So where is the Simpson's Springfield?

Ya ya I know, but its kind of fun to see how many people wonder about it.

Springfield is obviously meant to be a fictional location. It certainly is not meant to be the capital of Illinois.

But that leads to another question. Is it true that there is a Springfield in every state of the Union? If so, why? Devotion to Abraham Lincoln?

It's a logical placename. Until recently a town had to be located near a body of water or a spring field. (an arcaic term for an aquifer).

On on episode Lisa pointed to Springfeild on a map to demonstrate to Bart how far a distance some city was. Springfeild was in the lower part of Louisiana.

Don't be silly. Springfield's right down the road from Shelbyville.

Springfield is "Everytown, USA." Matt Groening is following a proud tradition of fictional locales most notably represented by "Riverdale," the home of the characters from the Archie comics. Now if I can only find Betty's street address...

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"Write a wise saying and your name will live forever." - Anonymous

DakotaDusk;
I'd tell you Betty's address, but I don't want you hanging around my house at all hours.

Peace,
mangeorge

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"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything" Mark Twain 1894

Springfield is supposed to be "Anytown USA," so it's never been made clear eactly what state, or even what part of the country it's supposed to be in. Still, since creator Matt Groenig is from Oregon (suburbs of Portland, I THINK... but don't hold me to that), I'm inclined to think that it's inspired by his suburban hometown.

OJ Simpson did not use a Springfield. He used a knife.

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this space for rent

The show's creators go to great lengths NOT to specify which Springfield they mean. I remember one episode in which newscaster Kent Brockman referred to "the governor of the state Springfield is in."

All you denizens of various Springfields who want to believe that YOUR Springfield is the one, ask yourself...was YOUR town founded by Jebediah Springfield? If not, you're out of luck.

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Live a Lush Life
Da Chef

The show's writers have had a great deal of fun not specifying where Springfield is...
I recall Apu, having decided to get his US citizenship, being tutored by Homer as to US facts and geography. Homer tries (and failed) to locate Springfield on a large map of the US. Lisa comes in and says, "No, Springfield is right here," and as she points, Bart's head comes into shot and obscures the whole map.

I also recall Homer's line about the US flag: "We all know that the 13 stripes are for luck, but what about the 47 stars?"

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"A friend will help you move house. A best friend will help you move a body."--Alexi Sayle

How about the time when Marge was ordering something over the phone and had to give her address.

Marge: "That's 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield, Oh, Hi Maude!"

Maude Flanders (just walking in):"Hi Marge!"


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"For what a man had rather were true, he more readily believes" - Francis Bacon

[[On on episode Lisa pointed to Springfeild on a map to demonstrate to Bart how far a distance some city was. Springfeild was in the lower part of Louisiana.]]

I'm positive this didn't happen, Lissa, but could you let us know which episode you saw this on? As the other posters have written, in quite a few episodes, someone comes very close to pointing out or accurately describing Springfield's location, but something always happens to obscure the pointing finger or divert the speaker before it's given away. This URL is the Simpsons Archives discussion about "Where is Springfield?" (and Lousiana is definitely on the "Places Springfield Isn't" list):

http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html

Well, it couldn't possibly be Louisiana, it snows on the Simpsons! Maybe Missouri?

Well, it couldn't possibly be Louisiana, it snows on the Simpsons! Maybe Missouri?]]


No -- Bart and Lisa's school was once voted the worst school in Missouri, so they moved the school to another state (where it currently sits).

I will not post on the Simpson thread.
I will not post on the Simpson thread.
I will not post on the Simpson thread.
I will not post on the Simpson thread.
I will not post...

(Bell)
(ChiefScott exits classroom)

Nonsense. Springfield IS in Louisiana. Witness the following clues:

In the episode where Apu is trying to get his citizenship, at one part Kerney (sp?) tries to buy alcohol and shows Apu a fake ID. As Apu looks at it, there is a brief shot of the ID. Though his thumb blocks out part of it, directly to the right of his thumb there are the letters LA, for Louisiana.

In one of the holloween specials, where Marge is discovered to have fathered Maggie with one of those cycloptic aliens and they later go on Jerry Springer (one of the more hilarious skits), there is a scene where Maggie generates a signal with her pacifier. The camera zooms outward to a whole view of the Earth, and you can see the signal originating from Louisiana.

