Here are a few quick facts:

• Current maps do not include the old Route 66.
• The Route is 2448 miles long. (about 4000 km).
• It was commissioned in 1926, picking up as many as possible bits and pieces of existing road..
• It crosses 8 states and 3 time zones..
• It starts in Chicago, and ends in L.A. (Santa Monica).. Driving the Route in the opposite direction is historically wrong, and a lot harder as all available documentation goes the "right" way..
• in 1926 only 800 miles were paved, only in 1937 Route 66 got paved end-to-end..
• You can only drive parts of Route 66 these days... it has been replaced by the interstate highways I-55, I-44, I-40, I-15 and I-10, but still a surprisingly high amount of old road is waiting to be found by the more adventurous traveler..
• Route 66 is also know as "The Mother Road", "The Main Street of America" and as "The Will Rogers Highway"..
• During all of its life, Route 66 continued to evolve, leaving many abandoned stretches of concrete, still waiting to be found by the more adventurous traveler..
• Route 66 was also the title of a TV series playing from 1960 till 1964.
• Cyrus Stevens Avery from Tulsa Oklahoma can be called the father of Route 66.
• In 1985 Route 66 was officially decommissioned, but for daily use it was replaced far earlier by the Interstates..