View source for Springfield (The Simpsons)

{{Short description|Fictional city in animated TV sitcom The Simpsons}}
{{Redirect|Springfield, USA|real-world places|Springfield (disambiguation)#United States{{!}}Springfield § United States}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox fictional location
| name = Springfield
| image = Springfield (The Simpsons).png
| image_size = 380px
| alt = 
| caption = A panoramic view of Springfield, as seen in ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' (2007)
| source = [[The Simpsons]]
| alt_name = 
| first = "[[Good Night (The Simpsons)|Good Night]]" (1987)
| last = 
| based_on = [[Springfield, Oregon]] (name) <br>[[Portland, Oregon]] (design)
| creator = [[Matt Groening]]
| genre = Animated sitcom
| type = 
| located_in = Springfield County, United States (fictional)
| ruler = [[Mayor Quimby|Joe Quimby]] (Mayor)
| locations = [[The Simpsons house|742 Evergreen Terrace]]<br>[[Kwik-E-Mart]]
| ethnic_group = 
| races = 
| blank_label1 = Demonym
| blank_data1 = Springfieldianite
| blank_label2 = 
| blank_data2 = 
| blank_label3 = 
| blank_data3 = 
}}
'''Springfield''' is the primary fictional setting of the American [[Animation|animated]] [[sitcom]] ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and [[The Simpsons (franchise)|related media]]. It is an average-sized, fictional city within an unknown [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[United States]]. The fictional city's geography, surroundings, and layout are flexible, often changing to accommodate the plot of any given episode.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=30}}

Springfield was inspired by a number of real-life locations, including creator [[Matt Groening]]'s hometown of [[Portland, Oregon]] and the nearby town of [[Springfield, Oregon]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="delaroca">{{cite journal |last1=De La Roca |first1=Claudia |title=Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield |journal=[[Smithsonian Magazine]] |date=May 2012 |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/matt-groening-reveals-the-location-of-the-real-springfield-60583379/ |access-date=December 6, 2021}}</ref> However, in order to emphasize it as an example of "[[Placeholder name#Geographical locations|Anytown, USA]]", the location of the fictional Springfield remains a mystery.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="delaroca" /> "Clues" regarding Springfield's climate, geology, history, distance from real cities, or political alignment, which are found in numerous episodes of the series, are intentionally contradictory.<ref name="delaroca" /><ref name=":1" />

==Creation==
The fictional city of Springfield was intended to represent "Anytown, USA", and not be derived from any specific real-life location.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=30}}{{r|potts20120416}} However, the producers acknowledge deriving inspiration from numerous locations, including ''The Simpsons'' creator Matt Groening's hometown of [[Portland, Oregon]], and [[Mike Scully]]'s hometown, [[Springfield, Massachusetts]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thetribonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=12392 |title=Matt Groening's Portland |access-date=April 24, 2013 |author=Hamilton, Don |date=July 19, 2002 |newspaper=[[Portland Tribune]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016141049/http://thetribonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=12392 |archive-date=October 16, 2015 }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://www.kval.com/news/8775202.html |title=Groening: Springfield is the real deal! |publisher=[[CBS]] |work=[[KVAL-TV]] |date=July 27, 2007 |access-date=November 19, 2007 |author=Kalkstein, Meghan |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005053116/http://www.kval.com/news/8775202.html |archive-date=October 5, 2007 }}</ref>

Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon, which, as a child, Groening had believed to be the fictitious Springfield featured in the 1950s sitcom ''[[Father Knows Best]]''. Groening did not intend to place the fictional Springfield in Oregon, contrary to a 2012 interview with him in [[Smithsonian (magazine)|''Smithsonian'' magazine]]; he instead adopted the name for the setting of ''The Simpsons'' in the hope that "everyone will think it's their Springfield."<ref>{{cite web|last1=De La Roca|first1=Claudia|date=May 2012|title=Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/matt-groening-reveals-the-location-of-the-real-springfield-60583379/|access-date=September 23, 2020|publisher=Smithsonian Magazine}} Moe's Tavern is actually based on 'Max's Tavern' in the neighboring town, [[Eugene, Oregon|Eugene]]. It is iconic for its pickled eggs on its counters and the television in the top right corner of the room.</ref> [[Al Jean]] explained that the magazine "misinterpreted something I've heard him say for at least 10 or 20 years. He was inspired by growing up in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], but it's really an every town".{{r|potts20120416}}

Groening liked ''[[Second City Television]]''{{'s}} setting of Melonville, a town with a large cast of recurring characters, and used it as inspiration for ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2006 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Eighth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He said, "I also figured out that Springfield was [[List of the most common U.S. place names#Springfield|one of the most common names for a city in the U.S.]] In anticipation of the show's success, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do".<ref name="delaroca" /><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6910174.stm ''Simpsons launch hits Springfield''] [[BBC News]]. Retrieved July 21, 2007.</ref>

