Commonly called the "Main Street of America" and also the "Mother Road," Route 66 became the first paved transcontinental highway in the U.S., spanning from Chicago to Los Angeles. In Texas, the route crossed seven panhandle counties over one hundred seventy-seven miles. Route 66 was popular with automobile tourists. The road was important in the development of Sixth Street and the San Jacinto area in Amarillo, the only large urban city on the Texas route. In 1994, the area was listed in the National Register of Historic Places and became the focus of local preservation efforts.
