DEDICATED TO 100 YEARS OF ROUTE 66. YEAH. THAT’S RIGHT. WHEN THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS FLOCK HERE TO OKLAHOMA TO DRIVE ALONG ROUTE 66, THEY WILL HAVE A NEW TOOL. THE NEW STATE MAP HIGHLIGHTS OKLAHOMA’S ICONIC LANDMARKS, INCLUDING POPS, RIGHT HERE IN ARCADIA. OF OUR 2025 2026 OKLAHOMA STATE MAP. THERE WE GO. WE DO A MAP EVERY TWO YEARS. NOT ONE LIKE THIS FROM WEATHERFORD TO MIAMI AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. OKLAHOMA IS MAPPING ALL THE ICONIC LANDMARKS ALONG ROUTE 66 WITH THE NEW 2025, 2026 STATE MAP GUIDING TOURISTS ON WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO SEE FOR THE ROUTE 66 CENTENNIAL, OKLAHOMA HAS THE MOST MILES AND THE MOST ATTRACTIONS. I DON’T KNOW THAT I CAN IMAGINE A MORE SIGNIFICANT EVENT IN THE REALM OF TRANSPORTATION THAN THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION FOR ROUTE 66. OKLAHOMA HAS INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SO FAR, ALLOWING MUNICIPALITIES TO RESTORE AND REVITALIZE THEIR SECTION OF THE MOTHER ROAD. THIS IS THE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN OKLAHOMA. THIS IS THE LARGEST INVESTMENT ALONG ROUTE 66 IN STATE HISTORY, AND WE’RE DOING MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TOURISTS EXPECTED TO MAKE THE ROAD TRIP. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR MATT PINNELL SAYS THIS WILL BE A HUGE ECONOMIC BOOM FOR OKLAHOMA. 52% OF SALES TAX THAT IS COLLECTED IN OKLAHOMA IS FROM A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A PORTION OF ROUTE 66, SO THE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF ROUTE 66 IS ALSO IMMEASURABLE. NOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SAYS PRINTERS ARE RUNNING, BUT THEY ARE PLANNING TO RAMP UP DISTRIBUTION AS DEMAND GROWS.
Historic Route 66 among National Geographic’s top places in the world to visit in 2026
Learn where else made the list in the story below
Updated: 1:16 PM CDT Oct 27, 2025
National Geographic has named an iconic road in Oklahoma one of the best places in the world to travel in 2026. | RELATED VIDEO ABOVE | Oklahoma unveils new state map dedicated to Route 66 centennialAccording to National Geographic’s rankings, Route 66 in Oklahoma is one of the best tourist destinations during the upcoming year. The famous road was picked while Oklahoma pulls out all the stops to celebrate Route 66’s 100th anniversary. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has invested more than $82 million in the state’s 400-mile stretch of the Mother Road. The investments include relighting neon signs, reviving motor courts and adding roadside attractions. >> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channelAccording to National Geographic’s Zoey Goto, the perfect time to visit Route 66 is late spring through the fall of 2026 to experience the best that Route 66 has to offer in Oklahoma. National Geographic highlights Buck’s Vintage, Pops, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, the Tee Pee Drive-In, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum and many more stops as must-see attractions on Route 66. Other locations on National Geographic’s list include The Dolomites of Milan, Italy; the North Dakota Badlands; the Black Sea Coast in Turkey; and the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. Click here to see the full list. Top Headlines Former OU star Adrian Peterson arrested in Houston suburb on DWI and gun charges This is your brain on a haunted house Person taken to hospital after being struck by driver in northwest Oklahoma City Christmas trees, vacuums and mattress highlight top deals from major retailer’s ‘biggest sale of the year’ OKCFD pictures show aftermath of fiery crash involving semi-trailer over weekend on I-40
National Geographic has named an iconic road in Oklahoma one of the best places in the world to travel in 2026.
| RELATED VIDEO ABOVE | Oklahoma unveils new state map dedicated to Route 66 centennial
According to National Geographic’s rankings, Route 66 in Oklahoma is one of the best tourist destinations during the upcoming year. The famous road was picked while Oklahoma pulls out all the stops to celebrate Route 66’s 100th anniversary.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has invested more than $82 million in the state’s 400-mile stretch of the Mother Road. The investments include relighting neon signs, reviving motor courts and adding roadside attractions.
>> Download the KOCO 5 App | Subscribe to KOCO 5’s YouTube channel
According to National Geographic’s Zoey Goto, the perfect time to visit Route 66 is late spring through the fall of 2026 to experience the best that Route 66 has to offer in Oklahoma.
National Geographic highlights Buck’s Vintage, Pops, the Blue Whale of Catoosa, the Tee Pee Drive-In, the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum and many more stops as must-see attractions on Route 66.
Other locations on National Geographic’s list include The Dolomites of Milan, Italy; the North Dakota Badlands; the Black Sea Coast in Turkey; and the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. Click here to see the full list.
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