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Route 66 Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Route 66 Quizzes, Trivia

Route 66 Trivia

Route 66 Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
Get your kicks on this iconic American highway with our Route 66 trivia! These questions will take you on a virtual drive through the heart of America's highway history. Let's hit the road!
7 Route 66 quizzes and 105 Route 66 trivia questions.
1.
  Route 66 in Texas   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Texas is home to some delightful kitsch and Americana. Test your knowledge of these Route 66 roadside attractions.
Average, 10 Qns, skylarb, Feb 04 20
Average
skylarb
Feb 04 20
336 plays
2.
  Towns on Route 66 Named After Historic People   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Continuing the Route 66 series of quizzes, this one is about towns on Route 66 that were named after notable historic figures.
Tough, 10 Qns, shanteyman, Jun 21 11
Tough
shanteyman
342 plays
3.
  Route 66    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Route 66 is the United States' most famous highway. Hope you enjoy your 'trip down Route 66' in this quiz.
Average, 10 Qns, bigwoo, Feb 24 10
Average
bigwoo gold member
2796 plays
4.
  Route 66 Fun Facts    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
If you've never had the chance to hop in a convertible and explore our vast country, maybe this will get you motivated.
Tough, 25 Qns, rickowp, Oct 05 20
Tough
rickowp
Oct 05 20
1465 plays
5.
  Travelling Along Route 66    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Route 66 is deeply ingrained in the U.S. automobile traveller's psyche. How much do you think you know about this important highway artery before its demise at the hands of the Interstate system? Have fun and good luck!
Tough, 10 Qns, freqgod, Jun 20 11
Tough
freqgod
788 plays
6.
  Route 66, The Mother Road--Part Two    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Take a trip west on old Route 66, from Texas to California (for Illinois to Oklahoma, please visit Part One). Some of these questions may be a little tricky!
Difficult, 20 Qns, clp1701, Dec 05 05
Difficult
clp1701
439 plays
7.
  Route 66, The Mother Road--Part One    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Take a trip west from Chicago on old Route 66. This quiz will take you to Oklahoma. For Texas to California, watch for Part Two. Some of the questions here may be pretty tough!
Very Difficult, 20 Qns, clp1701, Jun 13 22
Very Difficult
clp1701
Jun 13 22
406 plays
trivia question Quick Question
In "Waking Up in Reno," Billy Bob Thornton tackled the 72-ounce steak challenge at what roadside restaurant in Amarillo, Texas?

From Quiz "Route 66 in Texas"





Route 66 Trivia Questions
1. The Midpoint Cafe off old Route 66 in Adrian, Texas was the inspiration for Flo's V8 Cafe in what Pixar movie?

From Quiz Route 66 in Texas

Answer: Cars

According to "The Illustrated Route 66 Historical Atlas" by Jim Hinckley, the Midpoint Cafe inspired Flo's V8 cafe in the popular "Cars" movie. The cafe also marks the halfway point between Chicago and Santa Monica.

2. El Reno, Oklahoma, was originally called Fort Reno. General Phillip Sheridan was the first commander of the post and named it in honor of the late General Jesse L. Reno. In which war was General Reno killed?

From Quiz Towns on Route 66 Named After Historic People

Answer: American Civil War

Jesse Lee Reno died while commanding a corps at Fox's Gap fighting the Battle of South Mountain during the Civil War. He was a career Army officer who had also served with bravery during the Mexican American War. At the conclusion of the Mexican American War he taught mathematics at West Point until the onset of the Civil War. He was promoted to the rank of captain in 1859 and became a brigadier general 1861. The following year he was struck in the chest by a Confederate sharpshooter. He was brought to Brigadier General Sturgis where he declared "Hello, Sam, I'm dead!" and died shortly thereafter. El Reno was a historic stop on the old Route 66 and the only city in Oklahoma with an operating downtown streetcar. Fort Reno, Oklahoma, was one of three forts named in Jesse L. Reno's honer after his death. The other two were in Washington, DC and Wyoming.

3. What art-deco masterpiece can be seen in Shamrock, Texas?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part Two

Answer: The U-Drop Inn

The U-Drop Inn and its adjoining service station, built in 1936, comprise a great piece of art-deco architecture.

4. Old Route 66 originally began in Chicago at Michigan Avenue and this boulevard.

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part One

Answer: Jackson

After the 1933 World's Fair, the terminus of the road was then moved to Lake Shore Drive at the entrance to Grant Park.

5. Route 66 served as a connection between what two major U.S. cities?

From Quiz Travelling Along Route 66

Answer: Chicago and Los Angeles

The western terminus is actually in the Los Angeles Pacific coast suburb of Santa Monica.

