Which real U.S. road inspired the setting and themes of Pixar's Cars?

U.S. Route 66 inspired the setting and themes of Pixar's Cars.

The historic highway connects the film's interest in road travel, roadside businesses, and towns affected by the construction of faster interstates. Radiator Springs is fictional, but its decline reflects real communities along older routes that lost through traffic after Interstate 40 bypassed parts of the historic road.

John Lasseter and other Pixar filmmakers traveled along Route 66 while researching the film. They studied its landscapes, signs, diners, motels, and surviving roadside attractions. Those observations helped shape Radiator Springs and the movie's emphasis on slowing down to appreciate places and people.

Route 66 originally ran from Chicago to Santa Monica. It was established in 1926 and removed from the U.S. Highway System in 1985. The road remains a major cultural symbol, even though it is no longer an official continuous U.S. highway.