Inspired by the historic American highway U.S. Route 66, the piece combines elements of jazz, Latin music, and orchestral writing in what Daugherty called "a high-octane nostalgic musical romp from Illinois to California along America’s first intercontinental highway, as seen through my rear view mirror."[1] The work lasts roughly 7 minutes in duration and was described by James Manheim of AllMusic as containing "lots of contrapuntal brass and wind material underpinned by fast-moving syncopated percussion."[2]
Alex Chilvers of Limelight praised Route 66 as "... a big, boisterous Cadillac of a piece, intended to convey the experience of driving from Illinois to California [...] in only seven busy, energetic minutes".[3] Mark Estren of The Washington Post similarly praised Daugherty's writing as "propulsive, accessible yet well constructed and deeply imbued with the spirits of both romanticism and postmodernism."[4] Ivan Hewett of The Daily Telegraph lauded Daugherty as "the orchestral chronicler of American culture" and described the piece, in addition to Daugherty's Sunset Strip, as "winning and affectionate." Hewett continued, "In works such as Route 66 and Sunset Strip he paints the hopes and dreams embodied in Interstate highways, wide-open spaces and all-night bars where Frank Sinatra crooned."[5]
