Valentine, Arizona: A Small Town with a Famous Name on Route 66

Welcome to Valentine, Arizona

Valentine, Arizona, is a tiny community with a name that captures the imagination — and once captured a great deal more. Situated on one of the most remote and authentically preserved stretches of Route 66 in Mohave County, Valentine lies between Truxton to the east and the Hackberry General Store area to the west. It was once a lively stop with a functioning school, trading post, gas station, and post office. Today it is largely a ghost of its former self, but the few structures that remain and the wide open desert road through town make it a compelling stop for Route 66 explorers chasing the real thing.

Where is Valentine, Arizona?

Valentine sits along Historic Route 66 in Mohave County, approximately 28 miles northeast of Kingman and about 8 miles west of Truxton. It lies at about 4,500 feet in elevation on a broad, scrubby plateau flanked by low mesas. The community is along one of the stretches of original Route 66 that bypassed Interstate 40, meaning travelers must take the old highway intentionally — exactly the kind of off-ramp adventure Route 66 enthusiasts live for.

The History of Valentine

Valentine’s history is closely tied to the Hualapai people and the Truxton Canyon Training School — a federal Indian boarding school established in the late 19th century that operated on the edge of the Hualapai Reservation. The school, which brought Native American children from across the region, was a significant and often painful chapter in the area’s history, reflecting the federal government’s assimilation policies of the era. The Hualapai people’s cultural home base remains Peach Springs, just down the road to the east on Arizona’s Route 66.

The town was named after Robert G. Valentine, who served as Commissioner of Indian Affairs under President William Howard Taft from 1909 to 1912. It was a postal designation that stuck, and Valentine became a small but recognized community when Route 66 was commissioned in 1926 and the highway brought traffic through the area.

During the Route 66 era, Valentine had a gas station, a post office, and the remnants of a small trading post economy. The Truxton Canyon Training School eventually closed, and when Interstate 40 bypassed the area, Valentine’s commercial life faded along with most of the surrounding communities. But unlike some Route 66 ghost towns that have completely vanished, a handful of structures remain in Valentine, giving it an eerie, photogenic quality.

The Valentine Post Office

Valentine, Arizona, holds a unique distinction in the world of postal enthusiasm: every year around February 14th, people mail Valentine’s Day cards and letters to Valentine’s post office to receive a special postmark from the town. This charming tradition has given Valentine, Arizona, a cultural moment in the spotlight once a year — a reminder that even the smallest and most forgotten Route 66 communities have their own story to tell.

The Valentine post office, which serves the small surrounding area, remains one of the few active institutions in the community and a beloved novelty for romantics and nostalgia lovers across the country.

Route 66 Through Valentine

The Route 66 alignment through Valentine is among the most atmospheric on the entire highway. The pavement here is original, narrow, and cracked in places — evidence of decades of weather and neglect that have transformed what was once a busy road into a quiet artifact. Driving through town takes only a minute or two at road speed, but slowing down reveals the remnants of what was: weathered buildings, old gas station foundations, and the faint outlines of a community’s former life.

The surrounding landscape is high desert plateau — open and immense, with distant mesa silhouettes and enormous sky. It’s one of those stretches of Route 66 that makes the heart of a road-tripper quicken, because it feels genuinely forgotten rather than preserved for tourists.

What to See in Valentine

Historic Gas Station Ruins

The remains of a vintage 1940s gas station stand along Route 66 in Valentine, across from the post office. The structure is a classic example of mid-century roadside architecture in its final stages of surrender to time and weather. It’s a favorite stop for photographers documenting the decaying beauty of the Mother Road, and pairs beautifully with the expansive desert backdrop.

Valentine Post Office

The active post office in Valentine is small but historically interesting. Even outside of February, it serves as proof that Valentine remains a functioning, if tiny, community. If visiting around Valentine’s Day, drop in to have your cards stamped with the famous Valentine, AZ postmark.

Drive the Open Alignment

The biggest draw in Valentine is the road itself — uninterrupted, original, and genuinely remote. This stretch of Route 66 offers one of the most unvarnished driving experiences on the highway in Arizona. There are no gift shops, no themed attractions, no guided tours. Just the old road, the desert sky, and the sensation of driving across time.

Truxton Canyon Training School Site

The former site of the Truxton Canyon Training School is located near Valentine and represents a significant and sobering piece of regional history. The school was part of the federal government’s assimilation program for Native American youth — a legacy that continues to be processed and acknowledged by the Hualapai people. While not a traditional tourist attraction, it is a historically important site for those seeking a deeper understanding of the American West.

What to Do Near Valentine

Valentine’s location on the Kingman-to-Seligman corridor puts it within easy reach of several outstanding Route 66 attractions. The Hackberry General Store — one of the most beloved stops on all of Arizona’s Route 66 — is a short drive west, packed with vintage memorabilia, old cars, and cold drinks. Further west, Kingman offers the Arizona Route 66 Museum, great dining at Mr. D’z Diner, and a full range of services. To the east, Seligman — the self-proclaimed birthplace of Route 66 preservation — rewards visitors with colorful storefronts, Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, and genuine small-town warmth.

Climate and Weather in Valentine

Valentine experiences a high desert climate at around 4,500 feet. Summers are warm with highs in the upper 80s to low 90s°F and cool nights. Winters are cold with occasional frost and sometimes snow. The spring and fall shoulder seasons offer the most pleasant conditions for exploring this remote stretch of Route 66, with comfortable temperatures and dramatic cloud formations that make for spectacular photography.

Tips for Visiting Valentine, Arizona

Mail a Valentine’s Day card from Valentine’s post office — it arrives with a unique postmark that recipients love.
Fuel up and stock water in Kingman before making this drive — no reliable services exist in Valentine.
Bring a camera — the decaying structures, wide sky, and original pavement are visually striking.
Drive slowly through town — the entire settlement passes by in moments at highway speed.
Combine with visits to Truxton and the Hackberry General Store for a full appreciation of this remote corridor.

Final Thoughts on Valentine, Arizona

Valentine is as small as small gets on Route 66, but it punches well above its weight in character and history. From its connection to the Hualapai people, to its famous annual postmark tradition, to the melancholy beauty of its crumbling roadside structures, Valentine rewards travelers who make the effort to seek it out. It’s a reminder that Route 66’s story is not only told in neon-lit diners and kitschy motels — sometimes it’s told in quiet ruins and dusty post offices at the edge of the desert. For more on the full sweep of Route 66 across the state, see our guide to Route 66 in Arizona.