NPS: Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

US Highway 66 History and Significance

Historic US Highway 66 U.S. Highway 66 -- popularly known as Route 66 or the Mother Road -- holds an elevated place in American consciousness and tells diverse stories of a mobile nation on the road. Highly celebrated through literature, film, and song, Route 66 is of national significance as a symbol of America's transportation history and the impact of the automobile. In 1985, US Highway 66 was decommissioned as a federal highway, but continues to live on in the American consciousness as “Route 66.”

The National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program

In recognition of the significance of Route 66 to America’s heritage, Congress passed an Act in 1999 to create the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. Administered by the National Park Service, National Trails Intermountain Region, the program preserves the special places and stories of this historic highway. The program collaborates with private, nonprofit, and government partners to identify and prioritize Route 66 preservation needs. The program provides cost-share grants to help preserve the most significant and representative historic sites related to the route’s period of significance (1926-1985). It also assists preservation planning, research, and educational initiatives, and serves as a clearinghouse for preservation information and technical assistance. Since 2001, over 170 projects have received cost-share grant assistance across the route.