Birthplace Plaza:
Where Route 66 Got Its Name
In April 1926, a telegram sent from Springfield, Missouri during a Rotary convention gave America its most iconic highway a name. Birthplace Plaza brings that moment to life.
The Birthplace of Route 66
On April 30, 1926, during a Rotary district convention in Springfield, highway leaders gathered and sent the first recorded proposal for the name “Route 66” to Washington, DC. Because that telegram was sent from Springfield, this city is the birthplace of Route 66. Birthplace Plaza marks the exact location where that history happened.
Rotary Brought the Right People Together
Rotary did not build Route 66, but Rotary helped name it. The relationships and leadership fostered through Rotary brought the key decision makers to Springfield at the right moment. Nearly 100 years later, Rotary clubs across Springfield are again working together to preserve and share this story with the world.
