Road trip to Kingman, Arizona, on Historic U.S. Route 66



Route 66 in Kingman Arizona

Visiting Kingman Arizona

Welcome to Kingman, Arizona, and Historic Route 66

The City of Kingman is the county seat of Mohave County, and has a population of about 28,000 residents, while the entire metro area accounts for about 66,000 residents.

Kingman is located on Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, U.S. Route 93, and Arizona Highway 68.

The original 1926 Route 66 alignment ran southwest out of Kingman through Cool Springs to Oatman, and onward to Golden Shores and Topock where it turned west to Needles, California.

In 1952, the Route 66 alignment was changed, running from Kingman through the small town of Yucca and then into California. This alignment is essentially the same as present-day I-40 from Kingman to the Colorado River at California. Read more about the 1952 Route 66 Alignment from Kingman to Topock

With its geographical location, it provides access to the gambling destinations of Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, as well as the Grand Canyon, California, the Colorado River, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Lake Mohave, and Lake Havasu. It also is an Amtrak stop.

Popular attractions include the Historic Route 66 Museum and the Kingman Railroad Museum. For Route 66 fans, the city of Oatman is located to the west, and Seligman to the east.

For aviation fans, be sure to make a stop at the Kingman Airport on the north side of town. It is a major airplane boneyard and storage facility for commercial airliners.

The Kingman area is served by about 35 hotels and motels, and over 100 restaurants, diners and cafes. Up U.S. Highway 93 to the north of Kingman is the Hoover Dam, Las Vegas and Death Valley National Park.

Interactive Map of Kingman, Arizona

 

Welcome to Historic Downtown Kingman, Arizona ... the Heart of Route 66
Welcome to Historic Downtown Kingman, Arizona ... Heart of Route 66


Lodging & Travel Resources in Kingman, Arizona

TripAdvisor

Hotels and lodging in Kingman, Arizona

Read traveler reviews and see photos on 40 hotels in Kingman

Kingman Travel Guide at TripAdvisor: Lodging, restaurants, things to do



Route 66 mural at the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel in Kingman

The hotel is located at 3100 East Andy Devine Avenue in Kingman

Route 66 mural at the Ramada by Wyndam Hotel in Kingman



Route 66 mural ... The World's Longest Route 66 Map ... at the El Trovatore Motel in Kingman

The hotel is located at 1440 East Andy Devine Avenue in Kingman

Route 66 mural ... The World's Longest Route 66 Map ... at the El Trovatore Motel in Kingman


Attractions and Things to Do Around Kingman

Kingman Visitor Center ... Museum & Gift Shop
Kingman Visitor Center ... Museum & Gift Shop


Railroad Station

The one-story Spanish Mission style station in downtown Kingman was built in 1907 by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway—commonly referred to as the “Santa Fe.” 

Railroad station in Kingman, Arizona

Located at 402 Andy Devine Avenue

Santa Fe Railway steam engine #3759 in Locomotive Park, Kingman, Arizona.
Visitors can climb up into the cab of the old engine while modern trains roll by on nearby tracks.
Santa Fe steam locomotive in Kingman, Arizona


The Powerhouse: A Route 66 Roadside Attraction

The Powerhouse Museum and Visitor Center is located on Arizona Route 66, at 120 W. Andy Devine Avenue in Kingman, AZ. It is housed in the historic Desert Power & Water Company Electric Power Plant built in 1907, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.

Opened in 1997, the building is also headquarters of the Route 66 Association of Arizona, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of both the surface, and the memories along Arizona’s portion of Route 66.

The Arizona Route 66 Museum is located on the 2nd floor of the Powerhouse.

Read more at the website of the Powerhouse or phone 928.753.9889

New Angel Delgadillo Exhibit at the Route 66 Museum in Kingman, AZ
Explore Kingman - 07/27/2023

 

The Powerhouse ... a Route 66 Roadside Attraction
The Powerhouse roadside attraction in Kingman, Arizona, and Historic Route 66
The "Wish You Were Here" Mural at the Powerhouse
"Wish You Were Here" mural at the Powerhouse museum and visitor center in Kingman, Arizona, and Historic Route 66

The Route 66 Drive-Thru Shield

Route 66 Drive-thru Arch in Kingman, Arizona


For years, during the annual Route 66 Fun Run, car enthusiasts could take a photo under a temporary drive-thru shield.

