In Pixar’s Cars, which real-world highway is the main road through Radiator Springs?

In Pixar’s Cars, the main road through Radiator Springs is U.S. Route 66.

Route 66 is central to the film’s setting and themes. Lightning McQueen reaches Radiator Springs after leaving the interstate, and the town’s decline is linked to the construction of a faster bypass. The community’s identity, businesses, and memories are all tied to the older highway and the travelers who once used it.

The real U.S. Route 66 ran from Chicago to Santa Monica and was established in 1926. It was removed from the United States Numbered Highway System in 1985, but many historic sections and roadside attractions remain culturally important. Pixar artists researched Route 66 communities for the film. A common mix-up is naming U.S. Route 40 or Route 101; those are real highways, but Route 66 is the road represented by Radiator Springs.