===Location===
{{quote box|align=right|width=25em|quote="The true location of Springfield is in any state but yours"|source=—[[Chalkboard gag]], "[[Beware My Cheating Bart]]"<ref name="potts20120416">{{Cite web |last=Potts |first=Kimberly |date=2012-04-16 |title='The Simpsons' Reveals Where Springfield Isn't |url=https://www.thewrap.com/simpsons-blackboard-opening-reveals-springfields-location-37036/ |access-date=2020-06-23 |website=The Wrap}}</ref>}}
<!--Please do not add speculation about individual states to this section or any other section on the page-->
Because of the many contradictory statements made regarding Springfield in the show, the town cannot exist in a specific state. In ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'', [[Ned Flanders]] tells [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] that the state where Springfield is located is bordered by the states of [[Ohio]], [[Nevada]], [[Maine]], and [[Kentucky]] – only Ohio and Kentucky are neighboring states in reality, and Nevada and Maine are at opposite sides of the US.{{r|potts20120416}}<ref name=":1">{{cite news |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i8b30e2fc7d99d5a4e04b1f219f212c3e |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070516045021/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i8b30e2fc7d99d5a4e04b1f219f212c3e |archive-date=May 16, 2007 |title=Springfield of dreams |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 11, 2007 |author=Richmond, Ray |access-date=June 13, 2007}}</ref>

The fictional city's unknown geography is a [[Recurring jokes in The Simpsons|recurring joke]] in the series; the ''[[Dayton Daily News]]'' called it the "riddle wrapped in an enigma that is Springfield's location."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.daytondailynews.com/o/content/oh/story/opinions/columns/2007/06/11/ddn061207lifedl.html |title=Maybe this Springfield is just a state of mind |author=Stewart, D.L. |access-date=April 28, 2008 |date=June 12, 2007 |work=[[Dayton Daily News]]}}</ref> Episodes frequently make fun of the fact that Springfield's state is unidentifiable, by adding further conflicting descriptions, obscuring onscreen map representations, and interrupting conversational references.<ref group=notes>One of the contradictory identifications takes place in ''[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]'' (season 7, episode 16) in which the grave of Democratic Presidential candidate and later UN ambassador under President [[John Fitzgerald Kennedy]], [[Adlai Stevenson II]], is shown to be located in Springfield's cemetery.  The actual grave is in [[Evergreen Cemetery (Bloomington, Illinois)|Evergreen Cemetery]] in [[Bloomington, Illinois]].  Like his father, Vice President [[Adlai Stevenson I]], and his son, Senator [[Adlai Stevenson III]], Stevenson was strongly connected to [[Illinois]], having been Governor of the state from 1949 to 1953.  The Stevenson grave is thus a "clue" pointing to Springfield being in Illinois.</ref>

[[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]], who directed the movie and various episodes of the series, joked that Springfield is located in the fictional state of "North Takoma".<ref name="NT">{{cite news |author=Laura Lee Davies |url=http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/interviews/oakley.silverman.html |title=Bill Oakley & David Silverman |work=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] |date=September 25, 1996 |access-date=April 28, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Silverman">{{cite video |people=Silverman, David |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Third Season DVD commentary for the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> This is substantiated by the state abbreviations NT and TA used within the show.<ref name="Silverman" /><ref>{{cite episode |title=Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington |episode-link=Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Meyer, George; Archer, Wes |network=Fox |airdate=September 26, 1991 |season=03 |number=02}}</ref> As of ''[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]'' (season 12, episode 2), the telephone [[area codes]] for Springfield are [[Area code 636|636]] ([[St. Charles County, Missouri|St. Charles County]] and Western [[St. Louis County, Missouri]])<ref>Simpsons Episode: Papa's Got a Brand New Badge (2002), First aired May 22, 2002</ref> and [[Area code 939|939]] ([[Puerto Rico]]).

To promote ''The Simpsons Movie'', various actual [[Springfield (toponym)|towns and cities across the U.S. called Springfield]] competed to hold the [[premiere]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070608/NEWS01/706080333/1001/NEWS |title=Springfield hopes to host 'Simpsons' premiere |date=June 8, 2007 |access-date=June 13, 2007 |agency=Associated Press |publisher=Lansing State Journal |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930020454/http://www.lsj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070608%2FNEWS01%2F706080333%2F1001%2FNEWS |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref>  The promotion was, whichever state sent in the most votes would be the winner and would officially be which state [[The Simpsons]] takes place in. Despite the smaller size of Vermont compared to other states, the town of [[Springfield, Vermont]] was chosen.<ref>{{cite news |first=Clark |last=Cindy |title='The Simpsons Movie' Hometown Premiere Contest |url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/simpsons-contest.htm |work=[[USA Today]] |date=July 10, 2007 |access-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Carry |last=McGourty |author2=Jared Weiner |url=https://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=3359421&page=1 |title=Peace, Granola and Now 'The Simpsons' |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |date=July 10, 2007 |access-date=July 10, 2007}}</ref> In 2016, a ''[[New York Times]]'' study of the 50 TV shows with the most [[Facebook Like]]s found that "of all the Springfields in America, [''The Simpsons''] is most popular in Springfields in [[Springfield, Virginia|Virginia]], [[Springfield, Minnesota|Minnesota]] and [[Springfield, New Jersey (disambiguation)|New Jersey]], and least popular in Springfields in [[Springfield, Louisiana|Louisiana]], [[Springfield, Arkansas|Arkansas]] and [[Springfield, Georgia|Georgia]]".<ref name="katz20161227">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/26/upshot/duck-dynasty-vs-modern-family-television-maps.html |title='Duck Dynasty' vs. 'Modern Family': 50 Maps of the U.S. Cultural Divide |last=Katz |first=Josh |date=December 27, 2016 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

