Wikisimpsons - User contributions [en]

Treehouse of Horror XXIX

2022-04-09T20:57:09Z

JDspeeder1:

{{Tab|nogags}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|My Way or the Highway to Heaven|Baby You Can't Drive My Car}}
{{THOHPrevNext|Treehouse of Horror XXVIII|Treehouse of Horror XXX}}
{{for2|the character collection in [[The Simpsons: Tapped Out]]|The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Treehouse of Horror XXIX}}
{{Noncanon Episode|THOH}}
{{Episode
|image= Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 1.png
|number= 643
|season=30
|snumber=4
|prodcode= XABF16
|airdate= October 21, [[2018]]
|showrunner= [[Al Jean]]
|writer=[[Joel H. Cohen]]
|director= [[Matthew Faughnan]]
}}

'''"Treehouse of Horror XXIX"''' is the fourth episode of [[season 30]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the 643rd episode overall. It is also the 29th installment in the [[Treehouse of Horror series|''Treehouse of Horror'' series]] and consists of three parts. It originally aired on October 21, [[2018]]. The episode was written by [[Joel H. Cohen]] and directed by [[Matthew Faughnan]].

== Synopsis ==
{{desc|1. Opening sequence: [[Homer]] wins an oyster-eating contest against the mythical [[Cthulhu]]. 2. Invasion of the Pod-Y Switchers: Springfield is overrun by plant body-snatchers. 3. Multiplisa-ty: [[Lisa]] finally snaps. 4: Geriatric Park: [[Mr. Burns]] opens a retirement home with some Jurassic upgrades.}}

== Plot ==
=== Opening sequence ===
At the Oyster-Eating Contest in [[Fogburyport]], the [[Simpson family]] are taking part in it, when they discover that it's a ruse to get sacrifices for [[Cthulhu]]. As Cthulhu was about to eat [[Homer]], he challenged him to an eating contest. However, against all odds, Cthulhu loses and asks Homer any wish. Homer wishes to eat him, and so the family does. When Homer pokes his ink sac, the Treehouse of Horror XXIX logo shows up.

=== Invasion of the Pod-Y Switchers ===
In the underwater [[Mapple]] Computer Underwater Lair, [[Steve Mobbs]] introduces his successor and the [[MyPhone Ultima]], however his successor is actually an alien ready for an invasion.

Spores are sent from the alien's home planet, and switch the Springfielders with copies of themself, including [[Comic Book Guy]], [[Marge]] and [[Wiggum]]. [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] try to run away with [[Lou]] in the police car, but fail.

Lisa is brought to the alien world, which is in reality an utopian world. She is welcome by [[Xylem]] and [[Phloem]], and finds herself in what human calls Crab Nebula. But not all is as fabulous as they make it seems, as [[Herb Tannenbaum]] gives the people phones in this world too.

=== Multiplisa-ty ===
After a sleepover at [[Milhouse]]'s, Milhouse, [[Nelson]] and Bart find themself in a cell, suddenly freed by Penelope, the one that trapped them in it. Penelope, which is actually Lisa acting strange, in a multi-personality manner, acts weird and closes them in again after they don't ask for an encore on her performance.

Things get weirder and weirder even at the [[742 Evergreen Terrace|Simpson House]], where Lisa covers Bart's disappearance with more weirdness, while the kids try to open the door using Milhouse's head as an aries, just before Scottish Lisa appears, inviting them out to face the beast, after discovering she killed [[Willie]] with an axe.

Lisa attacks and kills Milhouse and Nelson, before Bart asks her what happened to her, to which Lisa tells the story: Bart grabbed Lisa's spelling test, changing her answers, mocking [[Miss Hoover]] and granting her a F.

Lisa has a last change and gives Bart a last chance to save himself and he redeems himself, saving himself from being killed by trash, while Milhouse was transformed into a "paper boy".

=== Geriatric Park ===
{{redirect2|Geriatric Park|the location|Geriatric Park (location)}} ''For the song, see [[Geriatric Park (song)]].''
[[Mr. Burns]] creates {{ap|Geriatric Park|location}}, a park filled with elders rejuvenated by mixing their DNA with dinosaur DNA. He brings Springfielders to the park, showing them the new "retirement home".

At first they're all human, healthy and feeling young again, with incredible strength too, but once Homer raises the temperature after [[Grampa]] complains about the temperature being too cold, they transform into dinosaur creatures.

Visitors are killed by the elders, while the family are threatened by Grampa and [[Jacqueline Bouvier]], but Lisa courageously confronts Grampa, and find out they all just needed to be cherished and respected. In the end the family escapes alive, though their helicopter is being flown by pterodactyl [[Agnes]].

== Production ==
<gallery>
File:XABF16 script.jpg
</gallery>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX poster.jpg
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 2.png
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 3.png
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 4.png
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 5.png
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX promo 6.png
File:Treehouse of Horror XXIX title card.png
File:Intrusion of the Pod-Y Switchers title card.png
File:Multiplisa-ty title card.png
File:Geriatric Park title card.png
</gallery>

== Promo videos ==
*{{Youtube|70K5nA273yE|Comic-Con 2018: The Spores Attack}}
*{{Youtube|tlJhvZ-7gKw|Spores Land On Earth}}
*{{Youtube|K1OqKROYBRQ|Bart Is Worried About Others Turning Into Zombies}}
*{{Youtube|t38-ENJtcPM|The Simpsons Run Into A Geriatric Dinosaur}}

{{Images|ep=yes}}
{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{Season 30}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Treehouse of Horror 29}}

[[Category:2018]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Joel H. Cohen]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Matthew Faughnan]]

Bye, Bye, Bunny!

2022-04-05T13:23:38Z

JDspeeder1: /* Synopsis */

{{Tab|nogags}}
{{Comic story
|title=Bye, Bye, Bunny!
|image=[[File:Bye, Bye, Bunny!.png|250px]]
|released= October [[2018]]
|pages= 24
|series= ''[[Simpsons Comics]]''
|written by= [[Nathan Kane]]
}}
{{Noncanoncomic}}

'''''Bye, Bye, Bunny!''''' is a final story of ''[[Simpsons Comics]]'' first printed in {{SC|245}}.

== Synopsis ==
When Lisa brings home a lovable new pet from [[All Creatures Great and Small and Cheap]], it seems like the perfect gift. But this new addition to the family turns out to be much more than anyone could have expected, and soon Springfield itself is in danger. Only one person can save the town from total disaster, but they're too busy taking a nap!

== Reprints ==
{{Comic Reprint
|1={{ANSC|20}}
|1a=March 21, [[2019]]
|1b=UK
}}

{{Images}}
{{Comic stub}}
[[Category:Simpsons Comics stories]]
[[Category:2018]]
[[Category:Comic stories written by Nathan Kane]]

My Way or the Highway to Heaven

2022-04-05T13:09:34Z

JDspeeder1: /* Plot */ Clarification, wikification, and major rephrasing for grammar and clarity

{{Tab}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|Heartbreak Hotel|Treehouse of Horror XXIX}}
{{Noncanon Episode|reason=Framing device is of characters in [[Heaven]] telling the stories}}
{{Episode
|image=My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 1.png
|number=642
|season=30
|snumber=3
|prodcode= XABF17
|airdate= October 14, [[2018]]
|titlescreen= In the first title screen, it features a remix of the opening theme, ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' style, while the second title screen feautures the normal one, but with [[God]] saying "In Heaven" then landing next to [[St. Peter]].
|couchgag= When [[Homer]] gets hit by the car by [[Marge]], he finds himself thrown through the bathroom door in Bob's Burgers restaurant, during their opening, panicking as the sequence of scenes in the opening play, with him inside, while the characters of the show comment on the situation, and how he should be called Bob Number 1, while [[Bob Belcher]] should be named Bob Number 2 or no name at all.
|guests= [[H. Jon Benjamin]] as [[Bob Belcher]] [[Jon Lovitz]] as {{Ch|Jon Lovitz|himself}} [[Dan Mintz]] as [[Tina Belcher]] [[Eugene Mirman]] as [[Gene Belcher]] [[Tracy Morgan]] as {{Ch|Tracy Morgan|himself}} [[John Roberts]] as [[Linda Belcher]] [[Kristen Schaal]] as [[Louise Belcher]]
|showrunner= [[Al Jean]]
|writer= [[Deb Lacusta]] [[Dan Castellaneta]] [[Vince Waldron]]
|director= [[Rob Oliver]]
}}

'''"My Way or the Highway to Heaven"''' is the third episode of [[season 30]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the six-hundred and forty-second episode overall. It originally aired on October 14, [[2018]]. The episode was written by [[Deb Lacusta]], [[Dan Castellaneta]] and [[Vince Waldron]] and directed by [[Rob Oliver]]. It guest stars [[H. Jon Benjamin]] as [[Bob Belcher]], [[Jon Lovitz]] as {{Ch|Jon Lovitz|himself}}, [[Dan Mintz]] as [[Tina Belcher]], [[Eugene Mirman]] as [[Gene Belcher]], [[Tracy Morgan]] as {{Ch|Tracy Morgan|himself}}, [[John Roberts]] as [[Linda Belcher]] and [[Kristen Schaal]] as [[Louise Belcher]].

== Synopsis ==
{{Desc|[[God]] and [[St. Peter]] contemplate what merits a soul getting into heaven, while citizens of Springfield remember their divine encounters.}}

== Plot ==
[[God]] sits on his couch, next to [[St. Peter]], wondering where everyone is after His remodeling of [[Heaven]]. God says that Heaven needs to increase admissions, so He and St. Peter try to decide who to admit.

