Gallup Route 66 Railroad and Highway Interface

Join us on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 2 p.m. as history-lover Roger Zimmerman explores how Gallup, NM, became a classic Route 66 town where the historic “Mother Road” closely parallels the railroad tracks, creating a distinct downtown layout with motels, diners, and trading posts nestled between the tracks and buildings.
Railroad planning shaped the early layout of Gallup, and when Route 66 was established in 1926 it followed Railroad Avenue, bringing growth but eventually creating major congestion as traffic increased after World War II. Throughout the 1950s the City of Gallup and the Santa Fe Railway worked through difficult right of way and design challenges to widen Route 66 and keep the highway and its vital commerce within the downtown business district.