Officially known as U.S. Highway 66, and popularly called ‘Route 66’, it was the first all-weather highway linking L.A to Chicago. Route 66 reduced the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles by more than 200 miles, which made it very popular among thousands of motorists who were heading West in the years to come. It was a benchmark in the government’s plans to build more highways and interstates to connect the nation.