What was the original eastern terminus of U.S. Route 66?

The original eastern terminus of U.S. Route 66 was Chicago, Illinois.

Route 66 was designed as a major east–west corridor linking Chicago with Southern California. In its early years, the eastern end was associated with downtown Chicago, and the route later reached Lake Shore Drive beginning in 1938.

Chicago gave the highway a significant transportation starting point. From there, travelers headed southwest through Illinois and Missouri before crossing the Great Plains and the Southwest. The route’s famous westbound journey therefore began in a major Midwestern city rather than at the Mississippi River or in St. Louis.

Joliet and Springfield are closely associated with Illinois Route 66 landmarks, but neither was the highway’s national eastern terminus. St. Louis was an important city on the route in Missouri, yet it was a stop along the way, not the starting point.