El Camino Real as an American auto trail, was perhaps the
first signed automobile route in the nation. As early as 1906, the famous mission bell guideposts and signs were placed on the highway.
El Camino Real as a road name implies different things at different times. It was the original King's Highway during the Spanish colonial era, but as such was little more than a horse trail. Today, El Camino Real is an official signed California route that largely follows US Highway 101 and other major highways.
In the mid 1920s, El Camino Real and the Coast Route became part of a larger auto trail system called the
Pacific Highways System. This large highway system not only included what became US 101, but also US 99 and other highways.
Map 1950
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Map 1925
