What city was the western terminus of historic U.S. Route 66?

Santa Monica was the western terminus of historic U.S. Route 66.

The route ran west from Chicago across eight states and ended in Santa Monica, California, on the Pacific coast. Its western approach followed roads through the Los Angeles region before reaching Santa Monica, making the city the symbolic end of the Mother Road for travelers crossing the country.

The exact endpoint is often associated with the Santa Monica Pier, where a commemorative marker stands today. Historically, however, Route 66’s legal endpoint was tied to the road network near the intersection of Olympic Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard rather than the end of the pier itself. Los Angeles was a major nearby destination, but it was not the route’s western terminus.