Kingman & Arizona Route 66

The base for road trips along Arizona's historic Route 66. The Route 66 museum is in the 1907 Powerhouse, and nearby are Sitgreaves Pass, the Hackberry General Store and Seligman.

Kingman is the county seat of Mohave County in northwestern Arizona. It sits between the Hualapai and Black Mountains at about 1,000 m above sea level. It is the center of the best-preserved stretch of historic Route 66 in Arizona. Heading west, the winding road crosses Sitgreaves Pass to Oatman, a former mining town, and the Colorado River. Heading east, it passes through Hackberry and a canyon with caves all the way to Seligman, the 'birthplace of Route 66'. Almost the entire route is original, never replaced by the interstate.

The old downtown centers on Andy Devine Avenue and Beale Street. The 1907 Powerhouse houses the Arizona Route 66 Museum and visitor center, and across the street is Locomotive Park. Nearby are the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, 1950s-style diners and neon-lit motels. To escape the summer heat, drive up to the pine forests of Hualapai Mountain Park.

The best seasons are March to May and September to November. From June to August, daytime temperatures often exceed 40°C, so carry plenty of water when driving. The mountain passes have no guardrails, and large RVs are not recommended.

Getting there: Kingman is about 170 km (2 hours' drive) from Las Vegas and about 300 km from Phoenix. Interstate 40 and Highway 93 meet here, and the Amtrak Southwest Chief stops daily. Most visitors spend 1-2 days: one day heading west over the pass, and one day heading east to Seligman. It is also a common stopover on the way to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Top sights

• Arizona Route 66 Museum – A Route 66 museum housed in an old 1907 power plant, telling the story from Indigenous trails to the Depression-era westward migration and…
• Hackberry General Store – A Route 66 general store crammed with old oil pumps, classic cars and nostalgic signs. The red vintage Chevrolet out front is the most icon…
• Seligman Commercial Historic District – The 'Birthplace of Route 66' town, lined with old shops, neon signs and classic cars. It inspired Radiator Springs in the Pixar film Cars.
• Locomotive Park – A small park beside Route 66 displaying the 1928 Santa Fe No. 3759 steam locomotive and a red caboose. Free to visit and popular for photos.
• Mohave Museum of History and Arts – A local museum in Kingman's old town, showcasing Hualapai Native American culture, local turquoise, mining history and the life of actor An…
• Bonelli House – A stone two-storey residence completed in 1915, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with furnishings that preserve the look…
• Historic Downtown Kingman – An old-town district along Andy Devine Avenue and Beale Street, lined with vintage storefronts, Route 66 murals and neon-lit motels.
• Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner – A 1950s-style diner in pink and turquoise, famous for house-brewed root beer, burgers and milkshakes, and a classic Route 66 stop.
• Hualapai Mountain Park – A mountain park about 20 km southeast of Kingman, with pine forests and granite between 1,900 and 2,500 m, offering a cool hiking escape fr…
• Sitgreaves Pass – The high point where Old Route 66 crosses the Black Mountains. Steep switchbacks with no guardrails lead to a summit with views across thre…
• Cool Springs Station – A rebuilt 1920s stone filling station at the foot of the Black Mountains, backed by a barren mountain face, and one of Route 66’s most phot…
• Keepers of the Wild Nature Park – A sanctuary beside Route 66 that takes in abandoned and injured wild animals, where visitors can get close to lions, tigers, wolves and bea…
• Giganticus Headicus – A green giant head about 4 m tall beside Route 66 at Antares Point, in Easter Island style, a quirky roadside stop.
• Grand Canyon Caverns – Take an elevator roughly 64 m down into one of America’s largest dry limestone caves, which also holds a Cold War civil defense cache and u…
• Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In – A legendary Route 66 burger stand that opened in 1953, famous for its owner’s pranks and its “cheeseburger with cheese.”
• Chloride & Roy Purcell Murals – An old silver-mining town north of Kingman, with colorful psychedelic murals from 1966 painted on boulders on the hillside outside town, an…

Where to eat

• Mr. D's Route 66 Diner – A pink-and-green 1950s-style retro diner on Route 66, known for house-style root beer, oversized milkshakes and burgers…
• Dambar Steakhouse – A Wild West-style steakhouse with a bull statue on its roof and sawdust on the floor. It has long been the top choice f…
• Mattina's Ristorante Italiano – An Italian restaurant in historic downtown Kingman that also serves steaks. Its menu uses mob-themed dish names, and it…
• Rutherfords 66 Family Diner – A locally family-run diner on Route 66 that opens at 6 a.m. Breakfast portions are generous, prices are affordable and…