Route 66 remains a big draw in Kingman

In a story about Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona, the Daily Miner newspaper unearthed some interesting data from a survey conducted in 2011.

The story contains a lot of anecdotal information from owners of gas stations, restaurants and motels on Route 66’s draw. But it’s the survey that brings concrete numbers:

A survey conducted in 2010 and 2011 found that 68 percent of visitors to Kingman participated in the Route 66 experience, said Josh Noble, president of Kingman Visitor Center.

Roughly 60 percent of the 1,784 survey sample size were visiting Las Vegas, 59 percent were visiting Grand Canyon National Park and 13 percent were visiting Grand Canyon West. […]

January and February guest book signings at the Visitor Center indicate that 60 percent of visitors are incorporating Route 66 into their travel plans, compared with 43 percent visiting the Grand Canyon and 32 percent visiting Las Vegas.

The 68 percent figure was higher than I anticipated. I figured there would be more gas-and-go travelers. But apparently more than a few are at least driving around Kingman on its old Mother Road.

The businesses had some interesting suggestions on how to better market Route 66 in Kingman, including shuttle buses to downtown and more signs on Interstate 40.

(Image of a sign at the Powerhouse Museum in Kingman by Debs via Flickr)