In Pixar's Cars, which real highway is the fictional Radiator Springs modeled on?

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

The film's creators researched Route 66 communities to build Radiator Springs as a place shaped by roadside travel, local businesses, and changing transportation routes. The historic highway once connected Chicago and Santa Monica, crossing several states and becoming a symbol of American road travel.

Radiator Springs reflects the economic effect of highway modernization. In the story, the town loses passing traffic after a faster interstate bypass is built. That detail echoes the experience of many real Route 66 towns, where businesses depended on travelers who later used newer roads instead.

Cars does not identify Radiator Springs as a real town. It combines features and inspirations from multiple Route 66 locations, including roadside architecture and landscapes in the American Southwest. The Route 66 connection is central to the film's setting and its theme of slowing down to value overlooked places.