Claremont Celebrates The Mother Road’s Centennial in 2026
America’s Mother Road, Route 66, celebrates its centennial in 2026. And for about 2.2 miles, Historic Route 66, locally Foothill Boulevard, cuts through the heart of Claremont. The road that once carried generations of travelers, dreamers, and road-trippers from Chicago to Santa Monica still pulses with life here.
In Southern California, the highway followed the old National Old Trails Road through the foothill communities east of Los Angeles, and Claremont became one of its most distinctive stops. Travelers heading west toward the Pacific passed through Claremont’s citrus groves and college campuses. And those heading east carried California dreams back home.
Along Foothill Boulevard, if you know where to look, the architecture and artifacts of Route 66’s golden era are still very much present. Claremont’s Route 66 corridor includes eight places listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Courtesy of Claremont Heritage, here are some historic sites along the historic road.
- (Formerly) Millard Sheets Studio (1958)
655 East Foothill Blvd
Sheets’ murals and design influence can be found all over Southern California as he designed 120 Home Savings branches.
➡️ Currently: Claremont Eye Associate - The Claremont Colleges (1887)
Entrance signage at Dartmouth Ave. - California Botanic Garden (1951)
1500 North College Ave.
Originally founded by Susanna Bixby Bryant in Yorba Linda as Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, the garden moved to Claremont in 1951. - (Formerly) School of Theology at Claremont (1952)
1325 North College Ave. - Wolfe’s Marketplace (1917)
160 West Foothill Blvd. at Harvard Ave.
➡️ Currently: Wolfe’s Deli and The Meat Cellar
A fourth-generation Claremont business, Wolfe’s Market was established in 1917. - (Formerly) Sterling Oil Spray Company (c. 1923)
404 West Foothill Blvd. at Indian Hill Blvd.
➡️ Currently: Sherwood Florist - (Formerly) Claremont High School (1911)
415 West Foothill Blvd. at Indian Hill Blvd. (North side of Route 66)
➡️ Currently: The Old School House - (Formerly) Griswold’s Smorgasbord & Inn
505 West Foothill Blvd. (North side of Route 66)
➡️ Currently: Buca di Beppo and Piano Piano (front), DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont (rear hotel buildings) - (Formerly) Betsy Ross Ice Cream Parlor
695 West Foothill Blvd.(North side of Route 66)
➡️ Currently: Claremont Optometry - (Formerly) Tugboat Annie’s
962 West Foothill Blvd.
Later this spring, a new Route 66 centennial commemorative sign will be installed in front of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Claremont, adding a striking new landmark to one of the road’s most storied stretches. It will be a celebration worth making a trip for.