Route 66 History in Pulaski County: The 33 Miles That Define the Mother Road

By Alex Bradford Cobb | Published: 8-19-26 | Last updated: 8-19-26

Author Jack D. Rittenhouse, who drove every mile of Route 66 in 1946 and wrote the first travel guide to the highway, described the Pulaski County stretch as “one of the most beautiful sections of the Ozarks.” That was 80 years ago. The limestone bluffs, the Big Piney River, and the original roadbed are still here. So is the 1923 curved bridge at Devil’s Elbow — the only curved bridge on Missouri’s Route 66 still open to traffic — and so are the small towns that grew up around the road when it was the main artery connecting Chicago to Los Angeles.

Pulaski County has 33 miles of Historic Route 66. Here’s what happened here and why it matters.

Uranus Fudge Factory & General Store: 14400 Hwy Z, St. Robert, MO 65584 | Open daily 8 AM – 8 PM (CST) | Exit 163 off I-44

Route 66 in Pulaski County: A Timeline

1926 — The Road Gets Its Name

Route 66 was officially established on November 11, 1926, named via telegram from Springfield, Missouri — the birthplace of the highway’s name. The route through Pulaski County was part of the original alignment, connecting the small towns of the Missouri Ozarks to the national highway system for the first time.

In the early years, much of the road through Pulaski County was unpaved. A resident of the era — Everett Graves, who worked as a blacksmith in the 1930s — was among the local craftsmen who contributed to the first paving of Route 66 through Missouri. The road that millions of travelers would eventually romanticize was built by hand, mile by mile, through the Ozark hills.

1923 — The Devil’s Elbow Bridge

The steel truss bridge at Devil’s Elbow was built in 1923 — three years before Route 66 was officially named — and was incorporated into the original alignment when the highway was established. The bridge spans the Big Piney River at the sharpest bend in the river’s course through Pulaski County, hemmed in by 200-foot limestone bluffs.

The name “Devil’s Elbow” predates the bridge and predates the road. It comes from the sharp turn of the Big Piney River below — a bend so severe that it once made it nearly impossible to float logs through the area. The nickname stuck, the loggers moved on, and the bridge made the bend accessible to automobiles.

Today the Devil’s Elbow bridge is the only curved bridge on Missouri’s Route 66 still open to vehicular traffic. The Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis — another famous Route 66 crossing — is now a pedestrian bridge. Devil’s Elbow is the last one still carrying cars across the Mother Road in its original capacity.

1926–1940s — The Golden Era

The decades between Route 66’s establishment and World War II were the road’s first golden era in Pulaski County. Motor courts, filling stations, diners, and tourist stops sprouted along the alignment through St. Robert, Waynesville, and the surrounding communities. Travelers heading west — to California, to opportunity, to a better life during the Depression years — passed through Pulaski County in growing numbers.

The construction of Fort Leonard Wood in December 1940 changed the county dramatically. The fort was built in the middle of a Missouri winter at extraordinary speed — at its peak, a new building was being completed every 45 minutes. The population of Pulaski County swelled with soldiers and the families who followed them, and the towns along Route 66 grew to serve them.

1950s–1960s — The Highway’s Peak

The postwar era was Route 66’s cultural peak. Car travel expanded rapidly, the American road trip became a genuine cultural institution, and Pulaski County’s stretch of the Mother Road was among the busiest in Missouri. The neon signs, the motor courts, the diners — the aesthetic that people now associate with Route 66 nostalgia — was built in this era.

1977 — Bypassed by I-44

Interstate 44 bypassed Historic Route 66 through Pulaski County in the 1970s. What had been the main artery of cross-country travel was gradually deprioritized as the interstate system made the old road redundant. Towns that had built their economies around the highway traffic had to adapt. Some did. Some didn’t.

2026 — The Centennial

Route 66 turns 100 in 2026, and Pulaski County is one of the most active Centennial celebration sites in Missouri. Events running through the year include:

The Great Race — The legendary antique car rally rolled into Waynesville’s historic square on June 26, 2026, with 130 competitors bringing vintage and collector cars through the county seat. The Great Race follows a course based on roads that existed when the cars were made — which means it follows the original Route 66 alignment through Pulaski County.

The Route 66 Yard Sale — Beginning July 31, 2026, a two-day event inviting visitors to explore sales covering approximately 100 miles of Route 66 through Missouri. Pulaski County is on the route, with vendors lining the Mother Road through the county.

The Big BAM — In September, the Big BAM bicycle ride passes through Pulaski County on its 333.5-mile trek from Joplin to the St. Louis suburbs. Riders camp at the historic Roubidoux Park in Waynesville before heading east.

For the full Centennial event calendar: celebratemo66.com and route66centennial.org.

