A collection
Route 66 in Missouri
Route 66 crossed Missouri from the St. Louis area through Springfield, which claims the highway's birthplace, and on toward Joplin. These notes trace the surviving corridor town by town: the Meramec Caverns and Red Cedar Inn stretch, Cuba's murals, Devil's Elbow, the Munger Moss at Lebanon, and the well-preserved Halltown and Paris Springs run.
The trail
10 stops
Springfield claims the birthplace of Route 66
Springfield is associated with the naming of U.S. Route 66 in 1926, which is part of the city's identity and a real anchor for road-history interest.
Route 66 and Meramec Caverns put karst on display
Franklin County's Route 66 corridor and well-known show caves reflect the area's karst geology, which also matters for groundwater and land near the river.
Pacific's Red Cedar Inn keeps Route 66 in the official visitor map
The City of Pacific's Red Cedar Inn Museum and Visitor Center gives eastern Franklin County an official Route 66 history stop.
Cuba's Route 66 murals turn town history into a sidewalk walk
Cuba's outdoor Route 66 murals give Crawford County a visible story walk, with scenes from local and national history along the old highway corridor.
Route 66 runs straight through Rolla
Historic U.S. Route 66 passed through Rolla and Phelps County, leaving roadside landmarks and a corridor identity that shapes local history and travel.
Devil's Elbow is a landmark stretch of Route 66
Pulaski carries a well-known segment of historic Route 66 at Devil's Elbow, a durable history-and-travel anchor distinct from generic 'Mother Road' content.
Lebanon's Munger Moss is a Route 66 landmark
Lebanon sits on historic Route 66, and the Munger Moss Motel sign is a recognizable piece of the town's highway-era identity.
Route 66 runs through Marshfield and Webster County
Marshfield's Route 66 layer is easiest to understand through official local anchors, including Hidden Waters Park and the courthouse-square Hubble stop, rather than unsourced roadside lists.
A well-preserved stretch of Route 66 runs through Halltown and Paris Springs
Lawrence County carries a recognizable segment of historic Route 66 through small communities like Halltown and Paris Springs, a durable piece of the county's roadside identity worth understanding as heritage rather than as a current commercial highway
Route 66 crosses Jasper County as a local corridor
MoDOT's Jasper County Route 66 scenic-byway map shows how the road connects Joplin, Webb City, Carthage, and smaller county places.
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Other trails through Missouri
Each collection strings together the towns and stories of a single theme.
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