The Kansas portion of the original Route 66, located in Cherokee County, has been designated as as a Kansas Historic Byway. The byway offers opportunities for visitors to enjoy a variety of experiences to "get their own kick" while driving the original Kansas portion of Route 66, found in the "Ozark Plateau" or Southeast corner of the state. Route 66 is a part of the Ozarks cultural heritage experience in southeast Kansas, southwest Missouri and northeast Oklahoma.
The 13.2 miles of Kansas Historic Route 66 includes paved state, city and county roads, beginning t the Kansas-Missouri state line and following the original Route 66 route through Galena, Riverton and Baxter Springs to the Kansas-Oklahoma state line.
An historic byway must have resources that are historically significant, be numerous, visible and have a setting or character that is complementary to the resources. In a press release, Scott Shields, KDOT State Byway Coordinator said: "We are excited to add Historic Route 66 to the Kansas Byway collection. The route designation provides travelers a chance to view the relationship between the history of the original highway and the landscape and structures that define the area, in a combined effort to promote tourism and economic development, while exploring the natural and cultural importance of the byway communities."
The state designation will result in the placement of Kansas Byway route markers along the byway, the creation of a promotional brochure and inclusion on the Kansas Scenic Byway Facebook page. The byway will have a page on the www.ksbyways.org website and the byway will be eligible to apply for National Scenic Byway grants to enhance the route for visitors.
With this state designation, Kansas Historic Route 66 will join several other states who's portion of Route 66 carries the designation of an All American Road, a National Scenic Byway or a state byway including Arizona, Illinois, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Missouri.
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