The Historic Stops: Route 66 Through Pulaski County Today

Devil’s Elbow — The Signature Stop

The hamlet of Devil’s Elbow and its 1923 bridge are the most photographed Route 66 landmarks in Pulaski County. From the bridge, looking up at the limestone bluffs rising 200 feet above the Big Piney River, you understand why Rittenhouse called this one of the most beautiful sections of the Ozarks.

The bridge is still open to traffic — drive across it, then park and walk back. The view from the roadside is good; the view from the bridge is better.

Waynesville — The Birthplace of the Byway

Waynesville has been calling itself the “Birthplace of the Byway” — a reference to its role in the earliest days of the Route 66 corridor through Pulaski County. The 1903 Courthouse Museum on the downtown square holds the county’s Route 66 history in photographs, documents, and artifacts. The Old Stagecoach Stop museum, dating to the 1850s, predates the road but was incorporated into the Route 66 travel infrastructure when the highway came through.

The Route 66 shield on the courthouse grounds — 8 feet tall — is Waynesville’s most photographed landmark. It was installed for the Centennial.

St. Robert — The Commercial Hub

St. Robert grew up alongside Fort Leonard Wood and Route 66 simultaneously, becoming the commercial center of the county. The Route 66 Neon Park in George M. Reed Roadside Park is the newest Route 66 landmark in the county — a growing collection of restored neon signs from defunct businesses along the Missouri alignment, lit from dusk to midnight. It represents the same era of Route 66 history as the motor courts and diners that defined the road’s golden era, preserved in working neon.

Uranus — The Current Chapter

Uranus Fudge Factory & General Store opened on the Route 66 alignment in St. Robert on July 2, 2015. It’s the newest entry in Pulaski County’s Route 66 story — a roadside attraction built in the tradition of the attractions that made the Mother Road what it is, with a gift shop, a sideshow museum, mini golf, ice cream, and fudge made fresh daily in our on-site kitchen.

The Mega Mayor overlooking Route 66 from the Putt Pirates course is the newest landmark on the alignment. He’s watching the centennial happen from the best vantage point on the road.

14400 Hwy Z, St. Robert, MO 65584 | Open daily 8 AM – 8 PM (CST) | Exit 163 off I-44

Drive the Historic Alignment

The Pulaski County Tourism Bureau maintains a turn-by-turn Historic Route 66 Driving Tour brochure covering 50-plus stops along the 33-mile alignment through the county. Pick one up at the Visitors Center in St. Robert or download it at visitpulaskicounty.org.

The full alignment runs roughly parallel to I-44. The key is to get off the interstate and drive the old road — that’s where the history is.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many miles of Route 66 are in Pulaski County Missouri? 33 miles — described by author Jack D. Rittenhouse in 1946 as “one of the most beautiful sections of the Ozarks.” The alignment runs through Devil’s Elbow, Waynesville, St. Robert, and the surrounding communities.

What is the history of Route 66 in Pulaski County? Route 66 was established in 1926 and incorporated the existing road through Pulaski County into its alignment. The 1923 Devil’s Elbow bridge predates the highway’s naming. Fort Leonard Wood’s construction in 1940 transformed the county. The interstate bypassed the old road in the 1970s; the 2026 Centennial has brought renewed attention and investment to the alignment.

What is the Devil’s Elbow bridge? A 1923 steel truss bridge over the Big Piney River in the hamlet of Devil’s Elbow, Pulaski County. It is the only curved bridge on Missouri’s Route 66 still open to vehicular traffic. The name comes from the sharp bend in the Big Piney River below, which made log-floating nearly impossible in the early timber industry.

Is Uranus on Route 66 in Pulaski County? Yes — Uranus Fudge Factory & General Store is at 14400 Hwy Z, St. Robert, on the historic Route 66 alignment through Pulaski County, off I-44 Exit 163. Open daily 8 AM – 8 PM (CST).

What Route 66 Centennial events are happening in Pulaski County in 2026? The Great Race antique car rally passed through Waynesville on June 26. The Route 66 Yard Sale runs along the alignment starting July 31. The Big BAM bicycle ride passes through in September. For current events: visitpulaskicounty.org and celebratemo66.com.

What is the Route 66 Neon Park in St. Robert? A collection of restored vintage neon signs from defunct Route 66 businesses, displayed in George M. Reed Roadside Park adjacent to Uranus in St. Robert. Free, pet-friendly, and lit from dusk to midnight.

For the complete Missouri Route 66 itinerary, see Route 66 Centennial Road Trip: The Missouri Stretch. For a weekend guide to Pulaski County, see A Weekend in Pulaski County: What Locals Actually Do.

Alex Bradford Cobb is a strapping young man who works for the Mayor in a semi-legal indentured servitude arrangement, similar to how Dubai was built, and possibly the pyramids. What works, works, and there’s no need to reinvent the wheel.