Springfield cannot be in Louisiana -- nobody in Louisiana talks with that flat accent.

I remember shows in which they have driven to New York City and Washington D.C. ... so it's probably within driving distance of both cities... somewhere in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, maybe?

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"[He] beat his fist down upon the table and hurt his hand and became so
further enraged... that he beat his fist down upon the table even harder and
hurt his hand some more." -- Joseph Heller's Catch-22

This thread reminds me of a Kubrick quote, "Anyone who say's they understand '2001, A Space Odyssey', doesn't."

There are plenty of clues in the show, as to Springfield's location, and they have all been put there to stir up just this kind of silly debate.

While we're at it, where are the following:
1) Metropolis
2) Gotham
3) Grand Fenwick
4) Riverdale (I'd rather have Veronica's address)

Which direction do you drive if you want to travel from Raleigh to Mayberry? From St. Cloud to Wobegone?

Papa, Metropolis and Gotham City are obviously supposed to be New York, as I'm sure you know. "Gotham" was used to refer to NYC as far back as the 19th century. "Grand Fenwick", if I remember the book The Mouse that Roared correctly, is (fictionally) a tiny, independent, Andorra- or Liechtenstein-style country somewhere in the Alps.

This is probably off topic, but, as an Oregonian, I've always been proud that a some of the characters' names come from Portland streets:

Lovejoy
Terwilliger
Quimby
Flanders
Kearny
and, of course,
Simpson!

Umm... That's all I can think of right now

Maybe everyone's sick of hearing about it, but... In the "Radioactive man" episode, movie producers are trying to pick a location to shoot the movie.

Seeing an ad, the producer yells, "Get me two airplane tickets to whatever state Springfield is in!

No one went to the site Ian mentioned, did they? http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html

Reasons it's not Louisiana:
"Louisiana -- Mt. Splashmore services the tri-county area.
Chief Wiggum located a hole-digger in Shreveport"

Why it's not New Jersey:
"New Jersey -- Leon says ``I'm a bricklayer from Paterson, New Jersey.''"
and
"Grampa has to cross the state border to reach a casino, so Springfield must be in a state that borders Nevada or New Jersey. But it can't be New Jersey because New Jersey allows casino gambling only in Atlantic City, which isn't a border town."

Why it's not Pennsylvania:
"[Greg R Hasty] The Simpsons go to Pennsylvania."
" Hank tells Homer to call him if he's ever on the East Coast.
Redwood trees (apparently endemic to Cypress Creek) are only found in the Pacific Northwest."

Why it's not Oregon:
" ``Fort Springfield was the site of a Civil War battle, suggesting it's in the southeast quadrant of the U.S.''
``...the architecture at the fort suggests its more of the type of Great Plains fort used in wars against American Indians. It was a Union fort since its troops wore blue.''
``killer have arrived in Springfield, suggesting its in one of the states which borders Mexico.'"

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nuqDaq yuch Dapol? (Where do you keep the chocolate?)

(Laughs evilly rubbing hands together insanly)

And people thought it was a simple question yet I have inspired MILLIONS to stay up at all hours thinking where Springfield is. Today just this thread, tomorrow THE WORLD!

MMMUHHAHWHAHAHWHAHWHAHAHAHAWHHAW <Lighting and thunder claps>

[[4) Riverdale (I'd rather have Veronica's address)]]

Southern California.


[[Which direction do you drive if you want to travel from Raleigh to Mayberry? ]]


Southeast. "Mayberry" was supposed to be outside Mt. Airy ("Mt. Pilot" being the thinly-veiled substitute name). Pilot Mt. (the big hill, not a town) is near Mt. Airy.

I agree that Mayberry was clearly based on Mount Airy, a town Andy Griffith grew up in, but you've reversed the direction that the question was asking. Raleigh to Mount Airy is northwest.

