Travel Route 66 to Vega, Texas

It is only about 50 miles from Amarillo to the New Mexico border, with the Old 66 Road passing through the small towns of Wildorado, Vega and Adrian. The highway is flat and straight as it leaves Amarillo.

Vega is a small rural town just 30 minutes west of Amarillo, and is the county seat and largest community in Oldham County. Vega is often referred to as the “Crossroads of the Nation” and has also been dubbed, “The Solar Capital of Texas” due to being in the 7th Sunniest Areas of the U.S. Its name is Spanish for "plain" or "meadow."

Route 66 Through Vega

Prior to Route 66’s designation in 1926, the town of Vega in the western portion of the Texas Panhandle was primarily an agricultural community. A segment of the Ozark Trail connected Vega to Amarillo to the east, and Tucumcari, New Mexico, to the west. When Route 66 was authorized, this Trail became part of the national highway. The highway extended directly through Vega, and new businesses emerged to serve the traveling public.

The popularization of the automobile brought new industry to Vega. Tourist courts, cafes, and gas stations sprang up. Vega and many other towns became dependent on the business that the Mother Road brought.

West Main Street in Vega was part of the original Route 66 alignment from 1926 to 1936. In 1936 Route 66 was re-routed to what is now Vega Boulevard (Business 40). Both alignments led west to Adrian, and then on to Glenrio. Remnants (dirt) of the original alignment west of town can be seen by the wary observer in person, and on satellite maps!

Route 66 Through Vega Sign describing the location of Route 66 in Vega

 

Traffic remained heavy on Route 66 through Vega throughout the 1950s and 1960s.  During this same period, the desires for better and faster transportation coupled with advances in technology made the road obsolete.  Plans for an interstate through the Texas Panhandle were forming, and the new modern highway (I-40) was completed in the early 1970s. Vega and many other cities across the country began to dwindle when Interstate 40 bypassed them.

Vega Today

Today, Route 66 tourists still enjoy the history and nostalgia of the road which continue to provide glimpses of those earlier times. It offers travelers a variety of interesting attractions in Vega, such as the Milburn-Price Culture Museum, the Oldham County Courthouse, Dot's Mini Museum and the historic Magnolia Gas Station. The Oldham County Heritage Farm and Ranch Museum is also on Old Route 66 and offers visitors an outdoor display of antique farm machinery and equipment.

Yearly events include the Vega Bluegrass Festival, Comancheros de Vega Community Garage Sales, Easter Eggstravaganza, and the Oldham County Round-Up. Vega offers motels, a library (built in 1911 as a silent movie theater), RV parks, restaurants, a grocery store, several convenience stores, and many shops.

Access to Vega Today, Vega is situated at the intersection of Interstate I-40 and U.S. Highway 385. Vega has three exits from Interstate I-40; all offer access to the Old Route 66: Exit 35 on the west end of town (see photo below) Exit 36 in the central part and the location of the Pilot Travel Center, Valero Gas Station & Allsup's, Days Inn by Wyndham and more services Exit 37 on the east end of the town, the first Vega exit when traveling west from Amarillo The Old Route 66 through Vega is now labeled as "Business 40".

Milburn-Price Culture Museum The former Western Lumber Company building is home to the Milburn-Price Culture Museum, at 1005 Coke Street in Vega. The Museum is a non-profit organization that seeks to educate the public about the history and culture of the Oldham County area. Shown below is the sign and exterior of the Museum, one of the exhibit areas and lovely mural on the side of the building. Also on display outside is the world's largest branding iron ... for the XIT Ranch! Milburn-Price Culture Museum on Facebook

Oldham County Courthouse Route 66 Roadside Attraction: Circa 1915 Oldham County Courthouse in Vega, Texas

Magnolia Gas Station The circa 1920s Magnolia Gas Station is located at 222 North Main Street in Vega. It was restored by the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce and the City of Vega with partial funding from National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program.

The Vega Motel Ervin Pancoast constructed the Vega Motel on Route 66 in 1947, a time when leisure and travel was a booming industry.  The motel had west and south wings for a total of 12 units, with garages incorporated into the motel design. The Vega Motel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Read more about the Vega Motel at the National Park Service (NPS)

Other Scenes and Places Around Vega
Entering Vega on Old Route 66	Dima's Trade-N-Post Route 66 truck
Bison ... at Vega!	The Vega Enterprise
Welcome to Vega ... Texas Route 66 Mural
Dot's Mini Museum at 105 N 12th	Roadside Attraction: Dot's Mini Museum
The Dinosaur in Vega	The Vega Water Tower
Hickory Inn Cafe	Roosters Crafted Mexican Food

Earlier Times on Route 66 in Vega ... Seen in Vintage Postcards
Sands Motel
Western Skies Cafe	Vega Court ... circa late-1950s
Bonanza Motel

 

More Information About Vega & Oldham County

Vega at the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce Oldham County Milburn-Price Culture Museum on Facebook Vega at the Texas State Historical Association Vega Motel at the National Park Service (NPS) Old Route 66 Association of Texas Travel Texas: Route 66 Vega Weather at WeatherUnderground Vega Texas Hotels and Restaurants at TripAdvisor ... with Traveler Reviews

Only 18 miles west of Vega is Adrian, the mid-point of Route 66

 

Driving West on the Next Route 66 Segment? Tucumcari to Santa Fe

 

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