Welcome to the Midpoint of Route 66

By: James Wilder

The halfway point of any trip over a couple of hours is a big milestone. But even if you aren't traveling the entire Route 66 you can still say you were at the mid-point of Route 66, and have photos to prove it!

The "Welcome To The Midpoint" Route 66 sign is in Adrian, Texas. It has been improved over the last few years and now has a bench behind the sign to stand on if you are in a large group.

In our time there we met a couple from Mexico touring Route 66 on motorcycle. Even though we didn't share the same language we knew were there for the same reason. Photo Op!

If you planned your trip carefully or are just lucky, you can walk across the street and have a meal and buy some souvenirs at the Midpoint Cafe and Gift Shop.

Is It Really the Midpoint?

It appears the welcome sign was installed in 1995 due to the fact that Tom Snyder, president and founder of the U.S. Route 66 Association, called the owner of the Adrian Cafe and encouraged them to change their name to capitalize on being located at the mid-point of Route 66. If a sign existed in 1995 then I don't think a call to the owner of the restaurant would have been necessary.

Is It Really the Midpoint? I don't know and I'm not about to prove this assertion! But I did find an answer in the "Route 66: Traveler's Guide and Roadside Companion", by Tom Snyder. Tom writes "Based on averages from the Chicago Los Angeles mileage table in the back of this guide, Adrian is the Geo mathematical center of old route 66 as you've been driving it."

Location

The Route 66 mid-point sign is across the street from the Midpoint Cafe.

MidPoint Café and Gift Shop
305 West Historic Route 66
Adrian, TX 79001