===Fictional history===
The episode "[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]" revealed that Springfield was founded by a group led by [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Jebediah Springfield|Jebediah Springfield]] (a cover identity for notorious pirate Hans Sprungfeld) who, after misinterpreting a passage in the Bible, left Maryland trying to find "New [[Sodom and Gomorrah|Sodom]]".<ref name="lisatheiconoclast">{{cite episode |title=Lisa the Iconoclast |episode-link=Lisa the Iconoclast |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Collier, Jonathan; Anderson, Mike B. |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=February 18, 1996 |season=7 |number=16}}</ref> After he refuses to found a town where [[cousin marriage|men are free to marry their cousins]], half of the group leave. The dissenters found the nearby town of [[#Shelbyville|Shelbyville]], named after fellow pioneer Shelbyville Manhattan, and the two cities have remained rivals ever since.<ref name="lemonoftroy">{{cite episode |title=Lemon of Troy |episode-link=Lemon of Troy |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Forrester, Brent; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=May 14, 1995 |season=6 |number=12}}</ref>

Springfield reached its pinnacle in the mid-20th century when it became the home of the world's first [[Amphicar|Aquacar]] factory; one-half of the U.S. was said to wear Springfield galoshes, and the city's streets were literally paved with gold.<ref name="$pringfield">{{cite episode |title=$pringfield |episode-link=$pringfield |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein; Wes Archer |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=December 16, 1993 |season=5 |number=10}}</ref> However, the town's prosperity was short-lived. In a 1992 episode, a fictional ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' cover story on Springfield is titled "America's Worst City", <ref>{{cite episode |title=New Kid on the Block
|episode-link=New Kid on the Block
|series=The Simpsons
|series-link=The Simpsons
|credits=Archer, Wes; O'Brien, Conan
|network=Fox Broadcasting Company
|airdate=November 12, 1992
|season=4
|number=8
}}</ref> and in a 1996 episode, ''[[Newsweek]]'' called the town "America's Crud Bucket".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Summer of 4 Ft. 2 |episode-link=Summer of 4 Ft. 2 |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Greaney, Dan; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=May 19, 1996 |season=7 |number=25}}</ref>

===Topography===
Springfield's fictional geography is shown to be comically varied and includes [[forest]]s, [[meadow]]s, [[mountain range]]s, a [[desert]], a [[glacier]], [[beach]]es, [[badlands]], [[canyon]]s, [[swamp]]s, a [[harbor]], [[Depression (geology)|waterholes]], and [[waterway]]s. Major named geographical features include the Springfield Gorge, Springfield National Forest, the volcanic Mt. Springfield, the West Springfield Desert, which is claimed to be "three times the size of [[Texas]]",<ref>{{cite episode |title=Half-Decent Proposal |episode-link=Half-Decent Proposal |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=February 10, 2002 |season=13 |number=279 }}</ref> the Springfield Badlands,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming |episode-link=Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Feresten, Spike; Polcino, Dominic |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=November 26, 1995 |season=7 |number=9}}</ref> the gigantic Murderhorn Mountain, Springfield Glacier, Mt. Useful National Park, Springfield Mesa, Springfield Monument Park, and Springfield National Park.

The town's climate is usually depicted as dry and sunny, with a bright blue sky. However, in various episodes, it has been subject to many natural disasters, including heatwaves, blizzards, avalanches, earthquakes, [[acid rain]], floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

Springfield's environment is shown as unusually polluted. Overflowing garbage forces the whole town – population and structures — to move five miles (8km) away from the massive dump that the old town of Springfield had become.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Trash of the Titans |episode-link=Trash of the Titans |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Maxtone-Graham, Ian; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=May 26, 1998 |season=9 |number=22}}</ref> Springfield is also home to the state's largest self-sustaining [[tire fire]], which has been burning continuously for many decades.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer's Paternity Coot |episode-link=Homer's Paternity Coot |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Anderson, Mike. B; Cohen, Joel H. |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=January 8, 2006 |season=17 |number=10}}</ref> Lake Springfield's [[pollution]] almost leads to the town's destruction by an [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)]] bomb in ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'',<ref name=":2">''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''</ref> and pollution from the [[#Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]] has mutated the fish in the river, causing some to grow an extra eye.<ref name="blinky">"[[Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish]]"</ref> Its atmosphere is so polluted that, in one 1995 episode, it reduces a [[comet]] to a rock the size of a [[Chihuahua (dog breed)|chihuahua]]'s head.<ref>''[[Bart's Comet]]''</ref>

Springfield is shown to feature a large numbered [[grid plan]], ranging from streets at least as low as 3rd Street and at least as high as 257th Street.<ref>''[[Bart Sells His Soul]]''</ref>

===Politics, religion, and media===
The fictional mayor of Springfield is [[Joe Quimby]], a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]]. In the episode "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", [[Sideshow Bob]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) runs for mayor and defeats Mayor Quimby, but Bob is later discovered to have committed [[electoral fraud]].

