How Much Does a Route 66 Road Trip Cost? (Full Breakdown)

Ok real talk. Route 66 is not just a road — it’s THE road. The one that started it all. Before people like us were obsessing over road trips, families were packing everything they owned into their cars and hitting this exact stretch of highway dreaming about what was on the other side. Deserts. Mountains. Cacti. Donkeys wandering out of nowhere. Abandoned motels that look like they haven’t changed since 1955. This is the trip that made people fall in love with road trips in the first place.

Starting in Chicago, Illinois and ending in Santa Monica, California — Route 66 covers almost 2,300 miles across 8 states. It’s not a quick weekend trip. It takes planning. But if you’re here reading this, something already told you that you need to do this. Trust that feeling. Let’s figure out the details.

How Much Does a Route 66 Road Trip Cost?

Ok listen. This is THE road trip. The one that made people want to road trip in the first place. Before Instagram, before travel blogs, before any of that — people packed their cars and hit Route 66 because something about it just called to them. Deserts, mountains, cacti, donkeys wandering onto the road, abandoned motels that look like movie sets. This is the real deal.

And here’s the best part — it’s not as crazy expensive as you’d think for what you’re getting.

2 weeks on Route 66:

• Gas: ~$465
• Food: ~$690
• Lodging: ~$2,275
• Total: ~$3,430

3 weeks on Route 66:

• Gas: ~$465
• Food: ~$1,035
• Lodging: ~$3,500
• Total: ~$5,000

These are real numbers for real travelers — not fancy hotel people, not fast food every meal people. Just regular humans doing one of the greatest trips America has to offer. And trust me, it’s worth every penny.

These will vary by your traveling standards — do you pack a cooler or eat out every meal? Do you book ahead or wing it? Our pricing above is for the moderate traveler. If you want to stretch your budget even further check out our tips on [how to eat cheap on vacation].

One thing we’ll say about hotels — Route 66 is not I-75. You are not going to stumble across a Holiday Inn every 20 miles. If you wing it you might end up paying $200+ for whatever is left, and whatever is left might be one king bed when you were hoping for two queens. We’ve been there. It was fine but it was not the plan. If a bad hotel situation would ruin your mood, prebook. If you’re adventurous and flexible, wing it — just know what you’re signing up for.

How Long Does a Route 66 Road Trip Take?

Here’s the thing about Route 66 — there is no wrong amount of time. Got 2 weeks? Perfect. Got 3 weeks? Even better. Got 7 days and a need to squeeze every single second out of life? Then do 7 days and don’t look back.

Seriously. Some of the best trips we’ve ever taken were the ones where we didn’t have enough time. There’s something about knowing the clock is ticking that makes you pay attention to every single moment. You’ll remember a packed 7 day Route 66 trip longer than a lazy 3 week one where you had all the time in the world and kind of floated through it. Go for whatever you’ve got.

That said here’s a realistic look at the math so you can plan your stops:

And don’t let the daily miles intimidate you. Road trips are not highway sprints. Drive a couple hours in the morning, stop and explore, drive a couple more hours in the afternoon, stop again. By the time you’re sitting down for dinner you’ve knocked out all your miles for the day without it ever feeling like a grind. That’s the magic of Route 66 — the drive IS the destination.

What States Does Route 66 Go Through?

Eight states. One road. And we’re going to be honest with you — you probably think you know what this country looks like. You don’t. Not until you’ve driven this. Chicago to Santa Monica, Illinois to California, cornfields to cacti to the Pacific Ocean. The land changes so dramatically from state to state that people who grew up in the Midwest genuinely don’t know what they don’t know. You might think you know the west side or the east side but to know both in one drive? That’s Route 66.

Illinois – about 300 miles (~$64 in gas)

Missouri – over 300 miles (~$52 in gas)

Kansas – less than 20 miles (~$3 in gas)

Oklahoma – over 350 miles (~$57 in gas)

Texas – close to 200 miles (~$38 in gas)

New Mexico – about 400 miles (~$81 in gas)

Arizona – more than 350 miles (~$82 in gas)

California – almost 300 miles (~$88 in gas)

Total gas for the full trip: ~$465 (based on 20 mpg — April 2026 prices)

And that’s just the miles. Every single one of those states has something that will make your jaw drop. We promise.

2 Things You Won’t Regret Buying For This Trip

The EZ66 Guide — this is THE Route 66 bible, the one everyone recommends, the one that will get you to the good stuff without wasting miles on wrong turns. Get it before you go.

The Map — Scratch off if you want something you can frame on a wall, wooden map if you have the space and want something really special.

The Map — A scratch off map of the USA lets you scratch off every state you’ve visited and frame it on your wall — so after this trip you’re scratching off 8 states at once. If you have the wall space and want something really special the wooden map is 3 layers of real wood with state cutouts you place as you go — and if you’re in an RV the pieces actually stay put which is a game changer.