6. Route 66 begins in Chicago and ends in what California city?

From Quiz Route 66 Fun Facts

Answer: Los Angeles & Santa Monica

At the Santa Monica Pier to be exact.

7. Route 66 runs between what two cities?

From Quiz Route 66

Answer: Chicago and Los Angeles

About 80 per cent of the road is still driveable.

8. What public art installation in Amarillo, which features graffiti-ridden cars half-buried in the mud, inspired a song by Bruce Springsteen?

From Quiz Route 66 in Texas

Answer: Cadillac Ranch

Created in 1974 by three members of the avant art group Ant Farm (Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez, and Doug Michels), Cadillac Ranch features ten half-buried Cadillac cars covered in colorful paint. Visitors can add to the art installation by snagging a bottle of spray paint (many lay strewn across the ground) and making their own graffiti on the nearby earth. Though originally situated in a wheat field, the installation was moved to a private cow pasture along route I-40 in 1997. Visitors are welcome to park along the frontage road and enter through the open gate. The Bruce Springsteen 1981 single "Cadillac Ranch" (from the album "The River") took its title from this art installation.

9. In McLean, Texas, there is a museum devoted to "Devil's Rope". What is it better known as?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part Two

Answer: barbed wire

This is pronounced "bob-war", and is thought by many to actually be one of the greatest inventions of all time, due to its taming of the West.

10. We're looking for a good place to eat breakfast before we leave Chicago. Where can we eat and have all the women in the car receive free Milk-Duds?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part One

Answer: Lou Mitchell's Cafe

Opened in 1923, Lou Mitchell's is at 565 W. Jackson. Breakfast is served all day and each female customer gets a little box of free Milk Duds.

11. Route 66 was commissioned in what year?

From Quiz Travelling Along Route 66

Answer: 1926

12. Route 66 passes through how many US states?

From Quiz Route 66 Fun Facts

Answer: 8

IL, MO, KS, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA

13. How many states does Route 66 run through?

From Quiz Route 66

Answer: 8

Route 66 winds its way through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

14. Across what part of Texas does Old Route 66 extend?

From Quiz Route 66 in Texas

Answer: The Texas Panhandle

About 180 miles of Route 66 extends through Texas, crossing the panhandle. Old route 66 goes from Adrian near the border of New Mexico to Shamrock near the border of Oklahoma. It runs through the towns of McLean, Shamrock, and Vega and crosses only a single city - Amarillo.

15. Doolittle, Missouri, was named in honor of WWII General James Harold "Jimmy" Doolittle. In which branch of the US Armed Forces did Jimmy Doolittle serve during the famous Japanese air raids?

From Quiz Towns on Route 66 Named After Historic People

Answer: U.S. Army Air Service

Jimmy Doolittle saw his first airplane during a California airshow in 1910. He later enlisted in the Signal Corps Reserve as a flying cadet and began training other fliers during WWI. After WWII broke out Doolittle was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given the task of organizing the United States Army Air Service's air raid on the Japanese homeland, receiving the Medal of Honor from President Franklin D. Roosevelt for leading the raid. After the attack he was promoted to Brigadier General before retiring from the military in 1959. The town of Doolittle was originally called Centertown because it was half way between Rolla and Newburg. In 1946 Lt. General Jimmy Doolittle spoke at the dedication ceremonies in which the town was formally renamed in his honor. The United States Air Force was formed as a separate branch in 1947. The Naval Air Corps had no significant structure until after WWII. The United States Marines were not fliers during air raids over Japan.

16. Groom, Texas, is home to:

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part Two

Answer: the Blessed Mary Cafe and the largest cross in the western hemisphere.

No kidding! Burgers and truth are served up at the Blessed Mary Cafe, while tourists stop to ogle the HUGE white cross that can be seen for miles around. Groom also has a leaning water tower, but that's another story.

17. There's a giant at the Launching Pad in Wilmington, Illinois. What is he holding?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part One

Answer: A rocket ship

The giant astronaut is dressed in green and wears a large, silver helmet.

18. It crossed 8 states and 3 time zones. What was the routes' length in miles?

From Quiz Travelling Along Route 66

Answer: 2448

The 8 states it crossed were Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

19. Which state does the road spend the least amount of length in?

From Quiz Route 66 Fun Facts

Answer: Kansas & KS

20. What is the highway's nickname?

From Quiz Route 66

Answer: 'The Mother Road'

Novelist John Steinbeck (author of 'The Grapes of Wrath') described Route 66 as the 'Mother Road'. The moniker was soon adopted as the road's nickname.

21. Along Route 66 in Shamrock, Texas, travelers will pass the Tower Station and U-Drop Inn and Tower Café. What style of architecture does this building feature?

