What town traps Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars?

Radiator Springs traps Lightning McQueen in Pixar's Cars.

After racing across the country, Lightning is separated from his transport and accidentally damages Radiator Springs' main road. A court order requires him to repair the road before he can leave, forcing the impatient rookie to spend time in the isolated town.

Radiator Springs is presented as a fictional community on historic Route 66. Its residents include Mater, Sally Carrera, Doc Hudson, Luigi, Guido, and other vehicles whose lives have been affected by the bypassing interstate highway. The town's decline reflects the real history of Route 66 communities that lost traffic after newer roads redirected travelers.

The location is sometimes confused with Ornament Valley, the larger fictional region surrounding it, or with the real Route 66 towns that inspired the setting. Radiator Springs is the exact town name used in the film and becomes Lightning's emotional home by the conclusion of Cars.