Radiator Springs in Pixar’s Cars celebrates the real-world U.S. road known as Route 66.
The film presents Radiator Springs as a roadside community whose fortunes decline after a faster interstate bypasses it. That premise reflects the history of many towns along old highways, where changing transport routes reduced passing traffic and weakened local businesses.
Pixar artists and filmmakers traveled along Route 66 while developing the film. They studied its landscapes, roadside attractions, architecture, and local communities. The result is a fictional town that draws inspiration from several places rather than copying one exact town.
Interstate 40 is important to the story because it represents the newer highway that diverts travelers. It is not the historic road being celebrated. Route 66, also called the Will Rogers Highway, originally linked Chicago and Santa Monica and became a major symbol of American road travel.