In Pixar’s Cars, what is the fictional desert town where Lightning McQueen is stranded?

In Pixar’s Cars, Lightning McQueen is stranded in the fictional desert town of Radiator Springs.

McQueen reaches the town after being separated from his transport truck and accidentally damaging its main road. The local judge, Doc Hudson, orders him to repair the pavement before he can leave. Working on the road introduces McQueen to Mater, Sally Carrera, Flo, Ramone, Luigi, Guido, and other residents.

Radiator Springs is presented as a once-busy roadside community whose fortunes decline after a newer interstate bypasses it. Its residents preserve the town’s history, businesses, and friendships even as passing traffic disappears. The town becomes the setting for McQueen’s emotional change from a self-centered rookie into a more considerate competitor.

Ornament Valley is the broader landscape around the town, and Carburetor County is the county name used in the film’s setting. Neither is the town where McQueen is detained.