In Pixar's Cars, which real highway inspires the road through Radiator Springs?

In Pixar's Cars, U.S. Route 66 inspires the road through Radiator Springs.

Route 66 was a major American highway that connected Chicago and Santa Monica after its creation in 1926. Although the original route was removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, many sections remain celebrated as historic roads and tourist destinations. Pixar filmmakers traveled along Route 66 while researching the film's landscapes, businesses, and small-town atmosphere.

Radiator Springs is fictional, but its diners, motels, desert scenery, and roadside attractions reflect real Route 66 communities. The story also uses the highway's historical decline: when Interstate 40 bypasses Radiator Springs, the town loses much of its passing traffic.

Interstate 40 is therefore important to the film's backstory, but it is not the highway that directly inspires Radiator Springs. The distinction matters because Route 66 represents the town's cultural identity, while the interstate represents the modern road that caused its economic decline.