Route 66 has long been known at America’s Main Street. Now, Tulsa OK is laying claim to the title Capital of Route 66.
The Tulsa Route 66 Commission, an official commission through the City of Tulsa, recently secured a copyright on the term “Capital of Route 66.” The process took more than two years and involved exhaustive research and surveys that led to the final approval from the federal government in April of 2024.
“Tulsa and Route 66 are deeply connected with the Mother Road running through the heart of our city,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum. “Route 66 is an integral part of Tulsa’s identity and we’ve long been known as the Capital of Route 66. To have this official designation is an exciting day for Tulsa, our region, and the state of Oklahoma.”
Tulsa boasts 28 miles of Route 66 within the city limits, bookended by Gateway Arches on the east and west. Travelers pass by dozens of neon signs that harken back to the days when Route 66 was the main thoroughfare through much of the country. It was born April 30, 1926, when Tulsan Cyrus Stephens Avery sent a telegram from Springfield, Mo., designating the new highway “U.S. Highway 66.”
“Springfield shares a special bond with Tulsa in that two of our community leaders, John T. Woodruff and Cyrus Avery, were instrumental in making Route 66 a reality,” said Springfield Mayor Ken McClure.
The history of Route 66 is deeply connected to Tulsa. In fact, the first U.S. 66 Highway Association, the original association that promoted the road, was founded in Tulsa.
Tulsa’s stretch of Route 66 allows visitors to experience memorials to the road’s storied past, including Cyrus Avery Centennial Plaza, and witness emerging attractions that capture the quirk of the route and signal the paving of many years to come. This includes USA Today’s #1 Food Hall, Mother Road Market, Decopolis Discovitorium art deco museum and gift shop, Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios, which features the 21-foot-tall Buck Atom Muffler Man, and the newest addition, Stella Atom Space Cowgirl.