1926 — 2026 Centennial
Route 66 Anniversary Challenge
Experience the Mother Road. Collect the Centennial.
Travel Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Monica, or Santa Monica to Chicago. Check in at historic landmarks, diners, neon signs, museums, music venues and hidden experiences. Collect points, build your Route 66 Passport, and compete throughout the Centennial year.
- Checkpoints
- 68
- Gold 66
- 42 / 66
- States
- 8 / 8
How the Challenge works
Discover
Browse the map for landmarks, food, music, neon and museums along the route.
Drive & arrive
Navigate to a checkpoint. Stop safely — never use the app while driving.
Check in
Tap Check In within the geofence. Your visit is verified and stamped.
How points work
Base points
Every checkpoint is worth 100 points by default. Your score is the base multiplied by any bonuses that apply.
★ Gold 66 — 1.25×
Sixty-six of the most iconic experiences on the road. Collect them all for a special achievement.
Attendance — 1.5×
Museums, concerts, tours, drive-ins and ticketed performances reward showing up properly.
Photo + Instagram — 1.1×
Add a photo and tag @route66americanaradio with #Route66Centennial for a 10% bonus.
Explore the Route 66 map
Every checkpoint is plotted across the eight Route 66 states, from the Chicago terminus to the Santa Monica Pier. Filter by category, plan your run, and see which stops are Gold 66.
Explore checkpointsBuild your Passport
Every verified check-in becomes a stamp. Your Passport tracks checkpoints, states, Gold 66 progress, Secret Experiences and your running score for the Centennial year.
Gold 66
Sixty-six of the most significant Route 66 experiences carry the Gold 66 mark and a 1.25× multiplier. Collect them all for a dedicated Centennial achievement.
Secret Experiences
Temporary bonus opportunities — live Americana music, festivals, rodeos and other cultural moments — surface only when eligible travellers are nearby. Attend, verify, and bank the bonus.
The 100-Hour Bonus
Your clock starts at the verified terminus check-in and runs continuously — sleep, meals, traffic and sightseeing included. Reach the opposite terminus within 100 hours and every checkpoint you collected on the run earns an extra 5 points. Finishing sooner earns nothing extra: 76 hours and 99 hours qualify exactly the same. There is no fastest-time leaderboard, and points are never awarded for speed.
Leaderboard
All boards →- No stamps collected yet. Be the first on the board.
Suggested route
Start at a terminus — Grant Park in Chicago or the Santa Monica Pier — and work the road state by state: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Weekly Journeys on R66Radio pair each stretch with the music that came from it.
Browse journeysFrequently asked questions
- What is the Route 66 Anniversary Challenge?
- A location-based Centennial travel game along Route 66. Check in at verified landmarks, diners, neon signs, museums and music venues between Chicago and Santa Monica to collect points and stamps in your Route 66 Passport.
- Do I have to complete Route 66 in 100 hours?
- No. Participants have through the end of 2026 to complete the Centennial Challenge. Completing the route within 100 consecutive hours unlocks additional bonus points.
- Can I travel Route 66 in either direction?
- Yes. Chicago to Santa Monica and Santa Monica to Chicago both qualify.
- How do check-ins work?
- Navigate to a checkpoint, stop safely, and tap Check In while inside the checkpoint's geofence. Your location and time are verified on the server and the stamp is added to your Passport.
- Do I need to visit every checkpoint?
- No. Only the starting and finishing termini are mandatory. Every verified checkpoint collected along the way increases your score.
- What is Gold 66?
- Gold 66 identifies 66 particularly significant Route 66 experiences. Gold checkpoints receive a 1.25× point multiplier.
- What are Secret Experiences?
- Secret Experiences are temporary bonus opportunities, such as live Americana music, festivals, rodeos and other cultural events, revealed when eligible travelers are nearby.
- When does the 2026 Challenge end?
- The Centennial Challenge runs through the end of 2026, after which standings are reviewed and the official podium is announced.
Start the Challenge
Do not use the Challenge interface while operating a vehicle. Stop safely before checking in or interacting with the app.