I would like to nominate Wilmington, North Carolina as the "most Springfield-like town in the United States".
[list=1][*]No Kwik-E-Marts, but there are Kwik Marts.[*]Springfield has both snow and hurricanes. Wilmington doesn't have a lot of snow, but it did have an 18-inch Christmas day snow about 10 years back. And it certainly has hurricanes--including three direct hits in just the last three years.[*]Springfield is often shown both as being near a river and the ocean. Wilmington is a port located on the Cape Fear river, a short distance inland from the Atlantic ocean. (The Sideshow Bob episode where Bart is threatened on a river houseboat? It was entitled Cape Feare.) Need a lighthouse? Nearby Bald Head Island has one.[*]There is an episode where Homer et al. are swept out to sea during a river trip, and are saved when they come across an oil rig. According to the map we briefly see, the oil rig is in the Altantic, possibly near the North Carolina outer banks. The best guess is that they were originally on the Cape Fear river, then, once they reached the ocean, swept northeast by the Gulf Stream current.[*]The major over-the-air TV stations in both Springfield and Wilmington are channels 3 and 6.[*]At the time the show first aired, the nuclear power plan in Brunswick County was on watch as one of the worst run in the United States.[*]"Highway 401" is often mentioned on the show. A highway 401 runs a short distance from Wilmington, although this might also be a transposition of interstate I40, which terminates in Wilmington.[*]There is an episode where David Brinkley is one of the celebrity announcers for a town parade. David Brinkley grew up in Wilmington. (He left, of course. A lot of famous people have left--sports figures include Michael Jordan, Roman Gabriel, Sonny Jurgenson and Sam Huff).[*]On the Simpsons, the Radioactiveman movie was filmed in Springfield, presumably at Krustylu Studios. Wilmington also has a small movie production lot. Until a few years ago this studio was part of Carolco--recently it was sold to Screen Gems. (Carolco had been in financial trouble, especially after the chairman of board of the parent company was shot to death by his sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez.) Actor Brandon Lee died in Wilmington, after an accidental shooting on the soundstage of [i]The Crow[i]. Lee died in New Hanover Regional Medical Center. This same hospital got a lot of national attention a couple of years back, when it became known that one of the surgeons working there was doing things like taking a lunch break during surgery. Michael Jordan's father was shot to death in a robbery a few years back, while heading home, after visiting friends in Wilmington.[*]There are a lot of references to the Matlock TV show, or, in Abe Simpsons phrasing, "Maaatloock". In one of the Simpsons episode "the star of Matlock" even makes a personal apperance. Matlock was filmed at Carolco in Wilmington--there were even a couple of episodes where Ben Matlock "visits" Wilmington. (These days Dawson's Creek is filmed at the same studio).[*]There have been a couple of references in the Simpsons to "driving out the Irish". Wilmington's claim to fame, a century ago, was to drive out the blacks. In 1898, Wilmington was majority black, and many of its elected officials were also black. That was the year that white supremicists took up arms and overthrew the local government by force, killing a few people along the way and exiling many more, and setting up a new whites-only government. In 1898 Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina. Since then, it has faded to around tenth.[/list=1]

[[I agree that Mayberry was clearly based on Mount Airy, a town Andy Griffith grew up in, but you've reversed the direction that the question was asking. Raleigh to Mount Airy is northwest. ]]


Yes, my sloppiness.

According to my atlas, there is a Springfield in states in these parts of the USA:
Midwest - Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio
West - Oregon, Idaho, Colorado
East - Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Massachusetts
South - Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky

Consider the appearance, dress, mannerisms, speech (lack of accent), and family values of the Simpsons and the rest of the characters. They all seem to be Midwestern. Additionally, consider the overall scenery, weather climate, and racial make-up of Springfield. The Simpsons live in a subdivision of middle-income houses with grassy green lawns. Racially, the Springfield characters are mostly white. There is a black doctor and a convenience store manager from India, but that's about it for non-whites.

Only the weather climate does not seem to quite fit in the Midwest. The weather appears generally mild, because they rarely wear jackets, gloves, or hats, and Bart usually wears shorts. Also, there was an episode where Homer climbed a nearby, snow-capped, mountain. That usually indicates a Rocky Mountain state, but I think that was just an exception that didn't coincide with most of the other episodes. Occasionally, I have seen snow in episodes, I think there was a tornado once, but never a hurricane. That indicates the midwest.