[[Ned Flanders ]] is next shown teaching a Sunday school class about "Who will get into Heaven." Each student imagines how they'll die and go to Heaven. Ned explains how he was raised without religion by a family of Beatniks. He started selling trampolines after the {{W|Apollo 14}} moonlanding inspired bounce fever. He made lots of money, only to discover they're a death trap for kids after 500 consecutive bounces. The next possible victim was going to be a young [[Homer Simpson]], but Ned pushes him out of the way, getting electrocuted himself. After recovering, he wakes up in Heaven next to [[Jesus Christ]], Who tells him to take the road to redemption. Back on Earth, Ned is reborn, having been given a second chance, following God's path.

Next in the classroom, [[Marge Simpson]] tells the story of her grandmother, [[Genevieve Bouvier]], who was an atheist, married to [[Meaux]], a Nazi collaborator and cafe owner. A squad of U.S. paratroopers, including [[Abraham Simpson]], get trapped in the bar's cellar as a group of German soldiers enter for a meal. Since Genevieve doesn't believe in an afterlife, she disguises the paratroopers as French waiters. However once the Germans try to kidnap her, they start to kill all of them, and finally giving Meaux a proper kiss and they go to their bedroom together. Marge tells the kids that this story tells them that atheists can do great things too. After this, God agrees to take atheists into Heaven too.

[[Gautama Buddha]] proposes Buddhism next, introducing [[Lisa Simpson]], who tells the story of the princess [[Siddmartha Gautama]]. Siddmartha searches for a way to better her boring life, finding children playing even though they have nothing, in contrast to her having everything and being unhappy. She disguises herself as a poor boy, visiting the land outside her palace, and finally finds enlightenment at the end, after a very long time.

After watching the three stories, God agrees to accept all the good souls into Heaven. In the end, the [[Flanders family]] hears a crack of thunder, which Ned explains as just angels bowling. A bowling pin crashes into their house. St. Peter apologizes to them, but they consider it a blessing. God comments he's just a kissup.

== Production ==
<gallery>
File:XABF17 Script.png
Tracy Morgan Character.jpg|Tracy Morgan's character
</gallery>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 2.png
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 3.png
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 4.png
</gallery>

== Promo videos ==
*{{Youtube|_GNZlU0LYeo|Tracy Morgan Visits Heaven}}
*{{Youtube|wN6vl5htxzU|Flanders Plays Angel Bowling With The Gods}}

{{Images|ep=yes}}
{{Season 30}}

[[Category:2018]]
[[Category:Anthology episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Dan Castellaneta]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Deb Lacusta]]
[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Rob Oliver]]

My Way or the Highway to Heaven

2022-04-05T03:23:21Z

JDspeeder1:

{{Tab}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|Heartbreak Hotel|Treehouse of Horror XXIX}}
{{Noncanon Episode|reason=Framing device is of characters in [[Heaven]] telling the stories}}
{{Episode
|image=My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 1.png
|number=642
|season=30
|snumber=3
|prodcode= XABF17
|airdate= October 14, [[2018]]
|titlescreen= In the first title screen, it features a remix of the opening theme, ''[[Bob's Burgers]]'' style, while the second title screen feautures the normal one, but with [[God]] saying "In Heaven" then landing next to [[St. Peter]].
|couchgag= When [[Homer]] gets hit by the car by [[Marge]], he finds himself thrown through the bathroom door in Bob's Burgers restaurant, during their opening, panicking as the sequence of scenes in the opening play, with him inside, while the characters of the show comment on the situation, and how he should be called Bob Number 1, while [[Bob Belcher]] should be named Bob Number 2 or no name at all.
|guests= [[H. Jon Benjamin]] as [[Bob Belcher]] [[Jon Lovitz]] as {{Ch|Jon Lovitz|himself}} [[Dan Mintz]] as [[Tina Belcher]] [[Eugene Mirman]] as [[Gene Belcher]] [[Tracy Morgan]] as {{Ch|Tracy Morgan|himself}} [[John Roberts]] as [[Linda Belcher]] [[Kristen Schaal]] as [[Louise Belcher]]
|showrunner= [[Al Jean]]
|writer= [[Deb Lacusta]] [[Dan Castellaneta]] [[Vince Waldron]]
|director= [[Rob Oliver]]
}}

'''"My Way or the Highway to Heaven"''' is the third episode of [[season 30]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the 642nd episode overall. It originally aired on October 14, [[2018]]. The episode was written by [[Deb Lacusta]], [[Dan Castellaneta]] and [[Vince Waldron]] and directed by [[Rob Oliver]]. It guest stars [[H. Jon Benjamin]] as [[Bob Belcher]], [[Jon Lovitz]] as {{Ch|Jon Lovitz|himself}}, [[Dan Mintz]] as [[Tina Belcher]], [[Eugene Mirman]] as [[Gene Belcher]], [[Tracy Morgan]] as {{Ch|Tracy Morgan|himself}}, [[John Roberts]] as [[Linda Belcher]] and [[Kristen Schaal]] as [[Louise Belcher]].

== Synopsis ==
{{Desc|[[God]] and [[St. Peter]] contemplate what merits a soul getting into heaven, while citizens of Springfield remember their divine encounters.}}

== Plot ==
[[God]] sits in his couch, next to [[St. Peter]], wondering where everyone is after his remoderning [[Heaven]], and says that they need to get more people in there and they start searchign for who to admit in.

[[Ned]] is next shown talking about "Who will get into Heaven" to kids, with themself imagining how they'll die and go to Heaven, and then explaining how he was raised without religion by his family and his youth. He started selling trampolines after the {{W|Apollo 14}} moonlanding's bounce fever and making lots of money, only to discover they're a death bringer for kids after 500 consecutive bounces. The next possible victim was going to be [[Homer]], but Ned moved him out of the way, getting electrocuted. After getting up, he woke up in Heaven next to [[Jesus Christ]], telling him to take the road to redemption. Back on Earth, Ned is reborn, having given a second chance, following God's path.

Next in the classroom, [[Marge]] tells the story of her grandmother, [[Genevieve Bouvier]], which was an atheist, married to [[Meaux]], a Nazi collaborator and cafe owner. U.S. Paratrooper got trapped in their bar with incoming Germans in the cellar, and since she doesn't believe in Heaven after death, she makes them appear as French waiters, saving them. However once the German try to kidnap her, they start to kill all of them, and finally giving Moe's grandfather a proper kiss and going to their bedroom together. Marge tells the kids that this story tells them that atheists can do great things too. After this, God agrees to take atheists in Heaven too.

[[Gautama Buddha]] proposed Buddhism next, introducing [[Lisa]], which tells the story of the princess [[Siddmartha Gautama]], searching a way to better her boring life, finding children playing even though they've nothing, contrast to her having everything and living like that, and disguises herself as a poor boy, visiting the land outside her palace, and finally finding enlightenment at the end after a very long time.

After watching the three stories, God agrees to accept all the good souls are welcome in Heaven. In the end, a thunder was heard by the [[Flanders family]], with Ned saying it's just angels bowling. A bowling pin crashes their house, and St. Peter says sorry to them, but they consider it a blessing. God comments he's just a kissup.

== Production ==
<gallery>
File:XABF17 Script.png
Tracy Morgan Character.jpg|Tracy Morgan's character
</gallery>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 2.png
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 3.png
File:My Way or the Highway to Heaven promo 4.png
</gallery>

== Promo videos ==
*{{Youtube|_GNZlU0LYeo|Tracy Morgan Visits Heaven}}
*{{Youtube|wN6vl5htxzU|Flanders Plays Angel Bowling With The Gods}}

{{Images|ep=yes}}
{{Season 30}}

[[Category:2018]]
[[Category:Anthology episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Dan Castellaneta]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Deb Lacusta]]
[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Rob Oliver]]

Heartbreak Hotel

2022-04-05T03:17:28Z

JDspeeder1: /* Production */ Changed to present tense

{{Tab|nogags}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|Bart's Not Dead|My Way or the Highway to Heaven}}
{{Episode
|image=Heartbreak Hotel.png
|number= 641
|season=30
|snumber=2
|prodcode= XABF15
|airdate= October 7, [[2018]]
|guests= [[George Segal]] as {{ap|Nick|Heartbreak Hotel}} [[Rhys Darby]] as [[Tag Tuckerbag]]
|showrunner= [[Matt Selman]] [[Al Jean]]
|writer= [[Renee Ridgeley]] [[Matt Selman]]
|director= [[Steven Dean Moore]]
}}

'''"Heartbreak Hotel"''' is the second episode of [[season 30]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the six-hundred and forty-first episode overall. It originally aired on October 7, [[2018]]. The episode was written by [[Renee Ridgeley]] and [[Matt Selman]] and directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. It guest stars [[George Segal]] as {{ap|Nick|Heartbreak Hotel}} and [[Rhys Darby]] as [[Tag Tuckerbag]].

== Synopsis ==
{{Desc|[[Marge]] and [[Homer]]'s marriage is tested when they travel to a tropical island to compete for a million dollars on Marge's favorite [[The Amazing Place|reality competition show]].}}

== Plot ==
The [[Simpson family]] is watching TV, watching the finals of ''[[The Amazing Place]]'', hosted by [[Tag Tuckerbag]], and [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] insist to [[Marge]] and [[Homer]] to go participate in the next season, and when she had enough, after telling her kids to "can it", she shows them their tryout for the show in the past.

[[Lisa]] edits out a video from them, and at [[Springfield Squidport]], the tryouts are held and Bart and Lisa brings them their parents' tryout, unknown to them, with Marge opening all the rejection letters. At home, Marge opens the mail and finds out with Homer that they were selected.

