In Pixar’s Cars, what real-world highway inspires Radiator Springs?

U.S. Route 66 inspires Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars.

The filmmakers researched the historic highway during a 2001 road trip, visiting roadside businesses, landscapes, and communities across the American Southwest. Those observations shaped the fictional town’s motels, gas stations, signs, desert scenery, and sense of decline after faster highways redirected traffic.

In the film, Radiator Springs is located on Route 66 in Carburetor County. Lightning McQueen’s arrival lets the story explore the effects of bypass roads on small towns and the importance of preserving local history.

Interstate 40 is a common mix-up because Lightning leaves it before reaching Radiator Springs. Interstate 40 replaced much of Route 66 as a major cross-country route in the Southwest, but the town itself is associated with historic U.S. Route 66.