Historical Marker

Route 66

You are traveling an early alignment of U.S. 66, perhaps the most well-known road to follow this historic transportation corridor. A Spanish mission trail to Pecos Pueblo, the Santa Fe Trail and the National Old Trails Road all predate the Mother Road in using this narrow passage through rocky terrain. Until the 1930s, Route 66 was aligned through downtown Santa Fe, exited the city to the southwest, traversed La Bajada and passed through the famed “Big Cut” before descending into Albuquerque. In 1937, Santa Fe was bypassed and Route 66 straightened, creating a direct east-west alignment that eliminated 197 miles of travel.