Unfortunately for them, at the first trial, #SuitcaseStowaway, they lose and get #Shelliminated, only to find out they can't leave till the 6 weeks of the show are recorded, so no one will know at home who won, and they'll stay at the [[Courtyard by Airport]] hotel, having to hide from everyone the truth, even Bart and Lisa.

While Marge is destroyed from being away from home, Homer is happy on all the accommodations they give them. Homer manages to change her mind, while the kids are digging out a pool at home, but when they find the post production room, Marge discovers Homer found her stuff but instead of winning, he ate a chocolate bar and gets mad.

In a black and white setting, Marge and Homer meets the 5th week eliminated couple, where Marge makes Homer jealous, just before the next day, a couple can re-enter the show, but only if they switch partners with another couple, the #DeadWeightDrop, to compete in #MangoTango, and Marge chooses {{ap|Nick|Heartbreak Hotel}}.

Marge however is the one that screws up next, forgetting to salt the rims of the glasses, and they get back home, where Homer repeats Marge's screw up speech on loop. Afterwards they end the day watching [[Anger Watkins]] and [[Skip Angry]]'s Anger vs. Angry.

== Production ==
The episode was supposed to air in [[season 29]] but it was postponed to season 30, as "[[Flanders' Ladder]]" was set to be the season 29 finale.<ref name="AJDate">[https://twitter.com/AlJean/status/905860702392299520 Al Jean's Twitter]</ref><ref>[http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20180425fox15/ The Futon Critic.com]</ref> The episode is a satire of ''{{W2|The Amazing Race|U.S. TV series}}''. Marge and Homer are a couple who go on the show and immediately lose.<ref>[http://www.slashfilm.com/the-simpsons-showrunner-interview-2/2/ /Film - "'The Simpsons' Showrunner Al Jean Addresses Disney Merger, Composer Shake-up and Returning Characters [Interview]"]</ref><ref>[https://twitter.com/AlJean/status/1033138619144232960 Al Jean's Twitter - "Heartbreak Hotel - Amazing Race"]</ref>

[[Matt Selman]] claims that the inspiration of the episode was feeling bad for the first person to be kicked off ''{{W|Top Chef}}'' every year.<ref>[https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/1049090105237889025 Matt Selman on Twitter - "Inspiration"]</ref> The ''Who's Afraid of the Virginia Woolf?'' parody came from co-writer [[Renee Ridgeley]].<ref>[https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/1049091936949157888 Matt Selman on Twitter - "Virginia Woolf"]</ref> The producers tracked down [[George Segal]] to voice {{ap|Nick|Heartbreak Hotel}} a week before the episode aired because he had said that ''Virginia Woolf'' was his favorite movie he was ever in.<ref>[https://twitter.com/mattselman/status/1049092710999646208 Matt Selman on Twitter - "George Segal"]</ref>

<gallery>
File:XABF15 Script.jpg
</gallery>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Heartbreak Hotel promo 1.png
File:Heartbreak Hotel promo 2.png
File:Heartbreak Hotel promo 3.png
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Promo videos ==
*{{Youtube|rgZ9eJ09ico|Homer & Marge Adjust To Hotel Living}}
*{{Youtube|jvLZdEOXFeA|Bart & Lisa Show Up To The Audition}}

{{Images|ep=yes}}
{{Season 30}}

[[Category:2018]]
[[Category:Homer episodes]]
[[Category:Marge episodes]]
[[Category:Episodes written by Matt Selman]]
[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
[[Category:Episodes directed by Steven Dean Moore]]

Book Burning Mobile

2010-10-12T08:00:32Z

JDspeeder1:

[[File:Book Burning Mobile.jpg|250px|thumb|The Book Burning Mobile]]
The '''Book Burning Mobile''' is a van owned by [[Reverend Lovejoy]] and it burns books. It is a playable car in ''[[The Simpsons Road Rage]]'' and ''[[The Simpsons Hit & Run]]''. Reverend Lovejoy can be seen driving it in the episode [[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]. In that episode, he had bought it as a direct result of Lisa's letter (although Lisa did not mean he should burn books).

== Appearances ==
*{{ep|They Saved Lisa's Brain}}
*{{Game|The Simpsons Road Rage}}
*{{Game|The Simpsons: Hit and Run}}

{{Vehicles}}
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Vehicles in Simpsons Hit & Run]]

Book Burning Mobile

2010-10-12T07:59:38Z

JDspeeder1:

{{In-universe}}
[[File:Book Burning Mobile.jpg|250px|thumb|The Book Burning Mobile]]
The '''Book Burning Mobile''' is a van owned by [[Reverend Lovejoy]] and it burns books. It is a playable car in ''[[The Simpsons Road Rage]]'' and ''[[The Simpsons Hit & Run]]''. Reverend Lovejoy can be seen driving it in the episode [[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]. In that episode, he had bought it as a direct result of Lisa's letter (although Lisa did not mean he should burn books).

== Appearances ==
*{{ep|They Saved Lisa's Brain}}
*{{Game|The Simpsons Road Rage}}
*{{Game|The Simpsons: Hit and Run}}

{{Vehicles}}
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Vehicles in Simpsons Hit & Run]]

Talk:Spider-Man

2010-10-05T08:54:44Z

JDspeeder1: moved Talk:Spiderman to Talk:Spider-Man!: official Marvel spelling

{{Talkheader}}
<center>{{Article Project Characters}}</center>

Spiderman

2010-10-05T08:54:38Z

JDspeeder1: moved Spiderman to Spider-Man!: official Marvel spelling

#REDIRECT [[Spider-Man]]

Spider-Man

2010-10-05T08:54:38Z

JDspeeder1: moved Spiderman to Spider-Man!: official Marvel spelling

{{Character
|name = Spider-Man
|image = [[File:Spiderman.png|250px]]
|gender = {{Male}}
|hair =
|age =
|job = Superhero
|relatives =
|appearance = "[[The Haw-Hawed Couple]]"
|voiced by =
}}
'''Spider-Man''' is a Marvel superhero.

==History==
He was in the video ''Krusty on the Electric Company''. He comes in and starts dancing when [[Krusty]] gets hit on the head by a stage-light.

== Appearances ==
{{Incomplete}}
*{{ep|The Haw-Hawed Couple}}
*{{Ep|Homer the Whopper|(Seen on the cover of his comic book)|}}
*{{Ep|To Surveil With Love|(Picture Only)|}}
*{{ep|Elementary School Musical}}

{{Simpsons characters}}
[[Category:Superheroes]]
[[Category:Adults]]
[[Category:Non-speaking characters]]
[[Category:Recurring characters]]

Spider-Man

2010-10-05T08:49:49Z

JDspeeder1:

Elementary School Musical/References

2010-10-05T08:40:30Z

JDspeeder1: /* Cultural references */

{{TabR
|episode=Elementary School Musical
}}
{{EpisodePrevNextRef|Judge Me Tender|Loan-a Lisa}}

== Cultural references ==
*The title of the episode is a pun on the ''[[w:c:high-school-musical:High School Musical|High School Musical]]'' movie series.
*There is also an episode of ''[[w:c:southpark:South Park|South Park]]'' entitled "[[w:c:southpark:Elementary School Musical|Elementary School Musical]]".
*The opening title screen gag pays homage to the ''{{W|Partridge Family}}''.
*The chalkboard gag is a reference to the film ''{{W|Inception (film)|Inception}}''.
*The cast of ''{{W|Glee (TV series)|Glee}}'' sing a take on {{W|The Beach Boys}} song, "{{W|Good Vibrations}}".
*[[Sprooklyn]] is a parody of {{W|Brooklyn}}, a district of [[New York City]].
*[[Sprubway]] is a parody of {{W|Subway (restaurant)|Subway}}, a sandwich shop.
*[[Dregs]] is possibly a parody of {{W|Greggs}}, a bakery in the UK.
*[[Krusty]] having a Super Bowl nip-slip, using a child as a shield and appearing on ''{{W|The Electric Company}}'' is similar to the character {{W|Greg Stillson}} from ''{{W|The Dead Zone}}''.
*[[Spider-Man]], the Marvel superhero, appears in this episode.

== Goofs ==

* [[Kent Brockman]] says that [[Krusty]] joins the likes of Gandhi as a {{w|Nobel Peace Prize}} winner. However, Gandhi did not receive the award.
* [[Springfield Airport]]'s sign reads "Springfirld Airport".
* When Lisa meets Lea Michele and Cory Monteith, her saxophone disappears.

{{Season 22 R}}
[[Category:Cultural references]]

The Great Wife Hope/References

2010-09-24T19:10:50Z

JDspeeder1: /* Cultural References */

{{TabR
|episode=The Great Wife Hope
}}

== Cultural References ==
*Title is a reference of the film of 1970 "The Great White Hope", directed by Martin Ritt.
*There is an ad on a billboard that says "When a Man Gloves a Woman". This is an allusion to the 1966 song by Percy Sledge called "When a Man Loves a Woman" and also a 1994 film of the same name. Milhouse sings the song in "[[A Star is Torn]]", but is cut short when [[Lenny]] shouts, "which are you, the man or the women?!?".
*The ending might be a spoof of the ending of [[wikipedia:Dragonball Evolution|''Dragonball Evolution'']] where Goku and Chichi jump up in the air aiming kicks against each other and the camera freezes. What they say just before is pretty close to what they say in ''Dragonball Evolution''.
*The music that [[Charles Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]] fights to and that is heard in the end credits is "Boola Boola/When the Saints" performed by the Sing-A-Long Gang. "Boola Boola" is the fight song for Yale University.

