Adrian, TX—The Midway Point of Route 66

Reaching the halfway point of any ride is an event in itself—there will be more miles behind you than there are ahead. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on the ride, I suppose.

On Route 66, though, you’ll reach that midway milestone in Adrian, TX.

A specific point on the south side of Adrian marks the geo-mathematical midpoint of the Mother Road. At this location, some 50 miles west of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle, you’ll be 1,139 miles from both Chicago and Los Angeles.

Or that’s how it once was, anyway. Alignment changes to (and the eventual decommissioning of) Route 66 have altered the actual miles you have to travel, but Adrian nonetheless remains an important symbolic stop on the Highway of America.

Today, a roadside plaque on Route 66’s old alignment commemorates its midway point, alongside a line painted across the road. It’s a photo opportunity no motorcyclist on the road can afford to miss.

But what else is there in Adrian? Well, if I’m perfectly honest with you, not very much. Even in its heyday, this “city” wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis.