Route 66 inspires the setting around Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars.
The historic U.S. Route 66 connected Chicago and Santa Monica and became closely associated with long-distance travel, roadside businesses, and small communities. In the film, Radiator Springs is portrayed as a once-thriving town bypassed by a newer interstate highway.
That idea reflects a real historical pattern: improvements to the interstate highway system diverted traffic away from many older road towns. Pixar artists researched Route 66 during the film’s development, traveling through parts of the American Southwest and observing its landscapes, buildings, signs, and roadside culture.
Radiator Springs is fictional, so it is not an exact copy of one real town. Instead, it combines visual and cultural influences from several Route 66 communities. This is why the movie’s setting feels geographically recognizable while remaining an invented place populated by talking vehicles.