In Pixar's Cars, which route's historic roadside towns inspire Radiator Springs?

In Pixar's Cars, historic roadside towns along U.S. Route 66 inspire Radiator Springs.

The film's creators researched Route 66 while developing the setting, drawing on its diners, motels, gas stations, neon signs, and roadside landmarks. Radiator Springs is fictional, but its atmosphere reflects the communities that grew along the historic highway before interstate travel diverted much of the traffic.

Route 66 originally connected Chicago and Santa Monica. It was established in 1926 and became famous as a major path westward, later gaining cultural significance through travel writing, music, television, and film. The road was removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985, although many surviving sections remain tourist attractions.

Radiator Springs is presented as being in Carburetor County, a fictional location. That fictional county and the real-world Route 66 influence are separate facts: one describes the film's geography, while the other explains the setting's historical inspiration.