Georgia is the real-world U.S. state where much of Stranger Things was filmed. Although the story takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, production used locations throughout Georgia, especially around Atlanta.
The production moved toward Georgia after the Duffer Brothers’ original concept was associated with Montauk, New York. Georgia offered locations that could stand in for small-town Indiana, along with production facilities and a climate more practical for the planned shoot. Jackson, Georgia, became a major visual basis for Hawkins’ downtown streets.
Several recognizable settings were filmed in Georgia, including the Hawkins National Laboratory exterior, school locations, Bellwood Quarry, and the Starcourt Mall location used in season 3. North Carolina influenced the brothers’ childhood memories, but it was not the primary filming state. Indiana is the fictional setting, not the main production location.