== Trivia ==
*You can see [[Barney Gumble]] is not only at the wrestling place, screaming "We've been here for hours!", but seconds later you can see him at Moe's.

{{Season 21 R}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Great Wife Hope/References}}
[[Category:References]]
[[Category:Cultural references]]
[[Category:Trivia]]

Nick Riviera

2010-09-16T14:42:50Z

JDspeeder1:

{{Character
|name = Nicholas Riviera
|image = [[File:drnick.png|200px]]
|gender = {{Male}}
|hair = Black
|age = 40s
|job = Doctor
|relatives =
|appearance = [[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]
|voiced by = [[Hank Azaria]]
}}
{{Quote|Hey (or 'Bye'), everybody!|Nick's Catchphrase}}

'''Dr. Nicholas "Nick" Riviera''' is a quack physician (although he claims to be "just as good as [[Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]]"), who studied at dubious medical schools.

== Biography ==
Riviera is of Hispanic descent (and in the European Spanish dub he is specifically given an Argentinian accent) and has a medical degree from [[Hollywood Upstairs Medical College]] (where he apparently spent much of his time using his ability to acquire prescription drugs to impress a succession of attractive women back in the 1970s), and a great deal of luck. Thus far, none of the patients he has swindled, maimed, or given useless or dangerous medical advice seems to have sued him (although a few have come after him in person. For example, a large angry man once grabbed him, and Nick says "Well if it isn't my old friend Mr. McGregg — with a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg"; the man literally has an arm where a leg should be and a leg where an arm should be <ref>[[Homer's Triple Bypass]]</ref>).
Dr. Nick is a stereotypical shady, immoral doctor who perform medical procedures for money with little or no regard for medical ethics, or their patients' well-being. He was once is seen digging up corpses in the graveyard for body parts, presumably to use in operations on patients <ref>[[The Girl Who Slept Too Little]]</ref>.
He is seen taking a citizenship test, implying he is not a citizen of the United States <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>. Some of his exclamations hint that he may be Argentinian, though there is no direct evidence of this. In Homer's Triple Bypass, he watches a video on how to perform open-heart surgery and is disgusted by all the blood, implying that he may be hemophobic.

His degrees read "Mayo Clinic Correspondence School", "Club Med School", "Female Body Inspector" and "I went to medical school for four years and all I got was this lousy diploma" <ref>[[Bart Gets Hit by a Car]]</ref>. He frequently appears on infomercials, pitching all sorts of bizarre medical offers, and has often turned his operations into TV spectacles. He is also shown as an inventor/huckster (in the style of Ron Popeil) on the television show ''I Can't Believe They Invented It!'' His "Walk-In Clinic" is based at 44 Bow Street. Its phone number is 555-NICK. He can also be called at 1-600-DOCTORB ("The B is for 'Bargain'")

He has operated on the Simpson family a couple of times (when they cannot afford Doctor Hibbert) notably when [[Homer's Triple Bypass|Homer needed a heart bypass]]. [[Lisa Simpson]] attended the live audience for the operation and saved the day by guiding the obviously clueless Dr. Riviera through the operation. He also worked with Doctor Hibbert as anesthesiologist during Bart's appendectomy but was of little help as he first failed to anesthetize Bart and subsequently passed out from the leaking gas.

During [[Trappuccino]] in the Simpsons Movie Dr. Riviera was impaled by a large shard of glass and says, in his normal voice, "Bye everybody!" and then passes out, making him one of the only casualties of the [[Trappuccino]] incident.
However, he has been seen alive even after the incident <ref>[[Lost Verizon]]</ref> playing golf with Dr. Hibbert.

====Family====

In Simpsons Comics # 162 [[Oh, Brother]] He has a Father who appears to be a Witch Doctor.

== Non Canon Appearances ==
{{Noncanon}}
=== Video Games ===
In [[The Simpsons Road Rage]], he says "Send Me to the Hospital, I Pretend I work there".

A mission in [[The Simpsons Hit & Run]] involves Bart having to find Dr. Nick's monkeys after Dr. Nick tortures them horribly and they run away. He also says a number of weird things if the player runs him over, such as "Hey! You drive as well as I practice medicine!" and "Don't come crying to me if you need a sex change!" He also appears in the bonus mission for level three, where Lisa comes to get Principal Skinner's 'personal items', Dr. Nick says,"Hello, little girl. Here is the principal's anti-fungal cream!"

== Behind the Laughter ==
The character design of Dr. Nick is based somewhat on [[Gábor Csupó]], of Klasky Csupo studios, who was originally from Hungary – the animators mistakenly believed [[Hank Azaria]] was impersonating Gabor, when in fact the voice was actually a bad imitation of Ricky Ricardo from ''I Love Lucy''.<ref>The Simpsons Season 4 DVD commentary for [[Homer's Triple Bypass]]</ref>

He also has a sign in the new HD opening theme that says "If you die, you don't pay".

=== Catchphrase ===
Dr. Nick is notable for his exclamation upon entering a room of “Hi, everybody!”, which is immediately followed by a response of “Hi, Dr. Nick!” from the other characters present with varying degrees of enthusiasm. There was an Austrian version of Dr. Riviera in the episode "[[Margical History Tour]]", where he portrays the doctor of the ailing Mozart, played by [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], and his exclamation is "Guten Tag, everybody!" Another variation is an episode where [[Mel Gibson]] says, "Hi, everybody!" and Dr. Nick responds with "Hi, Mr. Gibson." Another episode featured a Jewish version of Dr. Nick during [[Homer Simpson|Homer]]'s flashback to the first [[Christmas]]. Dr. Nick says: "Shalom, everybody!" In [[Lisa the Simpson]] Dr. Nick greets a refrigerated [[Jasper Beardley]] with "Hi frozen body!" when entering the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

=== Cultural influence ===
In a tongue-in-cheek analysis the ''Canadian Medical Association Journal'' compared the services of [[Julius Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]] and Dr. Nick.<ref>Patterson R, Weijer C. D'oh! An analysis of the medical care provided to the family of Homer J. Simpson. CMAJ. 1998 Dec 15;159(12):1480-1. PMID 9988570 [http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/reprint/159/12/1480.pdf Free Full Text]</ref> It concludes that Dr. Nick is a better role model for physicians; Dr. Hibbert is a paternalistic and wasteful physician, unlike Dr. Nick, who strives to cut costs and does his best to avoid the coroner, proving Marge's claim wrong that he isn't a doctor at all.

== Appearances ==
{{scroll|
* {{ep|Bart Gets Hit by a Car}}
* {{ep|Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment}}
* {{ep|So It's Come To This: A Simpsons Clip Show}}
* {{ep|Marge in Chains}}
* {{ep|Homer's Triple Bypass}}
* {{ep|'Round Springfield}}
* {{ep|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)}}
* {{ep|King-Size Homer}}
* {{ep|22 Short Films About Springfield}}
* {{ep|Much Apu About Nothing}}
* {{ep|The Springfield Files}}
* {{ep|Lisa the Simpson}}
* {{THOH|Treehouse of Horror IX}}
* {{ep|Insane Clown Poppy}}
* {{ep|Sweets and Sour Marge}}
* {{ep|Lost Verizon}}
* {{ep|Trilogy of Error}}
* {{ep|Weekend at Burnsie's}}
* {{ep|Marge Gamer}}
* {{ep|Much Apu About Nothing}}
* {{ep|The Homer They Fall}}
* {{ep|I'm Goin' to Praiseland}}
* {{ep|Margical History Tour}}
* {{ep|The Girl Who Slept Too Little}}
* {{Mov}}
* {{ep|Take My Life, Please}}
}}

== References ==
<references />

{{Simpsons characters}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riviera, Dr. Nick}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Adults]]
[[Category:Recurring characters]]
[[Category:Characters voiced by Hank Azaria]]
[[Category:Doctors]]

Treehouse of Horror XVIII

2010-09-16T14:22:39Z

JDspeeder1: /* Heck House */

{{Tab}}
{{EpisodePrevNext|I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings|Little Orphan Millie}}
{{Featured article}}
{{Noncanon Episode}}
''For the continuing series of Halloween specials, see [[Treehouse of Horror Series]].''
{{episode
|image = treehouse of Horror XVIII.png
|Episode Number = 405
|productionCode = JABF16
|originalAirdate = November 4 2007
|blackboardText = None in this episode
|couchGag = None . It takes place while [[Marge]] is making Dinner in the kitchen
|specialGuestVoices = [[Maurice LaMarche]]
|Written By = [[Marc Wilmore]]
|Directed By = [[Chuck Sheetz]]
}}
"'''Treehouse of Horror XVIII'''" was the eighteenth Halloween episode.

