Chicago represents the beginning of Route 66 if you’re heading West and the end if you’re heading East. Here are the things to do and places to see on Route 66 in Chicago, Illinois.
Some of the Chicago highlights of of Route 66 that still exist include:
The Bergoff Restaurant
Lou Mitchell’s Diner
Miller’s Pub
Chicago’s Union Station
Route 66 “Begin” and “End” Signs
The original Route 66 began at the corner of Jackson Blvd. and Michigan Ave. in downtown Chicago. It was one of the first continuous paved highways in the United States and provided a major path from Chicago, IL west to Santa Monica, CA. It was established on November 11, 1926. The highway stretches 2,448 miles from the intersection pictured below to the Santa Monica Pier near Los Angeles.
The current Begin Historic Route 66 Sign is located at the Northwest corner of Adams St. and Michigan across the street from the Art Institute. For East bounders, the End Historic Route 66 sign ends a block south at the corner of E. Jackson St. and
The Berghoff Restaurant
The Berghoff Restaurant has been a fixture on Route 66 since before the highway….
Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant
565 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60661-5701
Lou Mitchell’s restaurant was founded in 1923, three years before Route 66 became an official Highway. They are known for handing out fresh donuts and mini boxes of Milk Duds to people waiting in line. We went there for breakfast one morning and enjoyed a good cup of coffee and an omelette. They are right on Route 66 at 565 W. Jackson Blvd. in downtown Chicago. They are not too far from Union Station. Lou Mitchell’s was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.
Chicago Union Station
We took a short walk from Lou Mitchell’s over to Chicago Union Station. It’s a massive railroad station, most of which is underground. They say it takes up the space of 10 city blocks. It opened in 1925, a year earlier than the designation of Route 66 as a National Highway. It is owned by Amtrak and serves over 3 million Amtrak customers each year.
For more information about Chicago’s Union Station, click this link for the 2019 Chicago Union Station Fact Sheet or there website at: Chicago Union Station.
Union Station was the last place on Route 66 that we visited in Chicago. After leaving their we followed the original Route 66 alignment on surface streets headed toward Cicero, IL and then on to Joliet.