Route 66 in Arizona from Las Vegas: the Seligman to Kingman drive
By the ThingsVegas Editorial Team | Published November 5, 2026 | Last reviewed: November 5, 2026
Drive the Seligman to Kingman stretch. It is about 85 miles of original Route 66, the longest continuous piece left in the country, reached from Las Vegas in under 2 hours via Kingman. Go for the centennial winter if you can: the road turns 100 on November 11, 2026.
Prices last checked: November 5, 2026. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026. Sources are named on this page; check the official page before you pay, because prices and hours change.
Why does this stretch matter more than the rest?
Most of Route 66 was paved over, bypassed or absorbed by interstates. Arizona kept more of it than any other state: the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona counts 250 drivable miles of Route 66 in the state today, including the longest remaining uninterrupted stretch at 157.87 miles from Topock to Crookton Road. The heart of it, and the part a Las Vegas visitor can actually drive well in a day, is Seligman to Kingman. The Bureau of Land Management describes this corridor as one of the longest remaining continuous stretches of historic Route 66 in the nation, largely intact and fully drivable.
Seligman is where the rescue started. When Interstate 40 bypassed the town in 1978, business collapsed. In 1987, Seligman barber Angel Delgadillo founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, and that same year Arizona designated the Seligman to Kingman road a state historic route, the first designation of its kind in America. The association puts the founding plainly: in 1987, Angel Delgadillo, from Seligman, formed the Route 66 Association with the intention of lobbying the State to establish Route 66 as a historic highway. Every Route 66 revival since traces back to that barbershop.
Day trip or weekend: which version fits your trip?
| Version | Route | Driving time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long day trip | Las Vegas to Kingman on US-93, historic road east to Seligman, back on I-40 and US-93 | About 6 hours of driving, plus stops | One free day, no hotel change |
| Weekend loop | Day one as above, continue to Williams for the night, Grand Canyon South Rim on day two | Split across two days | Pairing the old road with the canyon |
| Oatman spur | Add Kingman to Oatman over Sitgreaves Pass to either version | Adds about 1.5 to 2 hours | Confident drivers with daylight spare |
Kingman sits about 105 miles from Las Vegas, under 2 hours on US-93. Seligman to Kingman on the historic road takes about 90 minutes without stops, and stops are the point, so budget half a day for that leg alone. Williams, the weekend overnight, earned its intact main street the hard way: it was the last town in America bypassed by Interstate 40, in October 1984, which is why its Route 66 storefronts survive unbroken. Route 66 itself was decertified in 1985, a year later.
What are the stops that earn their time?
| Stop | Where | Why stop |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona Route 66 Museum | Kingman, in the Powerhouse Visitor Center | The west anchor. Start here for the corridor's story before you drive it |
| Hackberry | Historic road, east of Kingman | Old general store stop on the quietest part of the drive |
| Peach Springs | Historic road, mid stretch | Hualapai community on the longest unbroken run of old road |
| Snow Cap Drive-In | Seligman | Opened 1953, the classic roadside food stop at the east end |
| Delgadillo's Route 66 Gift Shop | Seligman | The barbershop where the preservation movement began in 1987 |
Services thin out quickly on the old road. Fill the tank in Kingman or Seligman, carry water for every person in the car, and download your maps before you leave the interstate corridor, because cell coverage drops along the stretch. Those three habits matter more than any single photo stop. If you still need a car, our guide to renting a car in Las Vegas covers the counter traps before you are handed the keys.
How does Route 66 pair with the Grand Canyon?
Williams is the Grand Canyon Railway town, and it is the natural hinge between the two trips: Route 66 main street at night, the South Rim the next morning. If the canyon is your main event and Route 66 is the side trip, read our West Rim or South Rim decision page before you book anything, and our Grand Canyon tours page for the guided options. The full loop of parks that starts and ends in Las Vegas is mapped on our day trips hub, which is also where the Zion and Antelope Canyon days plug in.
Centennial note, dated November 2026
Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926, per the Bureau of Land Management, so the centennial lands on November 11, 2026, with anniversary events across Kingman, Seligman and Williams this season. The page you are reading is written to stay useful after the banners come down: the drive, the stops and the fuel rules do not expire with the birthday.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the one stretch of Route 66 worth driving from Las Vegas?
The Seligman to Kingman stretch in Arizona. At about 85 miles it is the longest continuous stretch of original Route 66 left in the country, it was designated a state historic route in 1987, and it runs through Hackberry and Peach Springs with almost no modern interruption. Everything east of Seligman is a bonus, not the main event.
When is the Route 66 centennial?
November 11, 2026. The Bureau of Land Management and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona both date the highway's establishment to November 11, 1926, so the road turns 100 years old on November 11, 2026. Centennial events run through the season in Kingman, Seligman and Williams, but the drive itself is the evergreen reason to go.
How far is Kingman from Las Vegas?
About 105 miles, under 2 hours by car. You take US-93 south from Las Vegas across the Colorado River bridge to Kingman, which is the west anchor of the historic stretch. The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona notes that most Arizona road trippers arrive exactly this way, down Highway 93 from Las Vegas to Kingman.
Can you do Route 66 as a day trip from Las Vegas?
Yes, as a long day. Drive to Kingman, take the historic road east to Seligman with stops in Hackberry and Peach Springs, then return on Interstate 40 and US-93. The weekend version adds Williams, the last town in America bypassed by Interstate 40 in October 1984, and pairs the old road with the Grand Canyon.
Is the Oatman road worth the detour?
For confident drivers, yes. The Kingman to Oatman leg over Sitgreaves Pass is reported in Route 66 guides at 191 curves in 8 miles. It is slow, narrow and dramatic. Treat it as an optional spur you add with daylight to spare, never as the main line of the trip, and skip it entirely in a large rental car or bad weather.