This is one of several Simpsons episodes which are considered [[anthology episodes]] that features mini-stories.
== Plot ==
[[File:House,_24,cops....jpg|thumb|left|Marge kills ad]]
=== Opening Sequence ===
In the opening sequence, Marge is making the [[Simpson family]]'s desserts (cupcakes with chocolate icing in the shape of a jack-o-lantern face) but notices "you" and talks about Halloween being "last week" and suddenly various logos pop up on the screen, including the mini logos for ''American Idol'', Fox Sports, ''Prison Break'', ''Cops'', ''House'' and ''24''. Marge ends up killing several miniature characters that pop up from the logos (so everyone can "watch the show they are watching?!) and bakes them into bread, which she serves to her family. When she cuts it, the other characters' body parts are shown to spell out the titles and opening credits, and [[Homer]] says, "[[Mmm...]]'developed by.'"
[[File:Aliensss!.jpg|thumb|Bart runs a bike with Kodos]]
=== E.T., Go Home ===
Marge tells [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] to get butane from the shed in the garden and as he does so, he finds [[Kang and Kodos|Kodos]] there. Kodos (explicitly referred to as male in this episode) states his desire to return home and that he had come to Earth in peace, though he hints that he was really sent there to destroy mankind. Bart, however, is oblivious to this, and decides to help him return home. [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] arrives and is happy with the alien in their home and decides to help Bart and Kodos obtain devices that he can use to contact his home planet, though this appears to be part of his diabolical plan. It does not take Homer long to realize that Bart and Lisa keeping an alien in the house, but he and Marge decide to let them help Kodos anyway after Kodos accusses them of not letting him stay because he's Jewish. When NASA agents arrive at the Simpsons home, the family distracts them while Bart sneaks Kodos out. However, when Kodos kills several agents along the way, Bart begins to think Kodos's intentions are not as friendly as he was led to believe. Finally, Kodos reveals that the devices he had the Simpsons collect were for a portal-generating device so that others of his planet can come to Earth and wipe out the human race. When the aliens invade, a brief war is waged, though this time Earth has the upper hand. When Bart is given the option to board a helicopter and shoot Kodos, Bart inexplicably decides to spare his life, though Homer shoots him instead. In the end, Earth emerges victorious and the world is saved. The Simpsons are invited to see Kodos's dissection, where they reflect that since Kodos was an evil-looking alien who turned out to be bad, it must be good to judge a book by its cover. Kodos then points out that since he is still alive, it is called vivisection. He is then smothered by Homer with a pillow.
[[File:Run,_marge,_run!.jpg|thumb|left|Marge escapes the room]]

=== Mr. and Mrs. Simpson ===
In a spoof of ''Mr. and Mrs. Smith'', Homer and Marge appear to attend marriage counseling and recount a brief moment of tension between them. In the flashback, when arriving home, Homer locks himself in the bathroom and communicates on a hidden flat screen television, where it is revealed Homer is an assassin assigned to eliminate news reporter, [[Kent Brockman]], by order of Homer's boss, [[Charles Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]]. Before he leaves, he tells Marge he will be coming home late and makes up a crazy excuse; Marge also states that she is busy and makes up an equally farfetched excuse. When Homer prepares to shoot Brockman at his rooftop party from a faraway platform, a woman with large blond hair (who Homer dubs "the Mystery Skank") however, stabs Brockman in the chest, killing him instead. After Homer attempts to repeatedly shoot the woman (ending up with several civilian deaths), he manages to shoot the wig off her head, revealing Marge, also an assassin. Arriving home, the two avoid each other's eyes, and Marge makes an excuse for the blond wig. Not long after, the two attempt to kill one another with various weapons such as grenades, rifles, and a minigun, all the while arguing why the other was an assassin. After killing [[Clancy Wiggum|Chief Wiggum]] with a crossbow, the two realize they are more attracted to one another when they kill someone together. Thus, they soon begin having sex over Chief Wiggum's body. Returning to the episode's beginning, they both realise that they did not need any marriage counseling, but to kill people together. In the end, it turns out that they were not talking to a marriage counselor, but to [[Seymour Skinner|Principal Skinner]] regarding [[Bart Simpson|Bart's]] misbehavior. Both Homer and Marge turn a blind eye to Bart's misbehavior and simultaneously shoot Skinner instead.

[[File:Flanders-devil.jpg|thumb|left|Flanders-devil]]
=== Heck House ===
On Halloween night, [[Bart]], [[Lisa]], [[Milhouse Van Houten|Milhouse]] and [[Nelson Muntz|Nelson]] become frustrated by how some of the locals refuse to give them candy. Deciding to honor the true meaning of "trick-or-treat," they begin to pull pranks on everyone, although Lisa barely plays pranks. Soon, however, their pranks turn into vandalism and everyone begins to complain. [[Ned Flanders]] then offers his services to teach them a lesson and fashions the church into a "heck house." This attracts their attention and they decide to give it a try. Ned tries to simulate what could happen to them for their sins through the use of crude roleplaying, but they scoff at his attempts. Ned then turns to God to give him the power to scare them straight and subsequently transforms into [[Satan|the Devil]], sending the kids to Hell. There, he brings up an enormous crystal ball revealing Springfield to be full of the Seven Deadly Sins, and shows them simulations of how they may suffer; the first clip shows Homer suffering through gluttony, where he transforms into pasta; the second shows [[Groundskeeper Willie]] beating up his tractor in wrath, only for his tractor to transform and cut his head off; the third has Doctor Hibbert with a bumper sticker that brags about his son in pride, where he becomes crushed in between his car and a van; the fourth has Homer suffering sloth, where he is chopped up by a hammock, despite the fact that he had been killed already "by that magic spaghetti"; lust, greed, and envy had [[Moe Szyslak|Moe]] in lust for a stripper, greed for all her money, and envy "for the crotchless". The kids declare their lesson learned, and Ned returns them back to the surface, reverting back to his original form. The episode ends with Ned telling the viewer that they will go to Hell for watching FOX and its affiliates. [[Plopper]], Homer's pig from ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'', makes a cameo during the segment.

== Reception ==
The episode averaged 11.7 million viewers and a 5.7 overnight Nielsen Rating and a 13 percent audience share, making it the highest rated episode of the season.<ref name="Hollywood Reporter">{{cite news|first=Paul|last=Gough|title=Football goes the distance for CBS, NBC |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i4d5efe43d62fdc45e11a6540e30230ac|publisher=''The Hollywood Reporter''|date=2007-11-06|accessdate=2007-11-06}}</ref> Combined with a new episode of ''Family Guy'', it tied for first in the 8:00 PM hour with the NFL Pregame show on NBC. Despite this, the FOX Network finished the night fourth overall in ratings.<ref name="Viewers">{{cite news|author=Fitzgerald, Toni |url= http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/Huge_numbers_for_Colts-Patriots_game.asp |title= Huge numbers
for Colts-Patriots game |publisher=''Media Life''|date=2007-11-05|accessdate=2007-11-06}}</ref>

Robert Canning of IGN called the opening segment, E.T. Go Home, "the weakest segment because it just wasn't really all that funny", and thought the end of the segment was the weakest part of the episode, writing "watching the military decimate the aliens and then seeing Homer use a pillow to suffocate Kodos at the end was really off-putting. The deaths weren't funny, just uncomfortable." Canning, however, described the final two segments, as well as the opening as being solid segments. He gave the overall episode a rating of 7.4/10.<ref name="IGN">{{cite news | author =Canning, Robert | title = The Simpsons: "Treehouse of Horror XVIII" Review| publisher = [[IGN]] | url = http://tv.ign.com/articles/832/832607p1.html|date=[[2007-11-05]]|accessdate=2007-11-06}}</ref>

==Reference==
{{Template:Reflist}}

{{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{Template:Season 19}}
[[Category:Season 19]]
[[Category:TV-14 Episodes]]
[[Category:Treehouse of Horror]]
[[Category:Anthology]]
[[Category:2007]]
[[Category:Music Composition Emmy nominated episodes]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T12:16:38Z

JDspeeder1: /* Anthem */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including [[Springfield Penitentiary]], [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], [[Springfield Women's Prison]], [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility]] and [[Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary]]. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arboretum, a vibrant jazz scene, and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including [[Springfield Museum]] (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a [[Presbylutheran]] church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a [[Temple Beth Springfield|synagogue]] (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as [[Movementarianism]], but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. [[Superintendent Chalmers]] fired new Principal [[Ned Flanders]] when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hills ====
[[Waverly Hills]] is a rich upper-class district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this - "Oh, Springfield, oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!"

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
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[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T12:13:17Z

JDspeeder1: /* Waverly Hills */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including [[Springfield Penitentiary]], [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], [[Springfield Women's Prison]], [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility]] and [[Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary]]. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arboretum, a vibrant jazz scene, and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including [[Springfield Museum]] (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a [[Presbylutheran]] church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a [[Temple Beth Springfield|synagogue]] (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as [[Movementarianism]], but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. [[Superintendent Chalmers]] fired new Principal [[Ned Flanders]] when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hills ====
[[Waverly Hills]] is a rich upper-class district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
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[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T11:53:43Z

JDspeeder1: /* Religion */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including [[Springfield Penitentiary]], [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], [[Springfield Women's Prison]], [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility]] and [[Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary]]. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

{| border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600"
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| width="370"|
|}

=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arboretum, a vibrant jazz scene, and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including [[Springfield Museum]] (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a [[Presbylutheran]] church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a [[Temple Beth Springfield|synagogue]] (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as [[Movementarianism]], but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. [[Superintendent Chalmers]] fired new Principal [[Ned Flanders]] when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Lower East Side

2010-09-03T11:26:34Z

JDspeeder1:

[[File:Lower_East_Side_1.png|thumb|250px|The Lower East Side during Krusty the Clown's childhood]]
The '''Lower East Side''' is a district of [[Springfield]] with a large Jewish community. [[Krusty the Clown]] grew up in this neighborhood.

It contains such businesses as [[Tannen's Fatty Meats]], [[Kosher Meats & Produce]], [[House of Pressed Fish]], [[Yiddle's Practical Jokes]], [[Izzy's Deli]], and [[Temple Beth Springfield]]. It also possesses a [[Jewish Walk of Fame]].

Marge and Homer lived here for a time in the 80's.