[[Krusty the Klown]] (R) represents Springfield in Congress. Previous representatives include Horace Wilcox, who dies of a heart attack while in office in "[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]", and Bob Arnold, who is forced to resign after Lisa exposes his corruption in "[[Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington]]".

[[Mary Bailey (The Simpsons)|Mary Bailey]] is the fictional governor of Springfield's state.<ref name="blinky" />

===Sports===
The town is home to a number of fictional sporting teams, including the Springfield Isotopes, a [[minor league baseball]] team which plays its home games at [[Duff Beer|Duff]] Stadium;<ref name="hungryhungryhomer">"[[Hungry, Hungry Homer]]"</ref> the Springfield Atoms [[American football|football]] team at Springfield Stadium;<ref name="strangled">"[[Love Is a Many Strangled Thing]]"</ref> the [[National Basketball Association|NBA]]'s Springfield Excitement (formerly the Austin Celtics);<ref name="bees">"[[The Burns and the Bees]]"</ref> and the Springfield Ice-O-Topes [[ice hockey|hockey]] team.

==Businesses ==
===Kwik-E-Mart===
{{Main|Kwik-E-Mart}}
[[File:Kwik-e-mart-7-11.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A [[Seattle]] 7-Eleven store transformed into a Kwik-E-Mart]]
[[Kwik-E-Mart]] is a fictional convenience store run by [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]]. The Kwik-E-Mart first appeared in the first-season episode "[[The Telltale Head]]" (although mentioned in "[[Bart the General]]" as the "Quick-e-Mart"). In "[[Stark Raving Dad]]", a street sign reading "Highland" is seen outside one of the front windows, in the same blue color as is used for signs for [[Highland Avenue (Los Angeles)|Highland Avenue]] in [[Los Angeles]]. Likewise, three buildings are visible that are similar to some of those that might be seen on that street: two low buildings with bars over the windows, and a third, also with barred windows, which has a mission-style roof and a sign reading "Smog Center".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Stark Raving Dad |episode-link=Stark Raving Dad |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=September 19, 1991 |season=03 |number=02 |credits=Jean, Al; Reiss, Mike}}</ref>

The episode "[[Homer and Apu]]" suggests that Apu is an employee of the Kwik-E-Mart and shows him travelling to the [[Himalayas]], where the Kwik-E-Mart head office is located, to ask for his job back after being fired. However, Apu mentions at a bachelor auction that he runs his own business in "[[The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons]]".

In July 2007, convenience store chain [[7-Eleven]] converted 11 of its stores in the United States and one in Canada into Kwik-E-Marts to promote the release of ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''.<ref name="E!">{{cite news |author=Josh Grossberg |date=July 2, 2007 |title=Cowabunga! 7-Elevens Get Kwik-E Makeover |url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=4082c01a-a201-4b22-8c30-1f51e4a41a5a |access-date=February 24, 2008 |publisher=[[E! News]]}}</ref> The locations of the renovated Kwik-E-Marts were: [[Bladensburg, Maryland]]/Washington, D.C.; [[Burbank, California]]; [[Chicago]]; [[Dallas]]; [[Denver]]; [[Henderson, Nevada|Henderson]]/[[Las Vegas]]; [[Los Angeles]]; [[Mountain View, California|Mountain View]]/[[San Francisco]]; New York City; [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]]/[[Lake Buena Vista, Florida]]; [[Seattle]];<ref name="FOX">{{cite news |date=July 1, 2007 |title=7-Eleven Becomes Kwik-E-Mart for 'Simpsons Movie' Promotion |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/7-eleven-becomes-kwik-e-mart-for-simpsons-movie-promotion |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704143203/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2C287578%2C00.html |archive-date=July 4, 2007 |access-date=July 3, 2007 |publisher=[[Fox News Channel|Fox News]]}}</ref> and [[Vancouver]]/[[Coquitlam, British Columbia]], Canada.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 30, 2007 |title=Oh Canada, D'oh Homer |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/oh-canada-d-oh-homer-1.668588 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201080218/http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2007/07/04/kwick-e-mart.html |url-status=live |archive-date=December 1, 2007 |access-date=July 4, 2007 |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref> These 12 locations, as well as the majority of other North American 7-Elevens, sold products found in ''The Simpsons'', such as "[[Products produced from The Simpsons#Buzz Cola|Buzz Cola]]", "[[Products produced from The Simpsons#Krusty-O's|Krusty-O's]]", "[[Products produced from The Simpsons#Squishee|Squishee]]s", pink frosted "Sprinklicious doughnuts", and other ''Simpsons''-themed merchandise. The Squishes were [[Slurpee]]s that are sold in special collector cups, and the Krusty-O's were made by [[MOM Brands|Malt-O-Meal]].<ref name="FOX" /> The promotion resulted in a 30% increase in profits for the changed 7-Eleven stores. This can be seen during the opening of ''The Simpsons Movie''.<ref name="tieins">{{cite news |author=Gail Schiller |date=July 6, 2007 |title=D'oh! 'Simpsons' limits tie-in partners |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i5cd11e0c6fc24e90a897224f6f3c214d |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708103103/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i5cd11e0c6fc24e90a897224f6f3c214d |archive-date=July 8, 2007 |access-date=July 6, 2007 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

=== Moe's Tavern ===
[[File:MoesBarConcepcion2016.jpg|thumb|Moe's Bar in Concepción, Chile, based on images from ''The Simpsons'']]

Moe's Tavern, or often simply referred to as "Moe's", is a fictional bar operated and named after the owner, [[Moe Szyslak]]. Moe's Tavern first appeared in the first episode of the series "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]". [[Homer Simpson]], [[Lenny Leonard]], and [[Carl Carlson]] often visit the bar after a day of work at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Other frequent patrons of Moe's Tavern are [[Barney Gumble]], [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters|Sam]], and [[List of recurring Simpsons characters|Larry Dalrymple]]. 