From Quiz Route 66 in Texas

Answer: Art Deco

Designed by J. C. Berry and built in 1936, this Route 66 landmark features art deco architecture, including flared towers, glazed ceramic tile walls, and accents using neon lights. It fell into disrepair over time, until it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was purchased by the First National Bank of Shamrock, and then gifted to the city in the late 1990s. The site was then restored with the help of a federal grant and now features a museum, gift shop, and visitors' center. The U-Drop Inn serves as the model for Ramone's automotive body and paint shop in the movie "Cars."

22. Sequoyah, Oklahoma, was named in honor of the famous Cherokee Indian. What was Sequoyah's greatest contribution to the Cherokee nation?

From Quiz Towns on Route 66 Named After Historic People

Answer: He developed the Cherokee alphabet.

Sequoyah was also known as George Guess. His father was a British trader named Nathaniel Gist and his mother was a Cherokee called Wut-teh. He was a silversmith by trade who developed the first system of reading and writing in the Cherokee language. After some initial resistance the Cherokees adopted his syllabic system in 1825 and the system has been used by the Cherokees ever since. Sequoyah went to Washington, D.C. as part of a delegation negotiating a treaty regarding Indian Territory land in 1828. In 1848 he died during a trip to Mexico. The cabin where Sequoyah resided in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, became a National Historic Landmark in 1965. His exact age at the time of his death is not known because there was no formal recording of his birth. Route 66 passed directly through Sequoyah, Oklahoma, a small town of less than 1,000 residents.

23. Where in Illinois does a family sell maple "sirup" to passing motorists?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part One

Answer: Funk's Grove

The Funk family still owns and operates their syrup stand. They really do spell it "sirup."

24. A classic 1939 novel proclaimed U.S. highway 66 the "Mother Road". Combined with the 1940 film recreation of the novel, it immortalized Route 66 in the American consciousness. Name the title of the novel.

From Quiz Travelling Along Route 66

Answer: The Grapes of Wrath

It was authored by John Steinbeck.

25. Which John Steinbeck novel details the adventures of the Joad family as they traveled the Mother Road?

From Quiz Route 66 Fun Facts

Answer: The Grapes of Wrath&grapes of wrath

26. In "Waking Up in Reno," Billy Bob Thornton tackled the 72-ounce steak challenge at what roadside restaurant in Amarillo, Texas?

From Quiz Route 66 in Texas

Answer: The Big Texan Steak Ranch

The challenge has existed since 1960, and the 72-ounce steak is served with a bread roll, a baked potato, a shrimp cocktail, and a salad. If you can eat the steak and all the sides that come with it in less than an hour, your meal is free. Customers who have succeeded in the challenge have their names plastered on the wall. The Big Texan Steak Ranch is located off of I-40 (formerly route 66) in Amarillo. The property also features a motel, gift shop, and games.

27. Barstow, California is named for William Barstow Strong. Which railroad, honored in song, was he the president of from 1881 until he retired in 1889?

From Quiz Towns on Route 66 Named After Historic People

Answer: Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe

"On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe" was composed for the 1946 film, "The Harvey Girls", and originally sung by Judy Garland. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway was chartered in 1859. Many cars and locomotives have been restored and are located in several US cities. William Barstow Strong was born in Vermont and graduated from Bell's Business College in Chicago. His first job was as a railroad station agent. In 1881 he succeeded T. Jefferson Coolidge as president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and expanded the railway over 7,000 miles, making it the longest railroad of the time. Barstow was a popular stop for tourists along Route 66 and the home of one of the longest running outdoor theaters, the Skyline Drive-In. The Central Pacific Railroad was formed after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act authorizing a trans-continental railroad. The Union Pacific met the Central Pacific at Promontory Point, Utah, and united the nation's railway system in 1869. "The Chattanooga Choo Choo" was a popular song from the 1941 movie "Sun Valley Serenade".

28. How many Cadillacs are stuck headfirst into a field at the "Cadillac Ranch", west of Amarillo?

From Quiz Route 66, The Mother Road--Part Two

Answer: Ten &10

The Cadillac Ranch was erected by pop-art financier Stanley Marsh III. Occasionally repainted, they are usually covered with graffiti.

29. In the 1960's, the television series "Route 66" drove into the living rooms of America every Thursday. Who were the two feature stars of this show?

From Quiz Travelling Along Route 66

Answer: Martin Milner and George Maharis

Martin Milner was also featured in the Los Angeles based television police show "Adam 12".

30. Which service station company is famous for having its roots on 66?

From Quiz Route 66 Fun Facts

Answer: Phillips

The original Phillips 66 station was in McLean, TX and has been restored.

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