{{Location stub}}
==Appearances==
*{{ep|Like Father, Like Clown}}
*{{ep|Lisa's First Word}}
*{{ep|Today, I Am a Clown}}
{{Template:Places}}
[[Category:Districts]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Springfield]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T11:17:58Z

JDspeeder1: /* Arts & Entertainment */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including [[Springfield Penitentiary]], [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], [[Springfield Women's Prison]], [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility]] and [[Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary]]. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arboretum, a vibrant jazz scene, and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including [[Springfield Museum]] (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

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[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T11:04:59Z

JDspeeder1: /* Crime */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including [[Springfield Penitentiary]], [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], [[Springfield Women's Prison]], [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility]] and [[Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary]]. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T11:02:31Z

JDspeeder1: /* Demographics */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the [[Simpson family|Simpson]], [[Flanders family|Flanders]], and [[Van Houten family|Van Houten]] families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos ([[Bumblebee Man]]), South Asians ([[Apu]] and his family, "[[Two Guys From Kabul]]") and East Asians ([[Cookie Kwan]], [[Akira]]).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T10:54:58Z

JDspeeder1: /* People and culture */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer [[Barry White]].

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by [[Dr. Hibbert]], it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those few who are competent in official positions are soon replaced by other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner [[Ray Paterson]] being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. ''TIME'' magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and ''Newsweek'' has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket," the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T10:50:03Z

JDspeeder1: /* Pollution */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===
Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also "proudly" home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfieldians have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'' is proud of the fact that they use absolutely no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town residents to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer Barry White.

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by Dr. Hibbert, it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those, those few who are competent in official positions are soon removed for other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner Ray Paterson being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. TIME magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and Newsweek has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket.", the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
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Springfield

2010-09-03T10:42:00Z

JDspeeder1: /* History */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and [[Fort Sensible]]). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===

Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also 'proudly' home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfielders have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. The Springfield shopper is proud in the fact that they use absolutly no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town resident's to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer Barry White.

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by Dr. Hibbert, it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those, those few who are competent in official positions are soon removed for other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner Ray Paterson being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. TIME magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and Newsweek has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket.", the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T10:41:01Z

JDspeeder1: /* History */

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and Fort Sensible). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.

===[[Trappuccino]]===
[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean [[Lake Springfield]], which was heavily polluted. After a town-wide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr. Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===

Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also 'proudly' home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfielders have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. The Springfield shopper is proud in the fact that they use absolutly no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town resident's to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer Barry White.

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by Dr. Hibbert, it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those, those few who are competent in official positions are soon removed for other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner Ray Paterson being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. TIME magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and Newsweek has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket.", the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield

2010-09-03T10:24:55Z

JDspeeder1:

{{Featured article}}
{{Town
|name= Springfield
|image= [[File:Springfield panoramic.png|center|300px]]
|country= [[USA]]
|state= [[Springfield's State|North Takoma]]| very close to Michigan, Oregon, New Jersey & Texas.
|county= [[Springfield County]]<ref>{{cite episode|title=Dog of Death|episodelink=Dog of Death|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=1992-03-12|season=3|number=19}}</ref>
|founder= [[Jebediah Springfield]]
|founded= c. 1649 (as Sprungfield), c. 1796 (as Springfield)
|incorporated= 1796
|city motto= "A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man"
|mayor= [[Joe Quimby]]
|elevation= 1,582 ft (482 m)<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|population= 30,720<ref>{{cite episode|title=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|episodelink=Papa's Got a Brand New Badge|series=The Simpsons|serieslink=The Simpsons|credits=Gould, Dana; Michels, Pete|network=Fox Broadcasting Company|airdate=2002-05-22|season=13|number=22}}</ref>
|area code= 939 and 636<ref>[[A Tale of Two Springfields]]</ref>
|zip code= 80085<ref>[[Moe Letter Blues]]</ref>
}}
'''Springfield''' is the city where the [[Simpson family]] lives. It is located near [[Shelbyville]], [[Capital City]], [[Ogdenville]], and [[North Haverbrook]] in [[Springfield's State|a state whose name is never mentioned]]. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with a specific state. Its population is estimated to be about 30,720. It is known as a twin city to [[Shelbyville]].

Founded in 1796 by [[Jebediah Springfield]], a.k.a. Hans Sprungfeld, and a band of fiercely determined pioneers out of Maryland who set off after misinterpreting a passage in the bible, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]]; two elementary schools; a [[Duff Stadium|minor league all-star baseball stadium]]; an [[Springfield International Airport|airport]]; a [[Springfield Harbor|harbor]]; a [[Downtown Springfield|downtown district]]; a large [[Springfield Tire Yard|tire yard]] (burning since 1989); a ghetto; a [[Russian district]]; its own [[Little Italy]]; several specialized shopping districts, [[Moe's Tavern]], and [[Barney's Bowl-A-Rama]].

Springfield's nearest neighboring town is Shelbyville. There is a strong rivalry between the towns, dating back to a rivalry between their founders—Jebediah Springfield and [[Shelbyville Manhattan]]. Manhattan wanted to found a city where men were free to marry their cousins, but Springfield refused to allow it, so Shelbyville was founded as a rival town.<ref>[[Lemon of Troy]]</ref> The story of the dispute between Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan contains faint references to the historical stories of the deal between Asa Lovejoy and William Overton to file a land claim, and the dispute between Lovejoy and Francis W. Pettygrove over the name of Portland, Oregon.
Springfield has been called America's crud basket. It's an ever growing city, despite all the disasters that happen in the town.

== History ==
[[File:The_Simpsons-Jebediah_Springfield.png|thumb|209px|The Statue of Jebediah Springfield]]

Springfield originally existed before 1649 as Sprynge-Fielde, founder and foundation period unknown.

In its early days, the city was the target of many Native American Indian raids, and to this day many forts and trading posts remain (including [[Fort Springfield]] and Fort Sensible). It was also the site of two battles during the American Civil War.

The second (or official) founder of Springfield was pioneer Jebediah Springfield, widely celebrated in the town as a brave and proud American hero. He famously once killed a bear with his bare hands, and this deed is immortalized in a bronze statue in front of the city hall. However, revisionist historians have since determined that the bear in fact probably killed Springfield, and not vice-versa. The town motto "a noble spirit embiggens the smallest man" is attributed to Jebediah. [[Lisa Simpson]] later discovered that Jebediah Springfield was in fact Hans Sprungfeld, a murderous pirate and enemy of George Washington, but eventually decided that the myth of Springfield should be preserved and did not reveal her findings.<ref>[[Lisa the Iconoclast]]</ref>

During the early 1900s, Springfield started a holiday named "Whacking Day" with the intention of beating up Irish immigrants in Springfield, and eventually transformed into an event where Springfield's denizens beat several snakes to death. In the mid-20th century, the city reached perhaps the pinnacle of its success when it became the home of the Aquacar, a car which could be driven in water like a boat. At this point, the city's streets were literally paved with gold. But unfortunately, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots.<ref>Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield</ref> The town has never really recovered from this tragedy (the gold was reportedly shipped to the Sultan of Brunei to encase one of his many elephant herds), but some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for [[Ah, Fudge! Factory|Ah, Fudge!]] chocolate, fireworks, candy, [[Itchy & Scratchy International|children's cartoons]], [[Kid First Industries|toys]], Spirographs, [[Southern Cracker|crackers]], peanuts, fake vomit, pillows, [[Mt. Swartzwelder Historic Cider Mill|apple cider]], and [[Springfield Box Factory|boxes]], as well as a [[Ajax Steel Mill|steel mill]].

During [[Homer Simpson|Homer Simpson's]] tenure as Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner, however, the whole town was relocated "five miles down the road" and reformed, as the previous location had become flooded with garbage and waste due to Homer's allowing other cities to dump their garbage into the mines that run under the town. Mysteriously, the move was only mentioned once: when Lisa remarked with surprise that they even allowed the [[Monty Burns Casino|casino]] to come with them when they moved the town while watching its demolition.<ref>''[[Viva Ned Flanders]]''</ref>

Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but [[Bart Simpson]]'s antics angered representatives from the IOC.<ref>[[The Old Man and the "C" Student]]</ref> It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team,The Springfield Meltdowns, but [[Abraham Simpson]] attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burglar - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.

Bart accidentally moons the U.S. flag, and the Simpsons appear on a talk show to explain the matter. However, the show's host makes it appear that Springfield hates America. When the rest of the U.S. reciprocates this loathing, Mayor Quimby changes the name of Springfield to "Liberty-Ville". An enormous patriotic craze ensues, wherein all items are priced at $ 17.76, even houses.<ref>[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]</ref>

The town has split at least twice. Once based on area code changes, into [[New Springfield]] and Olde Springfield (Not to be confused with the [[Olde Springfield Towne|historical site/tourist center of the same name]]).

At one point in the town's history, gambling was legalized due to an economic slump. To attract more people into the town, Springfield legalized gay marriage.
===[[Trappuccino]]===

[[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Colin]] spearheaded an effort to clean Lake Springfield, which was heavily polluted. After a townwide cleanup, the lake was polluted again single handily by [[Homer Simpson]], who dumped a large silo of "pig crap" into the lake, polluting it to unsurpassed levels. To keep the pollution from spreading to other towns, [[Russ Cargill]], head of the EPA, convinced [[President Arnold Schwarzenegger]] to seal Springfield inside a gigantic dome (built by a company owned by Cargill).

During that time, the town fell into ruin and was plagued by power shortages ([[Mr Burns]] refused to give free power) and lack of supplies. The town was trapped under the dome for more than 93 days. The dome was later destroyed by [[Homer]] and [[Bart]] Simpson, and the town was repaired and rebuilt.