===Springfield Nuclear Power Plant===
The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is a fictional two-unit [[pressurized water reactor]] [[nuclear power plant]] in Springfield owned by [[Mr. Burns|Charles Montgomery Burns]]. Among the plant's employees are [[Homer Simpson]], [[Lenny and Carl#Lenny Leonard|Lenny Leonard]], and [[Lenny and Carl#Carl Carlson|Carl Carlson]], and Burns' assistant [[Waylon Smithers]]. The plant is shown to be the key supplier of the city of Springfield's energy, and the carelessness of Mr. Burns and the plant's employees often endangers the residents and natural environment of Springfield. [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Blinky|Mutated fish]] with more than two eyes are often shown in the lake behind the power plant, which has a large pipe pumping nuclear waste into it. There is a [[crow]] or [[raven]] shown living near the Power Plant, which caws whenever an [[establishing shot]] of the Power Plant is on screen. A running gag in earlier seasons was the poor security of the plant, with the outside security booth often going unmanned.

The design of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is often rumored to be based on the troubled [[Trojan Nuclear Power Plant]] (closed in 1993 due to defects) near [[Matt Groening]]'s hometown of [[Portland, Oregon]], or the [[Hanford Site]] in southeastern [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. However, Antonia Coffman, Groening's publicist, has said that the Springfield plant's design is generic and that "the Springfield Nuclear Power plant was not based on the Trojan Plant or any other power plant in the country."<ref>{{cite news |last=LaBoe |first=Barbara |url=http://www.tdn.com/articles/2006/05/14/area_news/news07.txt |title='Simpsons' keeps Trojan tower legacy alive... or does it? |publisher=[[The Daily News (Longview)|The Daily News]] |page=A1 |date=May 14, 2006 |access-date=May 28, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seattlepi.com/local/271084_trojan22.html |title=Tower of Oregon's only nuclear plant goes down }} {{Dead link |date=January 2012 |bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref>

===The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop===
[[File:Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop (Universal Studios Hollywood).jpg|thumb|The Android's Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop, as seen in the [[Springfield (Universal Studios Hollywood)|Springfield section]] of [[Universal Studios Hollywood]]]]
The Android's Dungeon is a fictional comic book store owned by [[Comic Book Guy]]. The comic book store and its owner first appeared in the episode "[[Three Men and a Comic Book]]" when Bart sees a copy of the first issue of the [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Radioactive Man|Radioactive Man]] comic on sale for $100.

In the episode "[[Worst Episode Ever]]", Bart and [[Milhouse Van Houten|Milhouse]] are given the job of running the comic book store after Comic Book Guy suffers from a stress-induced heart attack and is instructed to try and gain a social life. During their brief tenure at the store, Bart and Milhouse discover a secret room filled with bootleg videotapes of extremely rare or illegal subjects. These tapes are later confiscated during a police raid on the store.

===Barney's Bowl-A-Rama===
Barney's Bowl-A-Rama is a fictional [[bowling|bowling alley]] in Springfield. It is owned by [[Barney Gumble]]'s Uncle Al. In the episode "[[And Maggie Makes Three]]", Homer tells the family the story of [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]]'s birth. In this story, [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] explains how he quit his job at [[#Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]] to work at the Bowl-A-Rama, which was Homer's dream job, before returning to the plant when Maggie was born so that he could afford to care for her.

===The Leftorium===
The Leftorium is a fictional store in the Springfield Mall specializing in products for [[Handedness#Types|left-handed]] people. The store is owned by [[Ned Flanders]], who first started the Leftorium in the episode "[[When Flanders Failed]]".<ref name="JeanWFF">{{cite video |people=Jean, Al |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "When Flanders Failed" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Although business at the store initially went very poorly, it became significantly more successful when Homer recommended it to many of his left-handed friends.

The Leftorium had challenges in subsequent years, with Flanders discussing the business in several episodes. In the season 10 episode "[[Thirty Minutes over Tokyo]]", Ned mentions the competitor business "Leftopolis" next door. In the episode "[[Home Away from Homer]]", in a parody of [[Wal-Mart]], Ned mentions the new megastore "Left-Mart" is threatening his business. The season 25 episode "[[White Christmas Blues]]" reveals that competition from the Southpaw Superstore forced Flanders to downsize to a mall cart, the "Leftorium Express", which he splits with a cosmetic saleswoman. In the season 29 episode "[[Left Behind (The Simpsons)|Left Behind]]", the Leftorium closes for good, leaving Flanders unemployed until he finds a new job as [[Bart Simpson]]'s new teacher.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/flanders-loses-his-faith-and-an-inconsequential-simpson-1825814494|title=Flanders loses his faith and an inconsequential Simpsons tests ours|first=Dennis|last=Perkins|date=May 7, 2018 }}</ref><ref name="denofgeek.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-simpsons/273252/the-simpsons-season-29-episode-19-review-left-behind|title=The Simpsons Season 29 Episode 19 Review: Left Behind|date=May 7, 2018}}</ref>

