In Pixar's Cars, which famous U.S. highway is Radiator Springs located on?

In Pixar's Cars, Radiator Springs is located on U.S. Route 66.

The film presents Radiator Springs as a once-thriving roadside town bypassed when a modern interstate highway redirects traffic away from the old road. This backstory reflects the real cultural history of Route 66, which became famous for connecting Chicago and Santa Monica and for the motels, diners, gas stations, and attractions built along its path.

Pixar filmmakers researched Route 66 during the development of Cars, drawing on its landscapes and roadside architecture. The fictional town is not a precise real-world location, but it combines details from communities along the historic highway, especially in the American Southwest.

A common mix-up is to identify the road simply as “Route 66.” The film's setting uses the official U.S. highway designation, U.S. Route 66, while the road is also widely known as the “Mother Road.”