Introduction and Route 66 violent crime
Blue skies, hot weather, and long days here in the Northern Hemisphere can only mean one thing: summer road trip. That’s right, folks, it’s time to hit the road, and what better road to drive than the Mother Road itself, Main Street America — Route 66. The historic highway was established in 1926 on a network of pre-existing roads stretching from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, now spanning 2,278 miles (3,666 km) and traversing eight states and three time zones. The highway was officially decommissioned in 1985, but with a good map and a little creativity, you can still follow the route from beginning to end.
Before you hit the road, take a look at how the Pinkerton Crime Index scores the highway’s most iconic sights by violent crime, property crime, and total crime risk, starting with violent crime. A rank of 1 indicates the lowest level of crime risk at a stop, and a rank of 20 indicates the highest level. Know your risk. Be prepared. And when you do get out there, roll down your windows and crank your playlist. It’s going to be an epic journey.
Property crime along Route 66
During the 1920s, car ownership nearly tripled in the U.S., growing from 8 to 23 million vehicles, which also meant these new owners wanted to test their cars on the open road. While road trips were not a novel concept, the new Route 66 gave Americans a single, easy-to-follow highway that reduced the driving distance between Los Angeles and Chicago by more than 200 miles. See how our Pinkerton Crime Index scores property crime – which includes auto theft – at some of the historic highway’s most iconic sights. And don’t forget to stop at the Slug Bug Ranch in the Texas Panhandle. It doesn’t get much safer than that.
Total crime risk when traveling Route 66
A lot of people ask how long it takes to drive the historic Route 66. Total drive time would be between 32-38 hours, assuming you don’t stop at all. However, we would never recommend driving straight through. If you’re going to drive the Mother Road, take it slow and plan to stop at all those iconic sites. To help you prepare for your carefree and leisurely road trip – which could take up to two weeks if you do it right – look at how these iconic Route 66 sites scored in total crime risk on the Pinkerton Crime Index, our AI and frontier data science platform that’s updated monthly with the latest crime stats. Stay safe, and don’t forget the photo ops. You’re going to look great standing next to the Muffler Man in Atlanta, Illinois!