===Later History===
Springfield eventually fell into a [[The Bob Next Door|massive economic crisis]] that resulted in several large cutbacks, as well as forcing several of the citizens to move to Detroit to find better job opportunities.

== Geography and climate ==
=== Geography ===
Springfield's geography includes big Mountains maybe part of Rocky Mountains and a lot of hills, [[Springfield Gorge|gorges]], giant redwood trees, a desert, a forest, lakes, rivers and a volcano. It is located on the coast of a large body of water, possibly an ocean. It has also been stated that "West Springfield" is 3 times the size of Texas, and looks exactly like Texas in shape.

Major geographic features include [[Springfield Gorge]], [[Springfield National Forest]], [[Mt. Springfield]], [[Springfield Harbor]], the [[Alkali Flats|Springfield Badlands]], the Murderhorn, [[Springfield Glacier]], Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore<ref>Simpsons Episodes</ref>.

=== Cityscape ===
The city is divided into a number of districts, including [[Skid Row]], the [[Lower East Side]] (a Jewish neighborhood), [[Springfield Heights]], Bum Town, [[East Springfield]], [[Recluse Ranch Estates]], [[Junkieville]], [[Pressboard Estates]], [[South Street Squidport]], [[Little Newark]], [[Crackton]], a [[Russian District|Russian district]], [[West Springfield]], [[Tibet Town]], [[Waverly Hills]], [[Little Italy]], and a [[Gay Neighborhood|gay district]].
For a brief period, Springfield divided itself into two cities, Olde Springfield and New Springfield, on the basis of an area code division. Wealthy Olde Springfield, with Mayor Quimby, anchorman [[Kent Brockman]], and bullies such as [[Nelson Muntz]], was separated from the rest of Springfield by a wall that was erected by poor New Springfield. Mayor Quimby maintained control of Olde Springfield while [[Homer Simpson]] ran New Springfield. The cities were later re-united through a concert by The Who.

The city's Main Street is in a pitiful state of disrepair, owing to citizens driving along it while carrying excessively heavy weights and leaving snow chains on their tires after the snow has melted. Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>

Towns near Springfield include [[North Haverbrook]], [[Shelbyville]], [[Ogdenville]], [[Brockway]], [[Guidopolis]] and [[Cranford]].

=== Climate ===
Springfield is located in an area that receives rain and snow. Most of the time the skies are blue and mostly sunny.

Springfield is also subject to a number of natural disasters including avalanches, earthquakes, acid rain, floods, hurricanes, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and volcanic eruptions.

=== Pollution ===

Visitors from elsewhere are advised to constantly wear radiation suits and carry Geiger counters, since the city is perhaps the most radioactive in the U.S. This is because the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant was built during an incredibly lax period for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in which the plant's nuclear core was surrounded not by several layers of protective concrete and graphite but by ordinary plaster with a horseshoe hanging from a nail. Also, management apparently gives employees benefits for storing nuclear waste in buildings; in some episodes, barrels of waste have been seen in the Simpsons' basement. Also perhaps due to this, the book reports that international law forbids shipping produce from Springfield; those who do venture into a local supermarket or farmer's market may find that it gives off a barely audible hum. Springfield is also 'proudly' home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 42 years, which does nothing to improve the air quality.

Springfielders have a very uncaring attitude towards the environment. The Springfield shopper is proud in the fact that they use absolutly no recycled material in their paper. Even the mention of the word can cause one of the town resident's to pass out from boredom, or at least slam the door in the face of plucky little girls concerned about the state of their town without a second thought, or even throw anything they can get their hands on at the Green Day raft just for saying that they wanted to talk about it.

== People and culture ==
The geographic location of Springfield is never stated, but Springfield is generally considered to depict, in a lampooning manner, "bread-and-butter" Middle America, culturally somewhere between a suburb and a small town. Springfieldians are not, for the most part, cosmopolitan, and most are of lower-middle to middle income.

The "small-town nastiness" of Springfield is made evident by a benighted tradition of "snake-whacking" whereby, annually, Springfieldians bludgeon snakes to death. Lisa Simpson, disgusted by this activity, encourages the people of Springfield to quit the tradition with the aid of soul singer Barry White.

Springfieldians have a very bad reputation. As described by Dr. Hibbert, it is a town where the smartest have no power and the stupidest run everything. A fairly accurate statement considering that the offices of police chief and mayor respectively are run by clearly incompetent and corrupt individuals, those, those few who are competent in official positions are soon removed for other incompetents, such as former trash commissioner Ray Paterson being kicked out of office to be replaced by Homer Simpson. TIME magazine once did a cover story on Springfield entitled "America's Worst City," and Newsweek has referred to the city as "America's Crud Bucket.", the town actually has a billboard saying it is the "Meanest town in America." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are even stupider and more backwards. There is a riot almost every month. Springfield also has a strange smell that is uncomfortable to new residents. It is usually about six weeks before they adjust. Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.

It is noted by the [[Duff Book of World Records]] as the ''World's Fattest Town''<ref>[[Sweets and Sour Marge]]</ref> which they are quite proud of.

=== Demographics ===
Springfield is home to people of many races, cultures, and creeds, including European-Americans (the Simpson, Flanders and Van Houten families), African-Americans (the Hibbert family, [[Carl Carlson]]), Latinos (Bumblebee Man), South Asians (Apu and his family, "Two Guys From Kabul") and East Asians (Cookie Kwan, Akira).

There is a large gap between wealthy citizens (such as [[Krusty the Clown]] and Mr. Burns), and poor citizens (Nelson Muntz, [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel]]). Population is about 40,000.

=== Crime ===
There are a surprising number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, [[Springwood Minimum Security Prison]], Springfield Women's Prison, [[Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility|Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility and]] Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. In one episode there were even jail cells in classrooms of [[Springfield Elementary School]]. The [[Springfield Police Department]], led by Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]], is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization, according to Wiggum they only have enough manpower to enforce the last three laws passed, another time [[Lou]] pointed out that he, Wiggum and [[Eddie]] were the entire police force. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to a private security company called Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl who did a far better job. Most [[Springfield Mafia|organized crime]] in town is controlled by mob boss [[Fat Tony]], however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.

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=== Arts & Entertainment ===
[[File:Aztect.jpg|thumb|right|The Aztec Theater]]
Springfield boasts an [[Springfield Opera House|opera house]], an [[Springfield Bowl|outdoor amphitheater]], an arbortoreum, a vibrant jazz scene and was mentioned as the entertainment capital of its state. There is also an unusually high number of [[:Category:Museums|museums]], including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), [[Springfield Knowledgeum]], [[Springfield Museum of Natural History]], [[Springfield Natural History Museum]], [[Springsonian Museum]], and a [[Springfield Stamp Museum|stamp museum]]. Springfield once had the [[Springfield Concert Hall]], but it was closed down after the first two measures of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and turned into the Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. Springfield has two movie theatres: the [[Aztec Theater]] and the [[Springfield Googolplex Theatres]]. It also has a [[Springfield Drive-In|drive-in theater]] and a [[Springfield Dinner Theater|dinner theater]].

==== Media ====
The city paper is ''[[The Springfield Shopper]]'', and the most popular TV station is [[KBBL-TV]] ([[Channel 6]]), with [[Kent Brockman]], [[Scott Christian]] and [[Arnie Pie]] on the news, [[Krusty]] the Clown and [[Sideshow Mel]] doing shows, and [[Bill and Marty|Bill & Marty]] on the radio. Alternatively, '''Channel Ocho''' is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring [[Bumblebee Man]].

=== Religion ===
[[File:Churchh.jpg|thumb|right|The first church of Springfield.]]
Religion and faith plays a large role in Springfieldian society. The largest church community appears to be the [[First Church of Springfield]], a Presbylutheran church headed by Reverend [[Timothy Lovejoy]]. There is also a synagogue (led by Rabbi [[Hyman Krustofski]]), a mosque, a Catholic church (The Notre Dame of Springfield), an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews), a crystal cathedral, the Cathedral of the Downtown, and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.

Once, many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud.<ref>[[The Joy of Sect]]</ref> According to Reverend Lovejoy, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod.<ref>"The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield"</ref> Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson and Lisa Simpson are practicing Buddhists. There is also a Stonecutters Lodge (currently re-named as "The Ancient Society of No-Homers"), of which practically every male in the city (minus Homer Simpson) is a member.

The town government is secular. In 1963, a law was passed which banned praying on city property. Another episode featured a convict who was imprisoned for erecting a nativity scene on city property. Superintendent Chalmers fired new Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.<ref>In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"</ref>

=== Sports ===
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the [[Springfield Isotopes]], a baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the [[Springfield Atoms]] football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-O-topes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a [[Springfield Downs|dog track]]. It also use to have a bull fighting ring. There was also once the Mr. Burns Basketball Stadium which was neglected and subsequently converted into a colossal Bee Hive. [[Springfield curling team]] managed to get to the Vancouver Winter Olympics and win gold.

=== Districts ===
==== Pressboard Estates ====
[[Pressboard Estates]] is the neighbourhood [[Evergreen Terrace]] and Main Street are located in.
===== Evergreen Terrace =====
[[File:Kwikemart.jpg|thumb|right|The Evergreen Terrace Kwik-E-Mart.]]
[[Evergreen Terrace]] is the main district in the Simpsons. It is where many of the families live. The Simpsons live on [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]. It is home to the [[Kwik-E-Mart]].

==== West Springfield ====
[[West Springfield]] is apparently three times the size of Texas. It is mostly barren, save for some farmland and oil rigs. It is here that [[Homer Simpson]] and [[Lenny Leonard]] got an oil rig job.