The writers had wanted to have Flanders own a failing business and the idea for the store was suggested by [[George Meyer]].<ref name="ReissWFF">{{cite video |people=Reiss, Mike |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "When Flanders Failed" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He got the idea from a friend whose family had owned a left-handed specialty store which had failed.<ref name="VittiWFF">{{cite video |people=Vitti, Jon |date=2003 |title=The Simpsons season 3 DVD commentary for the episode "When Flanders Failed" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

===Springfield Mall===
The Springfield Mall is a fictional shopping mall that features comical fictional stores and pastiches, such as the Happy Market, Cost-Mo, Girdles N' Such, Eye Caramba, The Ear Piercery, Happy Sailor Tattoo Parlor, Love Your Computer, Gum4Less, Popular Books, the [[#The Leftorium|Leftorium]], Nick's Bowling Shop, Stoner's Pot Palace, Bookacchino's, Moe's Express (a mini version of [[#Moe's Tavern|Moe's Tavern]]), a Mapple Store (a parody of the [[Apple Store]]), numerous knockoff [[Starbucks]] coffee shops, and several Krusty Burgers.

==Schools==
===Springfield Elementary School===
Springfield Elementary School is a fictional local school attended by [[Bart Simpson]], [[Lisa Simpson]], and most other Springfield children. It teaches children from kindergarten through to sixth grade. Springfield Elementary is depicted as a grossly underfunded school that suffers from the incompetence and apathy of its administration, teachers, staff, and students. It is portrayed within the show as a satire of publicly funded schools and education in the United States, an illustrative example and parody of the lengths undertaken by some schools to overcome the burden of underfunding.

Bart's class was taught by [[Edna Krabappel]] until her death in season 25. In "[[Left Behind (The Simpsons)|Left Behind]]", the [[#The Leftorium|Leftorium]] closes, leaving Flanders unemployed, and he returns to Springfield Elementary School, where he becomes Bart's new teacher, filling the void left by Krabappel's death.<ref name="auto" /><ref name="denofgeek.com" /> He holds that role until season 33, when Rayshelle Peyton (voiced by [[Kerry Washington]]) takes the job.<ref>{{Cite web |last=April 21 |first=Dan Snierson |last2=EDT |first2=2022 at 10:45 AM |title=Kerry Washington joins 'The Simpsons' cast as Bart's new teacher — get a first look |url=https://ew.com/tv/kerry-washington-joins-the-simpsons-bart-teacher-first-look/ |access-date=August 30, 2023 |website=EW.com |language=en}}</ref> Other students in this class include [[Milhouse van Houten]], [[Nelson Muntz]], [[Martin Prince]], and [[Sherri and Terri]]. Lisa's class is taught by [[Elizabeth Hoover]].  Notable students in this class include Lisa's best friend, Janie Powell, and [[Ralph Wiggum]].

The school's principal is [[Principal Skinner|Seymour Skinner]]. Other staff members include janitor [[Groundskeeper Willie]], music teacher [[Dewey Largo]], bus driver [[Otto Mann]], and cafeteria chef [[Lunchlady Doris]]. The school district is overseen by Superintendent [[Superintendent Chalmers|Gary Chalmers]].

In 1994, the naming of a new, real-life elementary school in [[Greenwood, South Carolina]], was left up to the students, and the name ''Springfield Elementary'' was chosen. The school board was unaware of the connection to ''[[The Simpsons]]'' until a protest by one group of parents, who argued that the character of Bart Simpson was a poor role model. The name stood, and the school opened in August 1994.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3DF1F3DF934A25750C0A962958260 |work=The New York Times |title=Chronicle |first=Carol |last=Lawson |date=March 17, 1994}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/briefhistory.html|title=The Simpsons Archive: "A Brief History of The Simpsons"|website=simpsonsarchive.com}}</ref>

===Colleges/universities===
The fictional Springfield University is a large college which Homer attended in "[[Homer Goes to College]]". It teaches several different courses, including nuclear physics, arts management, and the meaning of cartoons. Springfield University also has a [[Sports rivalry#College football|fierce rivalry]] with Springfield A&M University. In the episode "[[Faith Off]]", the nickname of the Springfield University football team is revealed to be the Nittany Tide—a reference to the [[Penn State Nittany Lions]] and [[Alabama Crimson Tide]].

Springfield Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) University is a rival institution of Springfield University. [[Carl Carlson]] is an A&M alumnus. Springfield A&M's [[Sports mascot|mascot]] is a pig named Sir Oinks-A-Lot, who was kidnapped by Homer and his three student tutors as a prank in "[[Homer Goes to College]]".

Springfield Heights Institute of Technology focuses on the engineering sciences. [[Professor Frink]] is a college professor at the university, and it is from where [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]] earned his doctorate.

