy interstate territory, some sections get sparse, and a few are barely maintained, with occasional dead ends.
What’s worked really well for me is building my trip around specific Route 66 stops I want to hit: towns, roadside attractions, diners, museums, oddities. Then, while en route, I make a game-time call: stick to the old alignment (when it’s available and safe) or hop on the main highway to get to the next highlight. That balance has made this round of Route 66 (I’ve traveled it a few times now) really enjoyable.
To make your planning easier, Roadtrippers has a few pre-plotted Route 66 trips to help you get started. A great one to copy to your profile and customize is our Route 66 Starter Trip. You can add and remove waypoints to fit your liking, but it will keep you generally along the path to start.
We also have a detailed Route 66 guide with additional tips and trip ideas, and there’s been lots of centennial chatter happening over on our subreddit at /r/Roadtrippers/ if you want to swap stories or get ideas from others on the route.
Maybe we’ll pass each other somewhere between a neon sign and a green chile cheeseburger!
Dear Liz, thank you so much for this clear answer! We have just been in USA for the first time (my husband and I are from Denmark) in the fall 2025. Dreamt it my whole life, absolutely LOVED it. Some of the way we were on the historical 66 - I need more! I have saved the trip to my profile, thank you for sharing your experience! Have a wonderful trip, Oatman was by far one of my fave stops on our route!