Where was the exterior of the town in the film Groundhog Day actually filmed?

The exterior town scenes in Groundhog Day were filmed in Woodstock, Illinois. The movie’s fictional setting is Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, but the production used Woodstock’s historic downtown and surrounding locations to portray it.

Filmmakers wanted a visually distinctive American town with a central square, period-friendly architecture, and practical access to Chicago-area production resources. Location scouts considered many communities before selecting Woodstock. Its square, courthouse, opera house, streets, businesses, and distinctive pothole became recognizable parts of the film.

Principal photography ran from March 16 to June 10, 1992, and took place mainly in Woodstock, with additional work in Cary, Illinois, and on Hollywood sets. Some scenes were filmed elsewhere in Illinois, including the Illinois Railway Museum and a quarry near Loves Park. Punxsutawney itself was not the main filming location, which is why the movie’s town looks different from the real Pennsylvania borough.