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n Chicago, Illinois—near Adams Street and Michigan Avenue—is a small sign marking the beginning of historic Route 66. With the full route stretching over 2,400 miles, the highway winds through 300 miles of Illinois before the Chain of Rocks Bridge carries the road across the Mississippi River into Missouri.

Route 66 travelers in Illinois experience all the iconic features of the Mother Road including vintage neon signs, drive-in theaters, legendary restaurants, and roadside icons. The Route 66 Association Hall of Fame & Museum shares a vast collection of memorabilia and vintage cars celebrating the highway, and artistic installations like the Gemini Giant attract photographers and Route 66 enthusiasts from across the world. Explorers can drive on an original brick road alignment near Auburn and get a taste of roadside history at the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, where the corn dog was invented in 1949.

Explore the stories of Route 66 in Illinois and learn how you can celebrate and advocate for the route in 2026.

Route 66 Centennial Events in Illinois

Millions of Route 66 supporters and dozens of communities along the Route 66 corridor will celebrate the Mother Road’s 100th birthday in 2026 with events, commemorations, and advocacy. This year, join the National Trust and our partners in Illinois and be a part of the multi-state centennial celebration:

National Trust on Route 66 in Illinois

For over 35 years, the National Trust has worked alongside our partners to preserve Route 66 as part of our ongoing Preserve Route 66 campaign that includes over $2.3 million in grantmaking across the eight Route 66 states, advocacy for federal legislation, traveling the route to document its rich history, and supporting Route 66 sites as part of other initiatives like the list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places and Backing Historic Small Restaurants.

In Illinois, thirteen Route 66 sites to-date have received over $153,000 in grants to support critical preservation work that helps enable small businesses and prized community landmarks to thrive and continue to tell their piece of the Route 66 story. Grantees in Illinois include the Ariston Café in Litchfield to support floor restoration critical for continued operations and CORE of McLean to restore and transform their water tower into a roadside attraction generating heritage tourism opportunities benefiting the community.

Stay tuned for the next round of Preserving Route 66 grant opportunities for Route 66 Legacy Businesses and Route 66 Sites in Fall 2026.

Stories of Illinois' Route 66 on Google Arts & Culture

In 2026, the National Trust for Historic Preservation partnered with Google Arts & Culture to launch a new theme page as part of its work to preserve the Mother Road. This project—an Official Route 66 Centennial Project recommended by the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission—was developed in collaboration with over 20 additional partner organizations resulting in over 130 stories that take you across all eight states on the Mother Road, including Illinois.

• Preservation Along Route 66 in Illinois
• The Mother Road Comes Alive in Springfield
• Route History: Highlighting the African American Experience on ‘Mother Road’
• Ping Tom Memorial Park
• Old Joliet Prison: A Unique Site of Conscience Along Route 66
• Preserving Duncan Manor: A Family Affair
• The Gemini Giant is Preserved

Advocate for Route 66