There is no Springfield in Louisiana. If Springfield was in a Southern state, then the Simpsons and other characters would have southern accents, complain about the heat and humidity, and there would be a lot of black characters. So, they don't live down South. If Springfield was out West, such as in Colorado or Idaho, then there would probably be mountains in a lot of the episodes, and beach scenes, too, if they were in Oregon, but there aren't. If Springfield was on the East coast (Maine, Mass.), then there would likely be beach scenes, too, but there aren't.

The evidence suggests Springfield is in the Midwest, so the only question is, what Midwestern state? In a recent episode, there was a news story about Springfield, Mo., and they said "glad that's not us", so they do not live in Springfield, Mo. So, I think it is the Springfield in Illinois, Ohio, or Minnesota.

Next question…where do Beavis and Butthead live?

Lake Woebegon is north of St. Cloud. (and probably east or west. I'm not certain enough of the location of St. Cloud to be positive). Lake Woebegon is in the center of MN, because it was left off the map because the four maps made by the different (explorers? mapmakers?) overlapped, right on top of Lake Woebegon.

Dools, you've done it again.

- C'mon set these folks free and tell 'em where Springfield [i]really[/]is. Don't forget the justification!!

Springfield must be in Missouri. Why? Because that's where my TV is, and Springfield is of course inside it.

Springfield must be in Missouri. Why? Because that's where my TV is, and Springfield is of course inside it.

There couldn't be any beach scenes if the Simpsons were in Springfield, Mass. anyway! It's located in the south central portion of the state, not too far from the Berkshire mountains. Just my $.02...

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All Hail Unca Cecil, or the next best thing available!

Cheese Head,

Of course there was a hurricane once! That was the episode where Ned's house was torn apart and the town rebuilt it really crappily and he blew his top and committed himself and that's when we learned that he hated his hippy parents who wouldn't discipline him as a child...

And where one of my favorite Ralph Wiggums quotes comes from, as a panicked crowd stock up on supplies at the Kwik-E-Mart a near-sighted old lady grabs Lisa by the head and says she's got the last pineapple. She puts Lisa in her cart next to the "last pumpkin," Ralph Wiggums, who says, "Hi, Lisa, I'm going to be a pie!"

No hurricane!

*sigh*
Why it's not North Carolina:
" Grampa has to cross the state border to reach a casino, so Springfield must be in a state that borders Nevada or New Jersey. But it can't be New Jersey because New Jersey allows casino gambling only in Atlantic City, which isn't a border town."
and
"Hank tells Homer to call him if he's ever on the East Coast.
Redwood trees (apparently endemic to Cypress Creek) are only found in the Pacific Northwest.
Cypress Creek is ``upstate,'' suggesting a vertical state."

Why it's not Illinois:
"Illinois -- Springfield is not the state capital
-- Chicago is mentioned on the Michelangelo's David coast-to-coast tour of United States.
-- The driver's license agency is not called 'DMV'
-- It's ``nowhere near'' Chicago. -- Someone in Chicago answers a math question."

Why it's not Ohio:
"Ohio -- There are no Kwik-E-Marts in Ohio."

Why it's not Minnesota:
"Alabama, Minnesota, New York
-- Other states which had their own essay competitions."

While I think it might be fun to figure out for sure "where Springfield is", I doubt it will happen. I suspect that it's been carefully planned to eliminate *every* state.

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nuqDaq yuch Dapol? (Where do you keep the chocolate?)

Springfield is in "Nowhere U.S.A."

Everybody here introduced clues that contradicted somebody elses (or even themselves) conviction.

Springfield is in a Pacific Northwestern State, that fought in the Civil War, has one mountain, a river, lake and ocean near it. It has to be within driving distance to New York and Washington D.C. without being on the East Coast. It has to snow occasionally. It's in a relatively flat part of the country, yet have hills. It's near cities in Louisiana (but no one has spoken accents). In fact in one episode it should be on the west coast (this episode is where Homer is captain on a Submarine which he leads into Russian Waters (by going Northwest.)

SO it's nowhere.

But I really want to say Tennessee. Springfield and Shelbyville, TN are close enough to be rivals, and Ned Flanders seems to be the type of people I run across in Tennessee.

But its equally likely that Springfield is in Guam!

