Arizona is the crown jewel of a Route 66 road trip. The state holds roughly 385 miles of the Mother Road, the longest preserved and most drivable stretch anywhere in the country, including a 158-mile unbroken run from just west of Ash Fork all the way to the California line. But the real heart of the journey isn’t the pavement, it’s the cities and towns strung along it. Each one has its own personality, history, and reason to pull over. Here’s a town-by-town guide to the Route 66 cities in Arizona, listed east to west the way most travelers drive them.
How Many Cities Are on Route 66 in Arizona?
From the New Mexico border to the Colorado River, Route 66 passes through more than a dozen Arizona communities, including Lupton, Holbrook, Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams, Ash Fork, Seligman, Peach Springs, Hackberry, Kingman, Oatman, and Topock. You could drive the whole thing nonstop in about six to seven hours, but that would defeat the purpose. Plan on at least two to three days to do the cities justice.
Holbrook
The eastern gateway to Arizona’s Route 66, Holbrook is pure roadside Americana. It’s best known as the home of the Wigwam Motel, where you can spend the night in a concrete teepee, and as the closest town to Petrified Forest National Park, the only national park the historic highway once ran directly through. Dinosaur statues and vintage neon round out the kitschy charm.
Winslow
Made famous worldwide by the Eagles’ hit “Take It Easy,” Winslow draws travelers to its Standin’ on the Corner Park for the quintessential Route 66 photo. It’s also home to La Posada, the magnificently restored 1930 Harvey House hotel. Just outside town sits one of the most extraordinary stops on the entire route: Meteor Crater, a mile-wide impact site that has nothing to do with cars and everything to do with cosmic drama. Winslow makes an ideal overnight base, and you can compare your options in our guide to where to stay on Route 66 in Arizona.
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Flagstaff
The largest city on Arizona’s Route 66, Flagstaff trades desert for cool mountain air at 7,000 feet, with ponderosa pine forests and a lively downtown. This college town is home to Lowell Observatory and sits within the world’s first International Dark Sky City, making it a stargazer’s dream. It’s also a launch point for the Grand Canyon and Sedona. With the widest range of historic hotels and motels of any Route 66 city in the state, Flagstaff is a natural place to spend a night or two.
Williams
Williams holds a unique distinction: it was the very last town on all of Route 66 to be bypassed by the interstate, in 1984. Its walkable, neon-lit main street feels frozen in the 1950s, packed with diners, souvenir shops, and the Grand Canyon Railway, which carries passengers to the South Rim by historic train. That’s why Williams is known as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon.”
Seligman
No town embodies the spirit of the Mother Road quite like Seligman. After the interstate bypassed it, local barber Angel Delgadillo led the campaign that saved the highway’s legacy, earning the town its title as the birthplace of Historic Route 66. Today its colorful gift shops, classic diners, and old-time charm make it a must-stop. Read the full story in our complete guide to Seligman, the birthplace of Historic Route 66.
Kingman
Often called the “Heart of Historic Route 66,” Kingman sits at the crossroads of the western Arizona desert and makes the best base for exploring the area. Don’t miss the Arizona Route 66 Museum, the vintage diners along Andy Devine Avenue, and the unmistakable El Trovatore Motel with its towering neon spire. Kingman is also your jumping-off point for a day trip up into the Black Mountains to Oatman.
Oatman
The wild card of Arizona’s Route 66 cities, Oatman is a former gold-mining boomtown turned living ghost town near the California border, where wild burros roam Main Street and gunfighters stage daily shootouts. Getting there means driving the thrilling switchbacks of Sitgreaves Pass. It’s one of the most memorable stops on the whole highway, and we cover it in detail in our complete guide to Oatman, Route 66’s wild burro town.
Smaller Towns Worth a Stop
The little places between the big cities are where Route 66 magic often hides:
- Winona. Immortalized in the song lyric “don’t forget Winona,” this tiny spot east of Flagstaff is worth a nod for road-trip nostalgia alone.
- Ash Fork. Proudly billed as the “Flagstone Capital of the World,” this railroad town sits between Williams and Seligman.
- Peach Springs. The capital of the Hualapai Nation and a gateway to Grand Canyon West, the Skywalk, and the underground Grand Canyon Caverns.
- Hackberry. Home to the photogenic Hackberry General Store, a beloved Route 66 time capsule packed with vintage signs and classic cars.
- Topock. Where Route 66 crosses the Colorado River and Arizona hands you off to California.
Plan Your Arizona Route 66 City-Hopping Trip
The best way to experience these cities is to take your time, follow the old alignments wherever they survive, and let each town surprise you. Anchor your itinerary around Meteor Crater near Winslow, the natural wonder that makes the middle of the drive unforgettable, and stay overnight at the Meteor Crater RV Park or in nearby Winslow or Flagstaff.
From there, pick your pace: linger in Seligman for the nostalgia, climb to Oatman for the burros, and plan your overnights with our Route 66 Arizona lodging guide. However you map it out, Arizona’s Route 66 cities deliver the full sweep of the Mother Road, equal parts history, kitsch, and wide-open desert beauty.
