Which real highway inspired the road imagery in Pixar’s Cars?

U.S. Route 66 inspired the road imagery in Pixar’s Cars.

The historic highway informs Radiator Springs, the fictional town where Lightning McQueen becomes stranded. Route 66 once connected Chicago and Santa Monica across the United States and became associated with road trips, roadside businesses, and small communities. Its decline followed the construction of the Interstate Highway System.

For research, Pixar filmmakers traveled along Route 66 and met residents who helped shape the film’s locations and characters. The movie’s story reflects the effect of bypass roads on towns that once depended on passing traffic.

Route 66 does not run through a real town called Radiator Springs. The setting is fictional, but landmarks and visual details draw from actual communities and businesses along the historic highway. This distinction is useful because the film blends real American transportation history with talking automobile characters.