Kat did protest too much:
*sigh*
Why it's not North Carolina: [snip]

I never claimed "Springfield is in North Carolina". I said Wilmington is the most Springfield-like town in the U.S. that I know of.

I also think Raleigh-Durham is the most heavenly place in the United States. Which does mean I claiming that "heaven is physically located in central North Carolina".

Kat added: While I think it might be fun to figure out for sure "where Springfield is", I doubt it will happen. I suspect that it's been carefully planned to eliminate *every* state.

To quote Marge, "Well, duh"....

this episode is where Homer is captain on a Submarine which he leads into Russian Waters

Is that the one where Lenin comes back to life and says "Must... smash... capitalism"? I haven't seen that one and I'm dying to.

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All Hail Unca Cecil, or the next best thing available!

Hee hee hee. Of course, you're all forgetting something!

Remember when they moved Springfield (after Homer botched the job of Sanitation Commissionner)? They moved the entire town!
You thought just moving the school was bad.
With as many problems as Springfield has, they probably do the moving thing quite a bit. They really could be Everytown, USA.

And no one says the shows are in chronological order, so you get to figure that out, too!

Muhahahahaha! Yes, Thursday is a good day to be evil.

Why it's not North Carolina: [snip]

I never claimed "Springfield is in North Carolina". I said Wilmington is the most Springfield-like town in the U.S. that I know of.

Never said you did. Just preventing the response that says, "Well, with all the similarities, it must be North Carolina."

Kat added: While I think it might be fun to figure out for sure "where Springfield is", I doubt it will happen. I suspect that it's been carefully planned to eliminate *every* state.

To quote Marge, "Well, duh"....

Well, I went as far as I could away from saying, "It's not in any state. As any dimwit can see, it's plotted to eliminate every state in one way or another." as I felt people would take offense.

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nuqDaq yuch Dapol? (Where do you keep the chocolate?)

It's not in any state.

Thank goodness. I don't think that we could idiot-proof this earth Homer's hometown existed!

Well, all you need to do is find the town which has a mountian range, ocean, river, gorge, salt flats, badlands, desert, cape, heavy forest and plains in its immediate vicinty and you're there.

As for the false driver's license, out-of-state false driver's licenses are common since they're easier to pass off. A 17 year old cashier in Illinois wouldn't know what to look for in a California driver's license. As for the Halloween episode with the Simpsons being beamed out from the Louisania area, it's been said many a time that the Halloween episodes have no bearing on the rest of the show. Not that I believe it's anyplace (besides 5:30, 6:00 and 10:00 on FOX in Chicago) but I felt like adding my thoughts anyway.

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"I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn't."

Kat did write:
Well, I went as far as I could away from saying, "It's not in any state. As any dimwit can see, it's plotted to eliminate every state in one way or another." as I felt people would take offense.

Everyone knows Springfield doesn't exist. Which means you have to have extra-good arguments to determine the state in which it is located.

The preceding two sentances were logically inconsistent. Maybe its because we're just having fun. (For some reason, the cartoon where Marge-as-a-scolding-squirrell starts telling Itchy and Scratchy "Don't do that!" comes to mind.)

I can't believe we're being chided by someone whose sig is in[i]Klingon[i]! Are you not aware that Klingons don't really exist? Therefore, it is only logical to conclude that an actual Klingon language also doesn't exist, and anyone who pretends otherwise is being highly illogical.

Making up phrases in a non-existent language is fun. Speculating on the location of a non-existent town is fun.

See, I told ya people would get offended. Precisely why I had it edited by the Editor Under My Desk. <-----note little winky guy

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nuqDaq yuch Dapol? (Where do you keep the chocolate?)

qatlho'

Can I sum this up? I remember reading somewhere (right, no exact source) that Springfield was the most common town name in the US and that's why Groening picked it. As for any real hometown references, Groening is from the Pacific Northwest. By the way, are we all taking this a bit too seriously? Do we want "The Simpsons" to be the next "Star Trek" or do we want to put up with a bunch of Simpsons conventions in our local motels thirty years from now

insert question mark

Ok, so now, where was Mayfield, where Wally and the Beav lived?


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Ranger Jeff
The Idol of American Youth

Always drink upstream from the herd.