This Halloween, California’s stretch of Route 66 has earned a spooky new distinction: it’s the third most haunted road in the United States.
A new study by SIXT analyzed Google and TikTok search trends to identify America’s most haunted roads, looking at searches combining highway names with terms like “ghost” and “haunted.”
The results put California’s historic Route 66 among the country’s top destinations for paranormal curiosity.
Route 66 in California ranks among America’s most haunted roads
Known as the Mother Road, Route 66 stretches across eight states, connecting Chicago to Santa Monica. Its California section is particularly rich in roadside history, vintage attractions, forgotten settlements, and stories of the Old West.
According to SIXT’s research, the highway generates thousands of searches related to ghostly encounters along its Golden State stretch.
Stories of ghostly hitchhikers and deserted ghost towns add to the road’s eerie reputation. This makes it an intriguing destination for travelers who enjoy a little paranormal mystery alongside their road-trip nostalgia.
While the study measures online interest rather than verified paranormal activity, the ranking offers another reason to look at this iconic highway through a Halloween lens.
For anyone planning a spooky road trip, California’s historic stretch of Route 66 certainly has plenty of atmosphere, history, and ghost stories to explore.