==== Recluse Ranch Estates ====
[[Recluse Ranch Estates]] is the upperclass rich district of Springfield.

==== Little Italy ====
[[Little Italy]] is the Italian district of Springfield.

==== Waverly Hill ====
[[Waverly Hill]] is a rich upclass district of Springfield with the best schools.

==== Suburbs of Springfield ====
*Skid Row
*[[Waverly Hills]]
*[[Springfield Heights]]
*[[East Springfield]]
*[[Greektown]]
*the Waterfront
*[[Lower East Side]]
*[[Bumtown]]
*Cemetry District
*Rat's Nest Neighbourhood
*[[Recluse Ranch Estates]]
*South Springfield
*[[Junkieville]]
*[[Pressboard Estates]]
*[[South Street Squidport]]
*Springfield Residential Hills
*[[Little Newark]]
*[[Crackton]]
*[[Russian District]]
*[[West Springfield]]
*[[Springfield Chinatown]]
*[[Tibet Town]]
*[[Ethnictown]]
*[[Gay Neighborhood]]
*[[Little Italy]]
*[[Theater District]]
*Springfield Keys
*[[Little Bangkok]]
*[[Little Italy]]

=== Economy ===
[[File:Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.gif|thumb|right|The Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Springfield's main employer]]
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!" and rich to the point that the streets were literally paved with gold, is now floundering. Some heavy industry remains in the town, including factories for Ah! Fudge chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill. Many Springfieldians are employed by the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]].

Major industries include nuclear power, heavy manufacturing, [[Duff Beer]], and retail. Many of Springfield's stores are located in the [[Springfield Mall]].

Springfield tried to improve their economy by legalizing gay marriage and gambling.

At one point, Springfield's Economy hit an all time low and was suggested to be even worse than Detroit's economic failure, resulting in the halting of roadkill pickups, significantly reducing the amount of school time, releasing of low level criminals, and said criminals allowed to commit low-level crimes due to the Police lacking the resources and funding to enforce them.<ref>The Bob Next Door</ref>

===Anthem===
:''See [[Springfield Anthem]]''

The anthem was in the comic [[Growing Pains]]. Lisa, Bart, Milhouse, and Terri sing it. It goes like this- "Oh, Springfield,oh Springfield, with your remaining greenery. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, we love your adequate scenery. We love your air, though it is gray. We try to breathe it, anyway. Oh Springfield, oh Springfield, our dying town we love!

== Infrastructure ==
=== Government ===

[[File:joeq.png|thumb|right|Mayor Joe Quimby]]
The current mayor of Springfield is Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician whose served at least 5 consecutive terms as mayor unopposed, he once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of [[Sideshow Bob]], but was later re-instated when Bob was impeached for electoral fraud. His post was threatened by a recall election, but none of the new candidates gained enough of the vote to oust him since the lead candidate who was most voted for was disqualified from the election.

When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy and Prof. Frink) technocracy took over. They changed clocks to metric time, eliminated the green lights from stoplights, and put the city on the top 300 US cities. It was 299th, above East Saint Louis, Illinois <ref>[[They Saved Lisa's Brain]]</ref>.

In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. [[Horace Wilcox ]]is stated to have been congressman since 1933 <ref>[[Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington]]</ref>. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still seen as a representative <ref>[[The Ziff Who Came To Dinner]]</ref>.

==== Laws, Statutes, and Propositions ====
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage <ref>[[There's Something About Marrying]]</ref>, trade in children and fishing with dynamite. For a brief time, prohibition was brought back ("spirituous beverages are hereby prohibited in Springfield under penalty of catapult")<ref>[[Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment]]</ref>. An unusual law from 200 years prior dictates that all ducks must wear long pants.

As is with many other towns there are a number of unusual and outdated statutes in Springfield and its town charter, including "the chief constable shall receive one pig every month and two comely lasses of virtue true," "it is illegal to mail threatening letters and to put squirrels down your pants for the purposes of gambling," and "five kicks of the same can shall be considered illegally transporting litter <ref>[[The Seven-Beer Snitch]]</ref>." The Town Charter also stated that Springfield's mayor, after election, cannot be removed from office... except by a recall election.

Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% of the public's support <ref>[[Much Apu About Nothing]]</ref>, but was overruled at some point. Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative.

=== Education ===

[[File:SpringfieldElementary3.jpg|thumb|right|Springfield Elemtary School]]
There are quite a number of public and private schools in Springfield, including two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School & East Springfield Elementary School), junior high school, high school and [[The Enriched Learning Center for Gifted Children]]. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College<ref>[[Homie the Clown]]</ref>, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found [http://snpp.com/guides/city.profile.html#4 here].

Springfield has many museums, such as the Springfield Museum of Natural History and the [[Springfield Knowledgeum]]. It has a library and an observatory.

Springfield has at least one dog obedience school.<ref>[[Bart's Dog Gets an F]]</ref>

=== Transportation ===
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway)<ref>[[Stark Raving Dad]]</ref>, the uncompleted Matlock Expressway <ref>[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]</ref>, Interstate 95, Route 202, Route 88 (goes through Nelson Muntz's neighborhood) and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, and an abandoned aqueduct. A [[Springfield Monorail]] existed for a very brief time before it was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage<ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>. It has a street called Main Street which used to have a lot of potholes <ref>[[Marge vs. the Monorail]]</ref>.

The city bus service provides public transit on the route 22 bus on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; and the 22A bus on Tuesday and Thursday.

[[File:Airport.png|thumb|right|Springfield International Airport]]
[[Springfield International Airport]] is the airport that serves Springfield. It has scheduled flights around the US and several other countries including France, Israel, China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil.

There was once a subway line in Springfield, but it is currently abandoned, most likely because the moving train was capable of causing ground tremors above <ref>[[Postcards From the Wedge]]</ref> .
A cable-car line was seen in a couple of occasions. 

== Springfield's State ==

''See article: [[Springfield's State]]''

== Appearances ==
*[[:Category:Episodes|All episodes]]

== References ==
<references />

== See also ==
*[[Evergreen Terrace]]
*[[List of characters from The Simpsons|List of characters from ''The Simpsons'']]
*[[Springfield's State]]

== External links ==
*[http://adn.blam.be/springfield/ Interactive map of Springfield with screen caps]
*[http://www.naosmm.org/confer/port-or/history.html History of Portland, Oregon] (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
*[http://snpp.com/guides/springfield.list.html The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?]
*[http://www.compuglobalhypermega.net/ CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet], location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
*[http://simpsonovi.webz.cz/ Czech Page]

[[es:Springfield]]
[[it:Springfield]]
[[pt:Springfield]]
[[sv:Springfield]]

{{places}}
[[Category:Springfield| ]]
[[Category:Locations]]

Springfield International Airport

2010-09-03T09:47:12Z

JDspeeder1:

{{Location
|name= Springfield International Airport
|image= [[File:Airport.png|250px]]
|District= East Springfield
|Town= [[Springfield]]
|use= Transportation
|owner=
|first appearance= [[The Crepes of Wrath]]
|see also= [[Springfield]]
}}'''Springfield International Airport''' is the primary airport serving [[Springfield]]. The airport is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is also a private bar for pilots only called [[The Little Black Box]]. It is the primary hub for [[Air Springfield]] and Crazy Clown Airlines.

[[File:Little black box.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The Little Black Box]]

== Airlines ==
* Air France (Paris Charles De Gaulle)
* Air India (New Delhi)
* [[Air Springfield|Air Springfield (Crazy Clown Airlines)]] (Chicago O'Hare, Detroit, Honolulu, Kingston, London Heathrow, New York John F. Kennedy, Washington)
* Alitalia (Rome Leonardo da Vinci)
* Aruba Airlines (Aruba)
* Air Japan (Tokyo Narita)
* No-Frills Airlines (Capital City)
* Derry Air (Dublin)
* Air Delaware
* Air China (Beijing-Capital)
* [[Springfield Airways]] (Los Angeles)

== Incidents ==
*[[Homer Simpson]] went to [[The Little Black Box]], the last bar in Springfield after being kicked out of [[Moe's Tavern]]. Then he was sent to take charge of a flight to Chicago-O'Hare (although he didn't know how to fly a plane). When he got into the [[Air Springfield]] Airbus A340, he accidentally raised the landing gear while parked on the apron. There were no minor injuries <ref>[[Fear of Flying]]</ref>.

*An [[Air Springfield]] Airbus A340 over-ran the runway and ended up in the river. There were no minor injuries as well <ref>[[Fear of Flying]]</ref>.

*Springfield mayor [[Joe Quimby]] attempted to hijack a Boeing 747.

*When the Simpsons were flying to Italy, Homer tried to find a TV screen in his armrest, just like there are in first class. He found cables and he pulls them, causing an engine to fall from the plane and ended up in [[Cletus]]'s farm <ref>[[The Italian Bob]]</ref>

== Appearances ==
*{{ep|Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire}}
*{{ep|The Crepes of Wrath}}
*{{ep|Homer and Apu}}
*{{ep|Fear of Flying}}
*{{ep|Lisa's Wedding}}
*{{ep|Mother Simpson}}
*{{ep|The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons}}
*{{ep|The Joy of Sect}}
*{{ep|Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo}}
*{{ep|Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington}}
*{{THOH|Treehouse of Horror XIX}}
*{{Game|The Simpsons Road Rage}}

==References==
<references/>

{{places}}
[[Category:Transport]]
[[Category:Locations]]
[[Category:Springfield]]
[[Category:Airports]]