A permanent drive-thru shield was dedicated on July 24, 2021, near the Powerhouse. At sundown the shield is illuminated with neon lights. Be sure to stop and take some photos ... a camera stand for selfies is even provided!

Read the details at ...
Permanent Route 66 Drive-Thru Shield in Kingman AZ debuts on July 24,2021

The famous Route 66 water towers in Kingman, Arizona
Looking west
The famous Route 66 water tower in Kingman, Arizona
The famous Route 66 water towers in Kingman, Arizona
Looking east
The famous water tower mural of train engine 2759 in Kingman, Arizona
Historic Route 66 mileage chart, east and west
Historic Route 66 mileage chart from Kingman, Arizona

 

Mohave Museum in Kingman
Mohave Museum in Kingman
Rt 66 Motorcycle Parts & Accessories
Rt 66 Motorcycle Parts & Accessories in Kingman, AZ
Route 66 mural in Kingman
Route 66 mural in Kingman
Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner, in a former Kimo Shell Service station
Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner in Kingman, Arizona
The "Police" at Mr. D'z ... 105 East Andy Devine Avenue
The "Police" at Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner in Kingman, Arizona, on Historic Route 66
Mother Road Harley-Davidson mural
Mother Road Harley-Davidson mural in Kingman, Arizona


Get Your Kicks on Route 66 Mural

This "Get Your Kicks on Route 66" mural is located at 509 East Beale Street in Kingman.

"Get Your Kicks on Route 66 Mural" in Kingman, Arizona on Beale Street


Kingman Airport

Kingman Army Airfield became one of the Army Air Corps' largest during World War II, training 35,000 individuals. Its facilities included housing for 3,200 enlisted men, 3,070 cadets and 430 officers.

Aftrer WWII, the government quickly established Storage Depot No. 41 at Kingman, and by October of 1945 planes were being flown in, parked, and processed. Kingman was chosen as this "airplane boneyard" due to its huge open spaces, good weather for aircraft storage, and three runways, one of which was 6,800 feet in length. Planes were typically parked by type. As many as 150 airplanes a day were soon flying into Kingman, and the total aircraft inventory by the end of 1946 reached about 5,500.

Today, the Kingman Airport & Industrial Park, located on Route 66 five miles north of Interstate 40 in Kingman, spans 4,000 acres. The industrial park is a vibrant commercial community, and home to more than 70 businesses in diverse fields, including the temporary storage of airliners. It employs over 2,100 people.

For more information visit the website of the Kingman Municipal Airport

For more about the Kingman airplane boneyard, visit the Kingman Airport at AirplaneBoneyards.com

Kingman Airport Cafe

A popular local eatery is located at the airport, the Kingman Airport Cafe, located right on the runway where you can watch airplanes come and go up-close. Breakfast, brunch and lunch are served all day every day. Customers enjoy omelets, french toast, pancakes, burgers, country fried steak, salads, sandwiches, and more! Dinners are available on Friday evenings. Phone 928.757.4420.

Sign at the Kingman Arizona Airport and Industrial Park Airliners in storage at the Kingman Arizona Airport and Industrial Park


More Attractions in the Kingman Area

  • The White Cliffs Wagon Trail, located just a mile from Downtown Kingman, has wagon tracks dating back to the late 1800's that are still visible today. The trail was used to bring ore from Stockton Hill mine to the railroad. There are very few places like it still in existence where you can see historic wagon tracks etched into stone.
  • Camp Beale ruins are located along Beale's Trail, which was surveyed by Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale in 1857 and laid the foundation for what became Route 66. Camp Beale was founded in 1871 to protect settlers traveling by wagon along Beale's Trail and the Fort Mohave & Prescott Toll Road. The spring at Camp Beale provided water for the early town of Kingman and for steam locomotives traveling through.

Earlier Times: Vintage Views along Route 66 in Kingman

Earlier times on Route 66: Diamond H Rancho Courts, Kingman, Arizona

 

We have included below a sampling of our collection of vintage travel postcards dealing with Kingman and Route 66.

