# Location of the Simpsons' Springfield **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 28, 2003, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380 "2003-07-28T05:15:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/41 "2003-07-29T16:55:23Z")
Actually, it’s four fingers, **Wumpus**. Oh, and the answer to your question is one: Maine. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/42 "2003-07-29T16:59:12Z")
> [@](#): > > Actually, it’s four fingers, Wumpus. _Dr. Hibbert_: A thumb is not a finger! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![elf6c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c57346/32.png) [@elf6c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elf6c)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/43 "2003-07-29T17:49:38Z")
As mentioned before there have been _many_ threads on this topic. Here is an obligatory link to tons of evidence and to the definitive answer on this topic (and my links work too ;)) Crazy amounts of Springfield based evidence: [http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html](http://www.snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html) And the actual answer: [http://www.snpp.com/guides/lisa-3.html#3.2.1](http://www.snpp.com/guides/lisa-3.html#3.2.1) > [@](#): > > “Springfield” is a fictional location. One more time for the world: “Springfield” is a FICTIONAL location. It is not in Illinois, not in Massachusetts, not in Southern Missouri, not in Northern Kentucky. MG [Matt Groenig] says he chose the name because it is one of the most common city names (121 Springfields exist in the U.S.) and the setting of the antithesis to The Simpsons, Father Knows Best. Indeed, from Groening’s childhood perspective, Springfield was “the next town over” from his home in Eugene (a suburb of Portland), Oregon. > > On a side note, L.I.S.A. reader Mark adds, “Eugene is a wildly liberal town. Springfield is a staunchly conservative one, further accenting the difference. Also, there is a cemetery in the middle of the University of Oregon (Groening’s alma mater) that has a statue of soldier whose head was cut off as a prank by college students. The prank was universally condemned.” (Sound familiar? See 7G07). > > According to Producer/Director David Silverman, Springfield is in the state of North Takoma, eight miles from Toon Town (although it appears this still isn’t to be considered an “official” answer). In Duffless, the state abbreviation on Homer’s driver’s license is NT - NT probably representing North Takoma. See next question. > > The bottom line, though, is that even when the series makes reference to places and events unique to a specific Springfield, it does not mean that the series takes place in that given state. > > According to some sources on the group, Matt Groening has said that although Springfield is basically “anytown USA” it does have features somewhat similar to towns in Oregon, where Matt grew up. > > Read Where Is Springfield? if you’re still not convinced. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Griffin)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/44 "2003-07-29T19:01:16Z")
I think it’s Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/45 "2003-07-29T20:08:12Z")
From the audio commentary in the _Simpsons_ DVDs I’ve learned that the creators chose “Springfield” because, as **elf6c** notes above, they believed it was the commonest town name in the U.S. They later found that it’s not even in the top ten. Even blander names like “Riverside” or “Elmbrook” are much more common. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/46 "2003-07-29T22:46:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Marley23 \* > \*\*_Dr. Hibbert_: A thumb is not a finger! > > 😉 \*\* d’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Ray\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ray\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ray_Walker)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/47 "2003-08-01T06:42:41Z")
Well obviously not in any state, but the one it seems closest too is Oregon. They’ve got mountains, beaches and deserts. ---
**Author:** ![kgriffey79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@kgriffey79](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kgriffey79)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2003, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380/48 "2003-08-01T09:51:58Z")
Hey! Greetings from Eugene, Oregon. Anyway, I have heard this discussed here in my hometown. I can’t verify any of this, and some of it sounds like hogwash but here it goes. I’ve heard that Groening is from Eugene(although people here say Portland, which is 2 hours north) and that he wanted to use it as the hometown in his cartoon. People have told me that Eugene officials(not clear which positions) opposed this idea, so he changed it to Springfield, which is very closely affiliated with Eugene(Eugene-Springfield is considered one area, although Springfield is considered more country). So he used Springfield, but never acknowlegded what state it is in, which is pretty genius if you ask me. Anyway, I don’t know how this theory holds up. I mean, what officials in Eugene could really stop him from using the city name? Also, I believe there is a man in Simpson lore named Skinner…right? Well, Eugene was founded by Eugene Skinner, and Skinner’s butte is named after him. That seems like more than a coincidence which adds some weight to the theory… That’s all I got! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/location-of-the-simpsons-springfield/191380.md?page=2)