U.S. Route 66 was officially removed from the United States Numbered Highway System in 1985.
The highway was decommissioned because the Interstate Highway System had replaced it as the main long-distance route between Chicago and Southern California. Interstate 40, Interstate 44, Interstate 55, and other modern roads carried most through traffic more efficiently.
Decommissioning did not erase the road. Many original sections, bridges, motels, restaurants, gas stations, museums, and roadside signs survived. Communities along the route began promoting “Historic Route 66” as a heritage and tourism corridor.
A common mix-up is treating 1985 as the date Route 66 was physically destroyed. It was an administrative removal from the highway system; substantial portions remain drivable, although the original continuous route is interrupted by newer roads and private property.