== Residential ==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

===Spinster City Apartments===
Spinster City Apartments, sometimes referred to as Spinster Arms Apartments, is a fictional apartment building. [[Patty and Selma Bouvier]], along with Selma's daughter [[Ling Bouvier|Ling]] and their pet iguana [[Jub-Jub]], live at number 1599.

===Springfield Retirement Castle===
The fictional Springfield Retirement Castle is Springfield's retirement home for the elderly. Some noted residents of the Castle include [[Grampa Simpson|Abraham "Grampa" J. Simpson]], [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Jasper Beardly|Jasper Beardley]], and [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Old Jewish Man|Old Jewish Man]].

For Grampa Simpson, the Retirement Castle is a lonely place to be. He often gets mad when [[Simpson family|his family]] does not come and visit him. The door features a sign reading 'Thank you for not discussing the outside world'. The most interesting way to pass time at the home is to "stake yourself out a good spot at the starin' window",<ref>Writer: [[John Swartzwelder]]; Director: [[Mark Kirkland]] (April 20, 1997). "[[The Old Man and the Lisa]]". ''[[The Simpsons]]''. Season [[The Simpsons season 8|8]]. Episode 174. [[Fox Broadcasting Company]]. "[Best bet is to] stake yourself out a good spot at the starin' window."</ref> which overlooks nothing but a barren tree, and [[Bingo (U.S.)|bingo]] (the prize being a [[banana]]). The staff of the home has little to no respect for the residents, doing things like vacuuming their hair during "nap time", or switching their [[Intravenous therapy|IV bags]] with their [[catheter]] bags when the former is empty, and the latter is full. In the episode "[[Old Money (The Simpsons)|Old Money]]", Grampa inherits $106,000 from his girlfriend Beatrice "Bea" Simmons. He uses both this money and his winnings from a gambling junket to refurbish and redecorate the home and has the dining hall renamed in Bea's honor.

== Government ==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

=== Springfield City Hall ===
The fictional City Hall of Springfield serves as the workplace of [[Mayor Quimby]] and the City Government. It is often the site of [[town meeting]]s, where the citizens hold a vote to approve proposals in an attempt to fix an issue facing the city. These proposals generally cause havoc and create even more problems for the town to later deal with. The building is based on the [[Chelmsford, Massachusetts]] public library due to longtime ''The Simpsons'' background designer Lance Wilder, being a former Chelmsford resident.<ref>{{cite web |author=Barrett, Heather |date=July 3, 2007 |title=Meet the man behind 'The Simpsons' |url=http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/fun/entertainment/x1278147194 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012143205/http://www.wickedlocal.com/chelmsford/fun/entertainment/x1278147194 |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |access-date=January 3, 2011 |publisher=Chelmsford Independent}}</ref>

== Landmarks ==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

===Five Corners===
Five Corners is a fictional location, imagined as "the only geographic location in the US where five states meet". A [[boundary marker]] indicates the exact spot. In reality, no such place exists in the US; the location is a spoof of [[Four Corners]]. While on their road trip to [[Itchy & Scratchy Land]], the Simpsons visit Five Corners, where they each "stand in five different states while holding hands". The location is visited again in "[[The Bob Next Door]]", where [[Sideshow Bob]] plots to kill Bart at the marker where the location's unique property would result in a lack of [[extraterritorial jurisdiction]], explaining it as: "I can stand in one state, fire a gun in a second state, the bullet will travel through the third, hitting you in the fourth, so you fall dead in the fifth. No single act is against any law, but their sum total is the greatest murder..."<ref name="bob">{{Cite episode |title=The Bob Next Door |episode-link=The Bob Next Door |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Writer: [[John Frink]]; Director: [[Nancy Kruse]] |network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]] |airdate=May 16, 2010 |season=[[The Simpsons season 21|21]] |number=463 |quote=I can stand in one state, fire a gun in a second state, the bullet will travel through the third, hitting you in the fourth, so you fall dead in the fifth. No single act is against any law, but their sum total is the greatest murder...}}</ref> 

==Other towns==

===Shelbyville===
The fictional city of Shelbyville is Springfield's rival. It was founded in 1796 by Shelbyville Manhattan, who advocated [[cousin marriage]] among his followers, causing a split between himself and Jebediah Springfield. An intense [[rivalry]] between the two cities continues today, especially in the sixth-season episode "[[Lemon of Troy]]", in which Shelbyville residents steal a prized lemon tree from Springfield. In several episodes, "Lemon of Troy" in particular, it is suggested that Shelbyville is to an extent a parallel version of Springfield. Shelbyville is also the city where Luann van Houten grew up. It also has at least one [[McDonald's]] restaurant, a Speed-E-Mart, Joe's Tavern, and a school. Per "[[Last Exit to Springfield]]", Shelbyville was at least briefly called "Morganville" during Abe Simpson's youth. According to ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'', Shelbyville is west of Springfield. It is the home of the button fly.

