In Pixar’s Cars, what fictional town does Lightning McQueen visit after damaging its main road?

In Pixar’s Cars, Lightning McQueen visits the fictional town of Radiator Springs after damaging its main road.

The town lies along the historic U.S. Route 66 in the film’s version of the American Southwest. McQueen is stranded there after accidentally separating from the transport truck carrying him to California for the Piston Cup finale. A court order requires him to repair the road before he can leave.

Radiator Springs is home to Doc Hudson, Mater, Sally Carrera, Ramone, Flo, Luigi, Guido, and other characters. Its decline is connected to the construction of Interstate 40, which diverts travelers away from Route 66. This story element reflects the real history of communities bypassed by modern highways.

A common mix-up is calling the town Carburetor County, but Carburetor County is the wider fictional county. Radiator Springs is the specific town where most of the first film’s story takes place.