Route 66 End of the Trail

Right in front of you is a sign you simply can’t miss in Santa Monica. With its retro look and bright colors, it symbolically marks the end of the legendary Route 66, one of the most famous roads in the United States. Created in 1926, it stretched nearly 4,000 kilometers from Chicago to California, crossing eight states and a wide range of landscapes, from the Great Plains to the deserts of Arizona. Originally, the route ended in Los Angeles, but in 1936 it was extended to Santa Monica, to the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard just a few streets from here. Over time, the pier has come to be seen as the “spiritual” end of the journey, the place where travelers finally reach the Pacific Ocean after crossing the entire country. The sign you see today isn’t an official road sign, but a more recent installation, put up in 2009 to celebrate the history of this legendary route. On both sides, you’ll notice the word “End”, a subtle reminder that this journey is just as much about the road itself as it is about the final destination. For decades, Route 66 was nicknamed “The Mother Road” or “Main Street of America” because it helped support hundreds of small towns along the way, with motels, gas stations and diners lining the route. It also played an important role in American history, especially during the westward migrations of the 1930s. With the construction of modern highways from the 50s onwards, it gradually lost its importance and was eventually decommissioned, but around 85% of its original route can still be traveled today. Its image remains deeply rooted in popular culture, carried by the song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66”, by television series and more recently by the film Cars, which helped spark renewed interest in this iconic road. Today, visitors from all over the world come here to take a photo in front of this sign, as a small ritual to mark the end of a great adventure. Some have spent weeks driving across the United States, others are simply discovering the story of the place, but everyone shares this same moment facing the ocean, where the road ends and the Pacific begins.