Actually, it’s four fingers, Wumpus. Oh, and the answer to your question is one: Maine.
Dr. Hibbert: A thumb is not a finger!
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
And the actual answer:
I think it’s Oregon.
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.
d’oh!
Well obviously not in any state, but the one it seems closest too is Oregon. They’ve got mountains, beaches and deserts.
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!