What is the name of the small desert town where most of Pixar's Cars takes place?

Most of Pixar's Cars takes place in the fictional desert town of Radiator Springs.

Radiator Springs is located in the American Southwest, along a former route associated with U.S. Route 66. Lightning McQueen reaches the town after accidentally damaging its road and is ordered to repair it before leaving. The town's residents, including Mater, Sally Carrera, and Doc Hudson, gradually teach him to value friendship and community over racing fame.

The location is fictional, but its design draws on real Route 66 towns in Arizona and other southwestern states. Pixar artists researched roadside architecture, signs, landscapes, and businesses to create a town that feels like a once-busy highway stop bypassed by a modern interstate. This background gives the setting historical meaning beyond its role as a backdrop.

Radiator Springs is not the same place as the film's racing venues, such as the Los Angeles International Speedway or the Piston Cup tracks. It is the story's central home base. In Cars 2, the action moves across several countries, while Cars 3 returns repeatedly to Radiator Springs as McQueen reassesses his career.