It's been called the Will Rogers Highway, the Mother Road, and more—born in Springfield, MO, in 1926 and fully paved by 1938, Route 66 carried post-war family vacations from Chicago to Los Angeles (and everywhere in between) through its 1950-60s heyday. Now, the Historic Route 66 is a living time capsule of neon signs, mom-and-pop diners, colorful murals, and All-American main streets. And road trippers can now enjoy these classic stretches with modern travel conveniences, proving the Mother Road still works at today's speed.
Gear up for the centennial with everything needed to hit the road: smart itineraries, weekend and one-tank trips by state, and a music playlist that keeps the miles moving. Get a quick history of Choice Hotels on the route, pinpoint landmark attractions, and line up dependable stays.
Centennial Celebrations
The party on America's most iconic road tripping route kicks off on April 30, 2026 in Springfield, MO, with five satellite cities along the way joining in the fun. Get inspired to plan your own centennial vacation or classic road trip adventure through the heart of the U.S.—because wherever the Mother Road leads you, Choice Hotels is there.
Plan your Route 66 stays
With hundreds of properties on or near the Historic Route 66, you'll find Choice Hotels makes it affordable and convenient to vacation along every mile of the Mother Road.
Mother Road Rhythms: A Route 66 Road Trip Playlist
Every mile is a melody of black-top adventure and neon nostalgia on historic Route 66. This playlist follows the drive the way most travelers do: heading west. You’ll start strong in Chicago with Nat King Cole’s ode to the road, then role into St. Louis swing with Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith. A quick detour “Over the Rainbow” through Kansas prairie resets the tempo before Don Williams adds an easy backbeat in Oklahoma. Miles and miles of Texas lie ahead, with George Strait singing us into Amarillo as the sun rises. New Mexico keeps time with Taos glow, Albuquerque quirk, and the hum of Gallup neon. Arizona lifts the mood with high-country air and light—there’s a famous corner to “Take It Easy,” while Mark Lindsay’s “Arizona” keeps the wheels turning toward the Pacific. The final leg through California arrives like a dream and closes with boulevard pop and ocean breeze. Each track echoes a real place on the route, all fueled by the classic rhythm only the Mother Road can keep.
Finding Choice Hotels’ historical roots on Route 66
Our story of dependable lodging and modern hospitality was written by people who understood the profound impact of the American road trip—and for those who traveled it.
Born on the road in 1939, Choice Hotels maps its start to a group of motor court owners that formed Quality Courts, widely regarded as the nation’s first hotel chain. A “motor court” was the original road trip hotel, promising drive-up rooms around central parking that were owner-run, practical, and predictably clean.
That promise met the Mother Road at the Manor Motel in Channahon, just outside Joliet, IL. Set where U.S. 6 crosses the original U.S. 66, it’s the first verifiable Choice Hotels-linked property on Route 66. Originally built and operated by a local mason, the first block of rooms opened in the late 1940s, with final touches (like the pool and onsite restaurant) completed by 1954.
And while Quality Courts had only a modest presence on Route 66 during its heyday, we’ve always been the road trip choice of stay—finely tuned for those pauses between destinations.
This rare, late-1950's snapshot of the Manor Motel's pool area was immortalized on postcards once sold at the front desk.