In Pixar’s Cars, what fictional town is bypassed by Interstate 40?

Radiator Springs is the fictional town bypassed by Interstate 40 in Pixar’s Cars.

The town sits along the old U.S. Route 66 and once depended on travelers crossing the country. When a modern interstate diverts traffic away from the historic road, Radiator Springs loses visitors and businesses struggle. Lightning McQueen reaches the town after becoming separated from his convoy while traveling to California.

The film uses the town’s decline to dramatize the effect that highway construction had on many real Route 66 communities. Radiator Springs is fictional, but its landscape, roadside businesses, and landmarks draw on locations along the historic highway.

Interstate 40 is important to the story because it explains why the town feels forgotten. The film does not present Radiator Springs as a real place in the American Southwest; it is a composite setting built from Route 66 influences.