Radiator Springs in Pixar's Cars is based beside the historic Route 66.
Route 66 was established in 1926 and connected Chicago with Santa Monica, California. It became famous through cross-country travel, roadside businesses, and popular culture, but its importance declined after newer interstate highways redirected traffic. Cars uses that history as the foundation for Radiator Springs, a town bypassed by a modern road.
Pixar filmmakers researched Route 66 communities and landscapes, including roadside attractions, desert scenery, and surviving small-town businesses. The film's fictional geography is not a precise map, but its themes closely reflect the road's cultural history.
Route 66 is often confused with Interstate 40 because I-40 replaced much of the old highway's long-distance function in the Southwest. The movie's fictional bypass also echoes that real historical pattern. Radiator Springs is not presented as a real Route 66 town.