Route 66 is the historic highway closely associated with Radiator Springs in Pixar's Cars.
The fictional town reflects real communities along U.S. Route 66, the famous road linking Chicago and Santa Monica. Cars presents Radiator Springs as a once-thriving stop that was bypassed when Interstate 40 redirected traffic away from the old route.
That background gives the film a historical theme beyond its racing plot. The town's businesses, neon signs, landscape, and roadside attractions evoke the American Southwest and the communities that depended on travelers using Route 66.
Route 66 was established in 1926 and officially removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985. Pixar's artists researched the road and its landmarks while developing the film. The movie does not identify Radiator Springs as a real town; it is a fictional place assembled from Route 66 influences.