In Pixar’s Cars, what highway runs through Radiator Springs?

In Pixar’s Cars, Route 66 runs through Radiator Springs.

The fictional town is presented as a once-thriving roadside community on the historic U.S. Route 66. Its decline begins after Interstate 40 bypasses the town, diverting travelers and damaging local businesses. This detail gives the film its central theme of changing American roads and forgotten communities.

Route 66 was established in 1926 and originally connected Chicago with Santa Monica. It became famous through road travel, popular culture, and roadside attractions before being removed from the United States Highway System in 1985.

Cars draws visual inspiration from real Route 66 locations, including towns in Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Radiator Springs itself is fictional, so it should not be confused with a real town located at one exact point along the route.