Imagine driving along Route 66 and suddenly hearing the road itself play a melody beneath your tires.
For a brief stretch east of Albuquerque, that dream once came true — on what was known as the
Route 66 Musical Highway
.
A Song Beneath the Wheels - Where Route 66 Still Whispers “America the Beautiful”
Located between mile markers 4 and 5 on the eastbound side of Route 66 near Tijeras, New Mexico, the Musical Highway was a short section of pavement engineered to produce music when driven over at exactly
45 mph (72 km/h)
.
As your tires rolled across carefully grooved asphalt, they created the unmistakable rhythm of
“America the Beautiful”
— turning an ordinary drive into a uniquely American experience.
History and What Remains
Installed in 2014 through a partnership between the New Mexico Department of Transportation and
National Geographic
, the Musical Highway quickly became a roadside sensation.
Drivers came from all over to feel the road sing — just for a few seconds, but enough to make memories for a lifetime.
Over the years, repaving projects and weather damage slowly muted the tune. By 2022, most of the grooved surface had been covered.
Still, if you drive the right speed and listen closely, you might catch a faint echo — a soft vibration under the wheels that hints at the melody that once played clearly.
Many travelers describe it as “barely there, but real” — a ghost of sound carried by the asphalt and the desert wind.
It’s subtle enough to miss if you’re distracted, yet unforgettable if you’re truly listening.
How to Find It Today
You can still reach the original location by taking
I-40 Exit 170 (Tijeras / Cedar Crest)
and following the
old Route 66
, now signed as
New Mexico State Road 333
, heading eastbound alongside the interstate.
This is the historic alignment of U.S. Route 66, running parallel to I-40 through Tijeras Canyon.
There are no official signs anymore, and the grooves are faint, but you can feel a subtle change in the pavement texture as you approach.
Start paying attention as soon as you see the
green highway sign for I-40 East and NM 337
— the musical section begins shortly after that point.
The exact location of the
“America the Beautiful”
stretch is around coordinates
35.0711, −106.4171
, between
mile markers 4 and 5
on NM-333 (the old Route 66).
From our experience, we drove over that section
at least three times
trying to catch the melody.
The key is to have a
quiet cabin
, a
smooth-running engine
, and to stay between
40 and 45 mph (64–72 km/h)
.
Turn off the radio, close the windows, and focus — the sound is very soft, almost like a breath beneath the tires, but it’s there.
A Road That Still Resonates
Though the clear melody of
“America the Beautiful”
has mostly faded, the Route 66 Musical Highway still carries its spirit.
For us, driving that stretch was not just a pass-through — it was a moment of anticipation and wonder.
In the video, the audio is far from perfect — in fact, you can barely hear it.
But I can tell you this with conviction:
yes
, if you listen carefully, the Tijeras stretch of Route 66
still sings for travelers
, welcoming and moving us with its faint echo across every mile.
🎥 You can watch the short clip we filmed while driving this stretch — the sound is faint, but it’s there.
Watch it on
Instagram @manilacarano
or on the
@theroute66planner
official page.
It’s also shared on Facebook:
Manila Carano
and
The Route 66 Planner
.
