Route 66, Tucumcari, New Mexico

If Route 66 is your thing, then get to Tucumcari tonight!

The iconic Blue Swallow Motel is one of the charming highlights of the town of Tucumcari located near the New Mexico – Texas border on the Old Route 66 (2 hours and 30 minutes drive from Albuquerque). Route 66 culture has seen a proud and profitable revival in Tucumcari. For anyone who loves the “Mother Road,” this is the essential day trip from Albuquerque.

Tucumcari is the largest city on Interstate 40 (the old Route 66) between Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Billboards reading “TUCUMCARI TONITE!” placed along I-40 for many miles to the east and west of the town invite motorists to stay the night in one of Tucumcari’s 1200 motel rooms. Those who accept the invitation get to step back into time at one of the quirky and charming tiny motels that offer the visual and cultural appeal of Route 66’s heyday.

Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard. A large number of the vintage motels, gas stations and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city’s outskirts on the south.

The city of Tucumcari has done for Route 66 culture what Santa Fe has done for Adobe architecture, make it an iconic travel attraction. Spend a night in Tucumcari and get your kicks on Route 66!

Official Tucumcari Tonite! Website

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