01
U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District with shops, restaurants and surviving highway architecture
Stop 8 of 13 · Potter & Randall counties
Amarillo on Texas Route 66
The major urban anchor of Texas Route 66, with a National Register historic district, classic roadside dining, museums and Cadillac Ranch on the western edge of town.
Route order
#8
County
Potter & Randall counties
Stop type
city
Why it belongs
The Route 66 story here
Route 66 was a major commercial corridor through Amarillo. The U.S. Route 66–Sixth Street Historic District preserves a concentrated stretch of highway-era buildings, while Amarillo provides the broadest lodging, dining and museum options on the Texas segment.
A complete Texas Route 66 road trip works because the famous landmarks are connected by places like this one. The route was a transportation system before it became a nostalgia trail: service stations, cafes, motels, bridges, commercial blocks, grain elevators and roadside advertising all developed around motorists moving across the Panhandle. Reading the communities in sequence gives the road more meaning than jumping directly from one photo stop to another.
On the ground
What to look for in Amarillo
02
Cadillac Ranch west of the city
03
The Big Texan Steak Ranch and its long-running Route 66 roadside identity
04
Amarillo museums and a practical overnight base for the full Panhandle drive
05
Palo Duro Canyon State Park as a major south-of-route detour for travelers adding a second day
Plan the stop
Before you pull off the highway
- Make Amarillo the overnight base if you want time for Sixth Street, Cadillac Ranch and a full meal without rushing the small towns.
- Cadillac Ranch is outdoors and exposed; mud, wind, heat and storms can materially change the visit.
- Palo Duro Canyon is a substantial detour, not a five-minute roadside stop; give it a half day or more.
Keep exploring TexasDefined
Related guides for this stop
Source desk
Verify the historic record and current access
TexasDefined uses preservation and transportation authorities for the historic corridor. Hours, business operations, construction, private-property access and road conditions can change after publication, so use these sources and current local information before departure.
Previous stop
← Washburn
A quiet Panhandle community included in the state's Route 66 research, useful for understanding the corridor's rural alignments around the eastern approach to Amarillo.
Next stop
Bushland →
A rural Route 66 corridor community west of Amarillo that marks the transition from the city's roadside attractions back into open Panhandle farm country.