Historic U.S. Route 66 in Webb City
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"The Mother Road" was established on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Starting in Chicago, westbound travelers traversed a series of towns in Illinois before arriving in St. Louis.
Heading westbound in Missouri, the route traveled through these cites and towns:
Historic U.S. Route 66 Byway in Missouri |
Route 66 across Missouri stretched 317 miles and connected a variety of large cities and small towns, traversing rolling hills and valleys. The Mother Road followed much of the Kickapoo, or Osage, Trail, an Indian trail that later became the Old Wire Road. Like other Route 66 segments, the actual alignment varied over the years as engineering improvements were constructed. We've driven much of Route 66, including multiple segments across Missouri, and visits to Webb City. |
Webb City Missouri ... Background
A popular stop on Route 66 today is Webb City, situated between Carthage and Joplin. The City of Webb City was founded in 1876 by John C. Webb, upon some of the world's purest veins of lead and zinc ore. The city covers 18 square miles and has a population of about 13,000 residents. It is often called "The Zinc City".
Starting as a mining camp, the meteoric growth of Webb City reached a population of more than 15,000 people in a period of about twenty-five years. Webb City occupied the central district of the largest lead and zinc mining area in the world. More than 100,000 people lived in the immediate area of the Webb City district.
Webb City Today
Today, the City of Webb City offers a wide range of events for locals and Route 66 visitors, from outdoor concerts, seasonal festivals, local parks and sports competitions.
Route 66 Cardinal Park is at the entrance to the city and features antique mining equipment and is also a great photo opportunity on the large Route 66 Medallion. The park is located at 528 East Broadway Street in Webb City.
Located at 112 West Broadway is the Route 66 Center, housed in an old service station. It is a great place to find out more about the history of the city and things to do. The building is also the home of the Webb City Area Chamber of Commerce.
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Other popular attractions include the circa-1913 Webb City Public Library. The circa-1891 Elijay Thomas Webb Home at 4 South Liberty Street, near Route 66, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The annual Route 66 Cruise-a-Palooza offers plenty of activities, all for a great cause. It’s part of Webb City’s annual community celebration that first began in 2009. The Route 66 Cruise-a-Palooza is dedicated to fallen Webb City officer Jacob Williams. The two-day event features a car show, numerous food and craft vendors, and monster truck rides.
The Route 66 Association of Missouri is raising funds to restore the 70 year old neon sign at Webb City Florist. Rich Dinkela, president of the association, has posted a video about the business and the fundraiser. Courtney Smith, the new owner of the Florist, has recently taken over this legacy business along an original alignment of the historic Route 66 through the city.
| The public's invited to the relighting party for Webb City Florist's neon sign WebbCity.net - 10/19/2023 |
Map showing the approximate location of Webb City between Carthage and Joplin on Route 66 in Missouri
Interactive Map of Webb City, Missouri
The Praying Hands MemorialThe Memorial was sculpted over a period of several years by local artist J.E. "Jack" Dawson, and dedicated in April of 1974. Its size is impressive: 220,000 pounds of steel and concrete, 32 feet high, sitting on top of a 40-foot-high man-made hill. Carved in stone in front of the statue are six simple words: “Hands in prayer. World in peace.” Each year, thousands of visitors and locals visit the giant hands. The Memorial is located in King Jack Park, on Dawson Drive, in Webb City, northeast of Joplin not far off Route 66. Free and open to the public. |
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Just South of Webb City: Joplin's Route 66 Mural ParkShown here is the mural in downtown Joplin, Missouri at Pearl Brothers Hardware Store. This is only one of many murals painted throughout the downtown area. The Route 66 Mural Park in Joplin features two nostalgic murals and an oversized 45-record imprint of "Get Your Kicks on Route 66". The upper mural is called "Cruisin’ into Joplin", and showing a vintage Buick arriving in Joplin on Route 66 from the west. The lower mural is called "The American Ribbon", tracing the route of the Mother Road from Chicago to Los Angeles. Jutting out in three dimensions from the mural is a mock 1964 red Chevrolet Corvette. This is a favorite stop for Rouge 66 travelers in Missouri for photo-ops! The mural is located at 619 S. Main Street in Joplin. |
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Lodging and Dining in Webb City
Carthage: Just East of Webb CityOne of the first concrete-paved portions of Missouri’s highway system was the stretch of road west of Carthage to Joplin, laid in 1920. In 1926, this route became part of Route 66. Along the route today travelers find Kellogg Lake, Powers Museum, Carthage Municipal Park, Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre, 66 Drive-In Theatre (below) and the 1939 Boots Court (right). Official website of the Boots Court ... Phone 417.310.2989 |
Historic Boots Court, Route 66, Carthage |
66 Drive-In Theatre, Carthage, Missouri It is located at 17231 Old 66 Boulevard in Carthage. Phone 417.359.5959 For more information, opening dates and show times, visit the official website of the 66 Drive-In Theatre |
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![66 Drive-In Theatre, Carthage, Missouri](images/photos-missouri/carthage/66-drive-in-theater-carthage-missouri.jpg "\") |
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| Red Oak II, northeast of Carthage | |
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More Resources about Webb City and Missouri |
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