Oklahoma officials have set a goal for the state to be the national leader in Route 66 tourism.
Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an act into law in April creating the Route 66 Centennial Commission. State officials are planning a December convention to draw in the highway’s stakeholders.
Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell said Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 has more drivable miles — more than 400 — than any other state.
“My vision for Route 66 in Oklahoma is to make a whole lot of money on it,” Pinnell said. “When I’m talking about promoting the state of Oklahoma from the tourism perspective, that means communities across the state are making a lot of money in very valuable sales tax dollars.
“And Oklahoma is one of the most sales-tax-dependent states in the country.”
The state generates on average about $627 million in sales tax revenue annually, he said. Pinnell wants to see that nearly double to a billion dollars.
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Tourism already ranks as the state’s third-largest industry, behind oil and gas and aerospace, the state has reported. But it has the potential for tremendous growth, given not only the state’s scenic beauty but also international interest in Route 66, he said.
The Route 66 centennial is scheduled for Nov. 11, 2026, marking the day 100 years earlier when federal authorities gave the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route its numerical designation. The road put a national thoroughfare through many small towns, many of which had no such previous connection.
“This was certainly true in Oklahoma,” the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Commission Act states. “Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66 runs from Miami through Tulsa and Oklahoma City to Erick, passing through cities and towns of all sizes and vast expanses of rural landscape.”
The commission, set to dissolve in 2027, was established to implement programs and events in celebration of the highway’s centennial in 2026. The lieutenant governor will serve as chairman of the 21-member commission.
Pinnell described Route 66 as part of the American fabric.
“It’s authentic America — Route 66 is,” he said. “I think that is very intriguing to people around the country and it’s very intriguing to people around the world.”
Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, said it is not unusual to hear languages other than English along the prime stops on Route 66. The highway is a popular destination among German and Japanese tourists.
“Trying to pull us together as a state has always been a challenge,” Blackburn said. “Route 66 is one of those things that binds the state together.”
The commission, while short-lived, is aimed at providing unity among the communities along the route, Blackburn said. The upcoming convention in December will be a step further in establishing a state master plan, under the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, for the route.
The master plan will include suggestions for exhibits, programs and events focused on Route 66, a greater awareness of the highway’s cultural impact through popular culture, and opportunities to combine private investment and public policy.
The convention will be hosted Dec. 3 and 4 at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City.
