Knowledge Base

I receive a lot of questions about taking the side trip to Las Vegas since Route 66 doesn’t actually go through Las Vegas.

There are a couple routes to take and I like to give travelers the options. But I do have a preferred route.

First, you can take US 93 North out of Kingman, AZ which is the the most direct route to Las Vegas. US 93 also takes you by the Hoover Dam, a “must see” attraction. From Las Vegas you can take Interstate 15 South which runs along the northern border of the Mohave National Preserve and into Barstow, CA where you can re-join Route 66. But this route by-passes one of the jewels of Route 66, the Oatman Rd drive and Oatman, AZ (video).

My preferred route is to stay on Route 66 from Kingman (which becomes Oatman Rd), past the Cool Springs Station,  through Sitgreaves Pass, and into the old mining town of Oatman, AZ, where wild burros still roam the streets and gunfighters entertain passersby. Continue on Oatman Rd and take US 95 North into Las Vegas. When leaving Las Vegas you can either take Interstate 15 South to Barstow, or US 95 South to I-40 then continue on Route 66 (National Trails Hwy) through the California Mohave Dessert. Taking US 95 South adds about two hours to the drive to Barstow, but the National Trails Hwy drive is quite beautiful.