An eight-step method for setting realistic daily mileage, overnight towns and buffer days on the old road.
The biggest planning mistake on Route 66 is copying interstate mileage onto the old road. A day that looks like an easy run on the map turns into a long slog through towns, curves and wrong turns. Here’s a method for splitting the route into legs that actually work.
Step 1: Set your total days
Start with the number of days you truly have. Subtract one buffer day for every five or six on the road. Weather, a closed segment or simply a place you love will use it up.
Step 2: Divide by state, not distance
Rather than splitting miles evenly, give each state a share of days based on how much drivable old road it has. Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona usually deserve more time. Kansas needs only a couple of hours.
Step 3: Pick a comfortable daily cap
On the old road, average speeds are much lower than on the highway. Many drivers find a few hundred miles a day the comfortable limit. If you want time to stop and wander, plan less.
Step 4: Choose overnight towns
End each leg in a town large enough to have fuel and lodging. Mark one backup town before and after your target, so you can stop early or push on.
Step 5: Flag the hard stretches
- City alignments in Chicago, St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Albuquerque
- The mountain grade near Oatman in Arizona
- The long, remote Mojave section in California
- Any unpaved or seasonal pieces you plan to try
Put these early in the day, when you’re fresh and the light is good.
Step 6: Plan fuel and water
In the western states, services can be far apart. Top up the tank whenever it drops toward half. Carry drinking water and a basic emergency kit.
Step 7: Write a one-page brief per leg
List the start, the end, the alignment choices, the hard sections and the backup towns. Keep it on paper. It works when the phone signal doesn’t.
Step 8: Review each evening
Look at tomorrow’s brief. Check weather and any closures with official sources. Adjust the leg if needed. A plan that bends survives the trip.
For context on each state’s road, see the route by state. For navigation tips, read whether GPS can follow Route 66.