In a written statement, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe says, “This recognition is a testament to Missouri’s deep roots in the history of America’s most iconic highway and to the vibrant spirit of the communities that keep that legacy alive today.”

The governor adds, “Route 66 is more than just a road — it’s a symbol of freedom, opportunity, and the American Dream. And there’s no better place to begin the centennial celebration than right here in the city where it all began: Springfield, Missouri.”

At a celebratory event held at Springfield's historic Rail Haven Route 66 motel, Kehoe told a crowd of roughly 100 people, "Today, my wife Claudia is with me. What most people know, if you do know, is our farm is in a small town in Phelps — in Pulaski County called Jerome, Missouri, and our farm is right on the historic Route 66, and we have some of the original roadway in Pulaski County that's still there today, that you can drive through. That's amazing when people do, right? And it's unbelievable when people come from all over the world to drive on that stretch, because this roadway is so historic, and it's so — it makes millions of memories, for not just Americans, for people all over the world. So it's, it's fantastic. This is a well-deserved honor for the city where it began."

Famously, at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 30, 1926, various state highway officials sent a telegram from the old Colonial Hotel on St. Louis Street in downtown Springfield. They told federal authorities they’d accept Route 66 as the name of the new transcontinental highway being developed.

A century later, St. Louis Street is recognized as part of Historic Route 66 , which starts in Chicago and runs almost 2,500 miles to Los Angeles. In 2021, the route was designated an "All-American Road" by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Route 66 routinely attracts travelers from across the globe and in recent years has been the center of an event held each summer in downtown Springfield, the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.

Within Missouri borders, the highway's route originated in Native American game trails and farm-to-market routes used during the first 100 years of U.S. statehood, according to reporting by the Springfield News-Leader published four years ago.

The City of Springfield says in a news release that for the national hundred-year anniversary celebration, Springfield was chosen after a competitive process by the U.S. National Route 66 Centennial Commission and the Road Ahead Partnership. The partnership is a national nonprofit working to revitalize and sustain Route 66 as a national icon and international destination.

The Missouri Route 66 Centennial Commission is currently encouraging citizen involvement and promoting information on hundred-year celebrations of Route 66. The state of Missouri has funded over a million dollars in toward events and tourist attractions.

Plans for the festivities include an April 30, 2026 concert at Springfield’s Historic Shrine Mosque, livestreamed around the world with cut-ins from Route 66 cities across the United States.

Visit celebratemo66.com for ongoing updates about centennial Route 66 festivities in Springfield and around Missouri.

Editor's note: This report was updated with photos and comment by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe from the announcement event on the afternoon of April 23.