Shelbyville was ranked 10th in "The 10 Best [[Dystopia]]s" in the December 2005 issue of ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2005/12/the-10-best-dystopias/ |title=The 10 Best Dystopias |accessdate=December 12, 2007 |magazine=Wired |first=Jeremy Adam |last=Smith |date=December 2005}}</ref>

===Capital City===
Capital City (often spelled Capitol City in early episodes) is the fictional capital and largest city in the state in which the show is set. It is represented as a major urban center, hosting major sports events, conventions, and [[United Nations]] conferences. Its nickname is ''The Windy Apple'' (a joke by the show's writers, combining the nicknames of New York City's "The Big Apple" and [[Chicago]]'s "The Windy City"). Landmarks include a [[Duff Beer|Duff]] brewery, possibly mimicking the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis, the Cross-town [[suspension bridge]] resembling San Francisco's [[Golden Gate Bridge]], the Capital City Stadium, the Capital City Amphitheatre (featuring [[Krusty the Clown]]), and the intersection of 4th Street and Avenue D. ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' places Capital City just to the north of Springfield.

===Brockway===
The fictional town of Brockway is mentioned by [[Lyle Lanley]] (voiced by [[Phil Hartman]]) as the municipality to which he has sold [[monorail]] systems ("[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]").

Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook are also mentioned in episode 18 of the TV series ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'' by [[Sam Winchester]], as locations of past [[Shtriga]] activity.

===Ogdenville===
The fictional city of Ogdenville was first mentioned in "[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]", when Lyle Lanley claimed to have sold a monorail to Ogdenville. Ogdenville has also been mentioned in other episodes such as "[[Saddlesore Galactica]]", "[[Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield]]" and "[[To Surveil with Love]]". In "[[Eeny Teeny Maya Moe]]", Maya is from Ogdenville. Ogdenville has an outlet mall and is separated from Springfield by a rocky desert. In "[[Coming to Homerica]]", Ogdenville is a town of barley producing farms that are shut down due to tainted barley being used in a new, vegetarian [[#Krusty Burger|Krusty Burger]]. Ogdenvillians are composed of [[Norwegians|Norwegian]] immigrants with thick Norwegian accents. They also are big fans of the [[Minnesota Vikings]] due to the heavy incidence of Norwegian immigrants in the state of Minnesota. As a small [[easter egg]], during a [[Influenza|flu]] outbreak in Springfield, the hospital only received schemas in Norwegian, which was later confirmed via close-up. Series creator [[Matt Groening]]'s background is Norwegian and German, which he has described as "two of the unfunniest ethnic groups in the history of the world".

===North Haverbrook===
The imagined North Haverbrook was first mentioned by [[Lyle Lanley]] in "[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]". [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] arrives in North Haverbrook and finds a desolate [[ghost town]], where the faulty monorail derailed, causing a disaster, chasing away most of their residents and scaring away investors. The remaining North Haverbrook locals have since denied the monorail's existence, presumably blaming Lanley for the whole thing that ruined their town's reputation. Marge is met with hostility by the locals, including a woman who works at the 'Monorail Cafe'. She orders Marge to leave her town at once and never speak of the monorail anymore. A resident scientist from Germany, Sebastian Cobb, was the only one willing to help Marge out and save the passengers on the Springfield Monorail from suffering the same fate as North Haverbrook. Lanley is later attacked by the citizens of the town after his plane makes an unscheduled stop there.

North Haverbrook also appeared in "[[Little Big Girl]]". After [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] is awarded a [[driver's license]], he gets sick of countless errands and goes for a drive and eventually finds North Haverbrook, and falls in love with a girl named Darcy. In this episode, the town appears to have recovered well from the monorail disaster, as it is now changed from a [[ghost town]] to a thriving community with multiple businesses that Bart enjoys. It has a romantic reputation. All signs of the monorail have also disappeared.

It also appears on a road sign as Snake drives towards Mexico with the Kwik-E-Mart on a flatbed trailer during "[[Marge in Chains]]".

===Cypress Creek===
In the world of the Simpsons, Cypress Creek is a [[Model village|model town]] created for the workers of the Globex Corporation. It appears in the episode "[[You Only Move Twice]]". It is an affluent town and is home to many [[wildflower]]s (to which [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] is allergic). The city is an obvious parody of [[Silicon Valley]] or the master-planned communities often built by major corporations.

===Guidopolis===
In the episode "[[Midnight Towboy]]", Homer initially goes for a bottle of milk in a little town near Springfield named Guidopolis, where he then subsequently becomes a [[tow truck]] driver and is introduced to the [[vehicle recovery]] sector. The town is primarily inhabited by [[Italian Americans|Italian-American]] [[Greaser (subculture)|greasers]].

===Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport===
Little Pwagmattasquarmsettport is a fictional seaside town close to Springfield's State, where the Simpsons went for the Fourth of July in the Flanders's holiday home; the town appears in the episode "[[Summer of 4 Ft. 2]]". Nicknamed "Little Pwag", the town contains many beaches and a large boardwalk section, and a fun fair open every summer.

==References==
'''Informational notes'''
{{reflist|group=notes}}

'''Citations'''
{{Reflist}}

'''Bibliography'''
*{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=[[Planet Simpson|Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation]] |others=Foreword by [[Douglas Coupland]]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=[[Random House Canada]] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2}}

==External links==
*[http://simpsonsarchive.com/guides/springfield.list.html Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?] from the fan-maintained "The Simpsons Archive"

{{The Simpsons}}
{{italic disambiguation}}
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[[Category:Fictional elements introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Fictional populated places in the United States]]
[[Category:The Simpsons locations]]