On June 27, 1985, the iconic Route 66 was officially decertified, with the highway signs being removed. Once known as the “Main Street of America,” Route 66 had connected Chicago to Los Angeles since 1926, serving as a vital path for westward migration, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. By the mid-1980s, the newer Interstate Highway System had rendered much of Route 66 obsolete. The decertification marked the end of an era for the historic road, though it remains a symbol of American culture and nostalgia, celebrated in literature, song, and television.
