In Pixar’s Cars, the fictional town of Radiator Springs is located in Arizona.
Radiator Springs is the main setting of the original film. Lightning McQueen reaches the town after accidentally damaging the road and is ordered to repair it before he can leave. The community includes characters such as Doc Hudson, Sally Carrera, Mater, and Ramone.
The town’s design draws heavily on historic Route 66 communities in the American Southwest. Its scenery includes desert landscapes, red-rock formations, roadside businesses, and a once-important highway that has been bypassed by a newer interstate.
Because Route 66 crosses several states, viewers sometimes associate Radiator Springs with California or Nevada. In the Cars story, however, its fictional location is in Arizona, and the town is presented as a place that has lost traffic after Interstate 40 diverted travelers away.