The U.S. Postal Service marked the centennial of Route 66 with the release of eight new stamps, each highlighting a landmark from one of the eight states the historic highway passes through.
The stamps were dedicated May 5 during a first-day-of-issue ceremony in Phoenix at the National Postal Forum. The selvage of the pane features a photograph of the legendary road stretching into the Arizona desert, evoking the sense of freedom and possibility that has drawn travelers for a century.
Route 66 was designated on Nov. 11, 1926. The 2,448-mile highway originally ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, linking small towns and rural communities that might otherwise have been bypassed. It became known as the “Main Street of America” during the Great Depression, carried families and job seekers westward during World War II, and symbolized postwar optimism in the 1950s and 1960s.
The television series “Route 66” and Pixar’s 2006 film “Cars” helped keep the highway’s spirit alive even after most of the original route was replaced by interstates. Today, about 85 percent of the road remains drivable, and more than 250 sites along it are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Southern Maryland residents can now own a piece of that history. The new Forever stamps are available at local post offices in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties. Many local families enjoy road trips along historic routes, and the stamps serve as a reminder of the American tradition of hitting the open road.
“The men and women of the Postal Service are proud to commemorate Route 66 and celebrate its shared purpose of binding the nation together,” said Jeff Adams, the Postal Service’s vice president of Corporate Communications, who dedicated the stamps.
Adams was joined by Rod Reid, chairman of the United States Route 66 Centennial Commission. “The Route 66 stamp issuance represents an open invitation to come experience Route 66 for yourself along with the many historic and iconic landmarks you’ll see along the way,” Reid said.
Photographer David J. Schwartz, whose images appear on the stamps, also spoke at the ceremony. “Route 66 isn’t history behind glass or a velvet rope. It’s living history that people can still step into and become part of,” he said.
The stamps were designed by Greg Breeding. They are issued in panes of 16 and will always be equal in value to the current First-Class Mail one-ounce price.
The release continues the Postal Service’s tradition of honoring American icons. For Southern Maryland collectors and road-trip enthusiasts, the stamps offer a colorful keepsake of a legendary highway that still inspires adventure.
