In Pixar's Cars, which famous highway inspired the road through Radiator Springs?

U.S. Route 66 inspired the road through Radiator Springs in Pixar's Cars.

The historic highway once connected Chicago and Santa Monica, crossing several states and becoming famous for roadside diners, motels, gas stations, and unusual attractions. Its decline followed the construction of the Interstate Highway System, which diverted much long-distance traffic away from many Route 66 towns.

Pixar's production team researched the highway directly, traveling sections of the route and observing its landscapes and surviving businesses. Radiator Springs combines details from real Route 66 communities rather than representing one exact town. The story uses the town's isolation to explore how highways and changing travel habits affected small roadside communities.

Route 66 is often called the Mother Road, a phrase popularized by John Steinbeck's 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath. Although the official U.S. Route 66 designation was removed in 1985, many sections remain preserved as historic roads and tourism routes.