Arizona US Route 666 colored directional highway marker

Description

For having such an infamous number, US Route 666 came to be known as such in an awfully banal way. The route number merely meant it was the sixth spur route off of the famous US 66. Originally limited to just the states of New Mexico and Colorado, it was later extended into both Arizona and Utah, allowing it to serve all of the Four Corners states. In Arizona, US-666 ran down the eastern edge of the state, between US-66 and the Mexican border.

However, a road bearing the number 666 soon attracted unwanted attention. Branded the “Devil’s Highway”, the route’s number was said to turn away superstitious would-be tourists. High crash rates along the mountainous road didn’t help, either.

In the end, Arizona consigned its stretch of US-666 to history for a fairly pedestrian reason—the US-666 marker was the most stolen road sign in the state. In 1992, it got approval to renumber its stretch of road to US-191. The other three states followed suit in 2003, changing the rest of the route to US-491.

For a time in the 1950s and 1960s, Arizona produced colored markers for its US routes, and US-666 was no exception. Many states (notably Florida) experimented with colored route markers, but Arizona’s color scheme was unique. Other states assigned unique colors to each individual route. Arizona’s method, however, was to assign a color to each of the four cardinal directions. This meant US-666 markers in this era appeared in two colors: orange for northbound markers and green for southbound.

We’ve dug into the archives to bring Arizona’s colored US-666 markers back to life. These markers, recreated from photos of original markers in use in the field, are precise duplicates of those used in 1960. Original markers like this are very hard to track down. Most of them have disappeared to who-knows-where over the years. Those that do pop up on the collector’s market tend to go for frankly absurd amounts of money. With our replica, you can have a sign indistinguishable from the real thing for a fraction of the price.

Our Arizona colored US-666 markers are printed on heavy 14-gauge steel. Their glossy, non-reflective coating is durable enough to withstand the blistering Arizona sun. These markers are available in your choice of green or orange, and in sizes ranging from 12⅜ in. × 12 in. up to 37⅛ in. × 36 in. No matter the size or color, it’ll include two mounting holes for easy installation. (Looking for a sign in this style for one of Arizona’s other US routes? Or perhaps an older or newer spec of the US-666 marker? Or something else entirely? We’d be happy to help! Just contact Jake to place your custom order.