State Route 66 (SR 66) is a surface road in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

in Mohave and Coconino Counties. In 1914, the road was designated "National Old Trails Highway" but in 1926 was re-designated as U.S. Route 66. In 1985, U.S. Route 66 was dropped from the highway system. Parts of the highway were either absorbed into

I-40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

, turned over to the state (SR 66), or turned over to

Yavapai County Yavapai County is near the center of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 236,209, making it the fourth-most populous county in Arizona. The county seat is Prescott. Yavapai County comprises the Prescott, AZ M ...

Route description

State Route 66 is a relic of the former

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 in the state of Arizona from November 11, 1926, to June 26, 1985. US 66 covered a total of through Arizona. Th ...

and is the only part of old US 66 in Arizona to have state route markers. Its western terminus is near Kingman at exit 52 on

Interstate 40 Interstate 40 (I-40) is a major east–west Interstate Highway running through the south-central portion of the United States. At a length of , it is the third-longest Interstate Highway in the country, after I-90 and I-80. From west to ea ...

and its eastern terminus was near Seligman at exit 123 on Interstate 40. In 1990, the state turned over the easternmost of SR 66 (known as Crookton Rd) to Yavapai County for maintenance. State Route 66 tends downward toward the west, with the vegetation becoming more desert-like toward Kingman. The terrain changes at a slower pace than the more direct Interstate 40, making it a scenic alternative at the cost of some time. It still serves communities that the freeway avoids, including Valentine and

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; it enters the

Hualapai Indian Reservation The Hualapai (, , yuf-x-wal, Hwalbáy) is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Arizona with about 2300 enrolled members. Approximately 1353 enrolled members reside on the Hualapai Reservation, which spans over three counties in Nort ...

History

U.S. Route 66 in Arizona

Between the

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

state line and Kingman, the original alignment is now known as Oatman Road and passed through the old mining town of Oatman. A later alignment (via

Yucca ''Yucca'' is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flo ...

) is now Interstate 40. The older alignment passes through the Black Mountains complete with numerous hairpin turns. This area is desert. From Kingman to Seligman, it took a path now followed by modern State Route 66. East of Seligman and continuing beyond Flagstaff, the area is mountainous (not desert) and covered with

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

forests. Continuing toward the

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

state line, much of US 66 has been replaced with I-40. Various stretches of the old highway exist as

frontage road A frontage road (also known as an access road, outer road, service road, feeder road, or parallel road) is a local road running parallel to a higher-speed, limited-access road. A frontage road is often used to provide access to private drivew ...

s and

business loop A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or ...

s of I-40.

State route

In 1984, US 66 was officially removed from the state highway system of Arizona. Most of the old highway had been replaced by I-40, but the portion between Kingman and Seligman where I-40 followed a new alignment to the south became SR 66. In 1990, the state turned over the easternmost of SR 66 (known as Crookton Rd) to Yavapai County for maintenance.

Junction list

References

External links

SR 66 at Arizona Roads
{{Portal bar, Arizona, Transportation, U.S. Roads 066 U.S. Route 66 in Arizona Transportation in Mohave County, Arizona Transportation in Coconino County, Arizona Transportation in Yavapai County, Arizona Kingman, Arizona