On “The Mother Road”

A couple of weeks ago I attended an international travel conference in Chicago and, not surprisingly, was regularly reminded of the Pier’s worldwide appeal. We have something very special here in Santa Monica, and it’s nice to have that reinforced by people whom you’ve never met before, yet know a thing or two about the greatest attractions and destinations of our world.

The timing of this conference being in Chicago was a bit ironic in that next year – 2026 – iconic Route 66 will turn 100 years old. Chicago marks one end of the “Mother Road” and, of course, Santa Monica marks the other.

It is often stated that the Santa Monica Pier is the end of Route 66, but that’s not quite true. At least, not technically. The United States highway system was developed such that it is completely fluid – a highway only ends when it meets another highway. Clearly, the Pier does not meet another highway.

However, Santa Monica does have another highway that runs through it – US Highway 1 (better known as the Pacific Coast Highway). These two highways, Route 66 and the Pacific Coast Highway, intersect at the corner of Lincoln Boulevard and Olympic Boulevard, and that is the official terminus of Route 66.

BUT … If you have driven 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica, are you going to end your journey at Lincoln and Olympic? I don’t think so, for if you’ve driven that far you will certainly want to see the Pacific Ocean.

AND… Back during the same time that Route 66 was an officially commissioned US highway, people could literally drive their cars out over the ocean to the end of the Santa Monica Pier. That was as far as anyone could go. And, hence, the traditional and celebrated “End of the Trail.”

Yes, I had to clarify this to quite a few people while in Chicago, and even though I may have initially broken some hearts with the official story, the listeners’ eyes lit up when they realized the “of course” moment of why the Pier is always referred to as the endpoint. It’s a great story!

And, there are many, many more stories that I will continue to share with you all.

By Jim Harris

Jim Harris is the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Pier Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.