@Peter_pbn​ ,

Thank you for pointing this out. I conflated Steinbeck's novel and the film.

I did some further checking. Steinbeck's novel originates the term "The Mother Road".

The film does not use that term. I changed this to:

Steinbeck's novel, upon which the film is based, christened the highway "The Mother Road" during the Great Depression. 

@Peter_pbn​ ,

Thank you, Peter.

@Breumaster​ ,

A lot of Route 66 has been replaced by surface streets, and interstate highways:

• Interstate 55 (I-55): Replaced the segment running south from Chicago to St. Louis.  
• Interstate 44 (I-44): Took over the diagonal section across Missouri and Oklahoma, connecting St. Louis to Oklahoma City.  
• Interstate 40 (I-40): Replaced the largest portion of the highway, stretching from Oklahoma City through the Texas Panhandle, New Mexico, and northern Arizona, ending in Barstow, California.  
• Interstate 15 (I-15): Replaced the segment from Barstow to San Bernardino, California.  
• Interstate 10 (I-10): Replaced the final leg into Los Angeles and Santa Monica.  

Google Route 66: Discover America’s highway

The main streets in several of the towns that were once part of Route 66 have been replaced by I-40 (as you mentioned).  

If you take Central Avenue from one end of Albuquerque to the other, you are driving on old Route 66, and several signs along that road tell you this.  The famous Route 66 Diner mentioned in one of your voting options is on Central near the Univesity of New Mexico.  In fact, I ate there with two of my kids and two of my grandkids just a few weeks ago (on one of my rare trips out of my house).  They had to push my wheelchair around, but I wasn't going to pass up the chance for one of their famous burgers (the meat is a mixture of ground chuck and ground brisket).

@dan_dassow​

FYI, search assist flags this TV series and these movies as possible candidates, depending on where the bar is for inclusion and whether the plot point need to be in part or all about route 66. I am not sure if these actually filmed on the route or used a stand-in. Plus, Route Magazine featured the mother road's connection to several well-known known films that were part of the old route 66 or the current route 66 @ routemagazine.us/stories/11-must-watch-movies.

• Night Shift episode "Poker Face" serIes route 66

"The Night Shift" is the second episode of "Poker Face," which follows Charlie Cale as she navigates a murder mystery in New Mexico after her car breaks down on Route 66. "Poker Face" Episode 2 filming locations along Route 66 in Moriarty, Albuquerque, and Kingman, including the Whiting Bros. station.

• 'She Rides Shotgun' 2025 movie route 66

She Rides Shotgun features a journey along Route 66, where the main characters, Nate and his daughter Polly, navigate various challenges while evading danger. The film captures their experiences in roadside motels and gas stations, highlighting the gritty atmosphere of their escape.

• 'Attack of the 50 Foot Woman' 1958 movie route 66 

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman is a 1958 science fiction horror film that features a wealthy heiress who encounters an alien on Route 66, leading to her transformation into a giantess. 

• 'The Marksman' 2021 movie route 66

The Marksman features a plot that includes characters traveling along Route 66 as they attempt to escape from a Mexican drug cartel. The film follows Jim Hanson, a former Marine, who helps a young boy named Miguel after his mother is killed, leading them on a journey that includes this iconic highway.

• 'The Founder' 2016 movie route 66 

The Founder is a 2016 biographical drama film that tells the story of Ray Kroc, who transformed McDonald's into a global fast-food empire, with significant ties to Route 66, where the first McDonald's restaurant was established. 

11 Must Watch Films Shot on Route 66

Thank you, guys! Great reaction!. :D

@urbanemovies​ ,

Thanks for the suggestions. I will review them as soon as practical. I am primarily looking for films and television episodes filmed on Route 66, but may include titles in which Route 66 plays a major role, but is not shot on Route 66.Currently there are 70 votes in this poll:https://www.imdb.com/poll/CBJL7ImySdwVSWTlLW3woQ/?view=results

@TheOldJalapenoman​ ,

The main streets in several of the towns that were once part of Route 66 have been replaced by I-40 (as you mentioned).  

If you take Central Avenue from one end of Albuquerque to the other, you are driving on old Route 66, and several signs along that road tell you this.  The famous Route 66 Diner mentioned in one of your voting options is on Central near the Univesity of New Mexico.  In fact, I ate there with two of my kids and two of my grandkids just a few weeks ago (on one of my rare trips out of my house).  They had to push my wheelchair around, but I wasn't going to pass up the chance for one of their famous burgers (the meat is a mixture of ground chuck and ground brisket).

I'm happy to see you are doing better.

It never occurred to me until you mentioned that we have Route 66 in common. In St. Louis, East St. Louis, and St. Charles Counties, it's hard to avoid remnants of Route 66. Most of the legacy Route 66 path are clearly marked as such. 

@dan_dassow​ I am not sure what the bar is for inclusion. I like The Founder the most, but the restaurant was about a mile from route 66 at 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino, and eventually became a museum in what was supposedly the business district of route 66. The first restaurant setting makes several appearance throughout the movie as Ray Kroc meets the McDonald's brothers there several times as their relationship evolves and serves as centerpiece of his final FU to them in the end.

@urbanemovies​,

Thanks again for the suggestions. I'm considering adding the following, but I'm still working on the caption:

Poker Face: "The Night Shift" (2023)

In this modern "howcatchem" mystery, protagonist Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) finds herself stranded in New Mexico after her car breaks down. Filmed on location along Route 66 in Albuquerque and Moriarty—including the historic Whiting Bros. station—the episode serves as a gritty, neon-soaked tribute to the "Mother Road's" 21st-century roadside culture.

The Founder (2016)

This biographical drama chronicles Ray Kroc's (Michael Keaton) transformation of a small burger walk-up into a global empire. The story is rooted in Route 66 history, as the original McDonald's "Octagonal" stand was established directly on the highway in San Bernardino, California, cementing the road's legacy as the birthplace of American fast-food culture.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

A dysfunctional family piles into a yellow Volkswagen bus for an 800-mile cross-country trek to a child beauty pageant. Their journey from Albuquerque, New Mexico, through the Mojave Desert to Southern California, follows the classic Route 66 corridor, capturing the frantic and heart-wrenching reality of the modern American road trip.

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

In this quintessential B-movie sci-fi classic, a wealthy but troubled socialite encounters an alien spacecraft while driving through the California desert along Route 66. The highway serves as the backdrop for the inciting incident that leads to her colossal transformation, representing the road's frequent appearance in mid-century genre cinema.

= = =

The Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri held its "Movied Night: Cars" tonight, May 1, 2026 in celebration of the Route 66 Centennial.

@dan_dassow​, 

I voted for the "Breaking Bad" TV series.

 There seem to be quite a few Breaking Bad locations directly on route 66 (Central Avenue), a few more within a couple blocks off route 66, and most of the others within a couple miles elsewhere in the route 66 city of Albuquerque, NM. (see maps below) https://roamingrobert.com/breaking-bad-film-locations/

https://www.travelinusa.us/breaking-bad-locations/#Breaking_Bad_Locations_Tour_Map/

@urbanemovies​ ,

When I was researching this poll, I was surprised how intertwined Breaking Bad turned out to be with Route 66.