"El Camino Real" (The Royal Road) is not just one street today, but a historical route that has been absorbed into several modern highway systems. In California, it is most commonly known as U.S. Route 101 or California State Route 82 (on the San Francisco Peninsula). A supportive peer "history" fact: you can still spot the iconic "mission bells" along the roadside that mark the original 600-mile path connecting the 21 Spanish missions. In Texas, the route is known as State Highway 21 (The Old San Antonio Road). While the name "El Camino Real" is still used for specific street segments in cities like Palo Alto, San Mateo, and Irvine, the "King's Highway" is now the backbone of the Western U.S. interstate and state highway infrastructure. In 2026, it is officially recognized as a National Historic Trail, preserving the heritage of the first European inland transportation route in the U.S.