San Bernardino highlight
Historic Route 66 landmarks
Route 66, established on November 11, 1926, became the iconic highway connecting Chicago to Santa Monica and put San Bernardino on the map as a stop on the Mother Road.
Route 66 was established as part of the United States Numbered Highway System on November 11, 1926, with signage erected the following year. The highway stretched approximately 2,448 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, running through the heart of San Bernardino as a major east-west corridor. For decades, Route 66 was the primary path for Americans moving west, and San Bernardino became a notable stop along the journey.
The city's connection to Route 66 is woven into its architecture and history. Historic buildings line the streets where travelers once stopped, including Googie-style diners and motor lodges that reflect the highway's era of growth. Today, Route 66 enthusiasts return to San Bernardino each September for the Route 66 Rendezvous, a four-day celebration of the Mother Road and its place in American culture. The city's preservation of these landmarks keeps that era alive.
Route 66 brought travelers through San Bernardino with hopes and plans for their futures. Today, the families who live here make their own plans: schooling for children, homes they want to protect, the people who depend on them. Life insurance works on the same principle as those travel plans—a clear path that protects the people you care about from the financial impact of an unexpected loss.