What was Route 66 like in its earlier years, as visitors drove around and across Kingman? What did all the service stations, motels and public buildings look like when they were new?

What did the traveling public experience on the Mother Road? We wonder such things when we travel Route 66 today.

Those earlier times in the 1930s, 40s and 50s were not always captured on film. But the use of colorful postcards was common in those decades.

These portray the historic road in its prime and help us to visualize, and appreciate, "earlier times" as we drive Route 66 today across Kingman.

Downtown
Kingman, Arizona Downtown Overview 1950s
Hill Top Motel
Hill Top Motel on US Highways 66 and 93, Kingman, Arizona
1950s Scene
Kingman, Arizona Street Scene, circa 1950s
Bells Motel
Bells Motel on Route 66, Kingman, Arizona
White Rock Court
White Rock Court in Kingman, Arizona, near the Sleeping Dutchman
El Trovatore Court
El Trovatore Court and Cocktail Lounge on US Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona
Casa Linda Cafe
Cafe Linda Cafe in Kingman, Arizona
Akron Motel
Akron Motel, the Roping Cowboy Court, in Kingman, Arizona on the Boulder Dam Highway
Arcadia Lodge
Arcadia Lodge on US Highway 66 in Kingman, Arizona ... Steam Heat and Air Cooled
Brandin Iron
The Brandin Iron Motor Hotel on US Highway 66 East, Kingman, Arizona
City Cafe & Texaco
City Cafe and Texaco Station in Kingman, Arizona
Hillcrest Motel
Hillcrest Motel in Kingman, Arizona

More Information & Resources about Kingman

Kingman Visitor Center and Office of Tourism: ExploreKingman.com

City of Kingman website

Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce website

Kingman Economic Development

Route 66 Association of Kingman

Mohave Museum of Arts & History in Kingman AZ

Kingman Tourism at VisitArizona.com

Kingman Travel Guide at TripAdvisor: Hotels, restaurants, things to do


MORE ARIZONA ROUTE 66

Route 66 road trips across Arizona

Route 66 road trip to Holbrook, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Winslow, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Flagstaff, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Williams, Arizona
Route 66 Road Trip to Ash Fork, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Seligman, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Kingman, Arizona Route 66 road trip to Oatman, Arizona


Route 66: Side Trip from Kingman to Las Vegas
Side trip from Historic U.S. Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada

 

Arizona Route 66 Passport

The Official Arizona Route 66 Passport

The Arizona Route 66 Passport is your guide into the heart of America. Cruise along the Mother Road, collecting stamps at locations along the way. Each passport comes with a free Traveler's Guide.

It is published by the The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, a non-profit organization, dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of both the surface, and the memories along Arizona’s portion of Route 66. Proceeds from the sale of Passports benefit this cooperative marketing initiative.

Purchase an Arizona Route 66 Passport online or pick one up at one of the locations where stamps are given.

More information about the Arizona Route 66 Passport

Order the Arizona Route 66 Passport online

Arizona Digital Route 66 Passport: Rock the Route

The Official Arizona Route 66 Digital Passport ... and Rock the Route!

The Arizona Office of Tourism launched in late August of 2022 the Digital Route 66 Passport. From Topock 66 on the Colorado River in the west to The Painted Desert Trading Post in the east plus miles of famous sights, shops, eats and towns in between, the free digital passport makes planning a Route 66-centric road trip easier than ever.

There’s even the chance to win prizes by checking in and uploading photos through the passport.

Access to the free digital map and passport is delivered instantly to phones and mobile devices after a quick sign-up. 

Read how the Passport works and how to get one: Arizona Digital Route 66 Passport

Read the Press Release here: Arizona Office of Tourism Launches Digital Route 66 Passport

 

Travel Guides for Other States Along Route 66

Planning a Road Trip on Route 66? Here are trip planners for the major segments ...

Route 66 in Missouri Route 66 in Texas Route 66 Across Arizona Route 66 Across New Mexico
Route 66 Road Trips Across Oklahoma Route 66 Road Trips in Illinois Route 66 Across California Route 66 in Kansas