Springfield
| City motto | "A Noble Spirit Embiggens the Smallest Man", "Corruptus in Extremis" |
| Founded | Unknown; before 1649 |
| Incorporated | 1796 |
| Founder | Jebediah Springfield |
| Mayor | Joe Quimby |
| Congressional Representatives | Bob Arnold (expelled), Horace Wilcox (deceased), Herschel Schmoikel Krustofski |
| State Governor | Mary Bailey |
| Area | 2,088,723 km² (West Springfield is three times the size of Texas) |
| Population -City pop. -Density |
65,500 1.50/km² |
| Elevation | 1582 feet above sea level |
| Area Codes | 636 & 939 |
| Main Industries | Nuclear Power, heavy manufacturing, Duff Beer, Retail, boxes, fudge, fireworks, crackers |
| Official Bird | Potbellied Sparrow |
Springfield is the fictional city where the TV series The Simpsons is set. It is located near Shelbyville and Capitol City in a state whose name is never mentioned. The evidence is sufficiently contradictory that it cannot be identified with an specific state.
Founded in 1796 by Jebediah Springfield, Springfield seems to be a small city rather than a megalopolis. Its features include one nuclear power plant; two elementary schools (Springfield Elementary School and East Springfield Elementary School); a minor league baseball stadium; an airport; an ocean harbor; a downtown district; a large tire fire yard; a ghetto; a Russian district; its own Little Italy; several specialized shopping districts, Moe's, a bar run by Moe Szyslak; and Barney's Bowl-A-Rama, a bowling alley run by Barney Gumble's uncle.
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. 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.
Contents
History
Springfield was founded in 1796 by settlers who were trying to find a passage to Maryland after mis-interpreting a passage in the Bible. In its early days, the city was the target of many 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 (see Battle of Springfield (The Simpsons) for more information).
The 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 would later discover 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.
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, as related in the Are We There Yet? The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield, this economy collapsed when it was discovered that the Aquacar was prone to spontaneous explosion after 600 miles and/or knots. 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 chocolate, Southern Cracker, fireworks, candy, and boxes, as well as a steel mill.
Springfield was nearly chosen as the host for the Summer Olympic Games, but Bart Simpson's antics angered representatives from the IOC. It was also nearly awarded an NFL franchise team, but Abraham Simpson attacked the commissioner - mistaking him for a burgular - while he was trying to use the Simpsons' phone.
In Bart-Mangled Banner, 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.
Geography and climate
Geography
Springfield's geography includes mountains, 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, Springfield Badlands, the Murderhorn (an homage to the Matterhorn), Springfield Glacier, Widow's Peak, and Mt. Carlmore.
Cityscape
The city is divided into a number of districts, including Skid Row, Lower East Side (a Jewish district), Springfield Heights, Bum Town, East Springfield, Recluse Ranch Estates, Junkieville, Pressboard Estates, South Street Squidport, Little Newark, Crackton, a Russian district, West Springfield, Tibet Town, Little Italy, and a 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. One typical example featured Homer Simpson driving with a massive grand piano strapped to the roof of his car as his chain-covered tires gouged the road, laughing "look at that pavement fly!" Some of the potholes have become so wide that entire cars and trucks can (and have) fallen into them.
Towns near Springfield (within driving distance or close enough to be included in local news) include North Haverbrook, Shelbyville, Ogdenville, Brockway and Cranford.
Climate
Springfield is located in an area that can receive rain and snow. Most of the time however, 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, tornados, and volcano eruptions.
Pollution
According to the Are We There Yet? Guide to Springfield, 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 home to the state's largest tire fire, which has been continuously burning for approximately 40 years (as of 2006) which does nothing to improve the air quality.
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 (excluding the nefarious, extravagant Montgomery Burns, Lindsey Naegle, and the "Well, I never!" woman).
In one episode, 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, a proto-liberal 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. 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." Most citizens are very stupid, overweight, and also quick to anger, though it should be noted that Shelbyville residents are (somehow) 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. (Cities near pulp mills, such as Lewiston, Idaho or Springfield, Oregon, have a similar problem.) Springfield is also the first United States city to abandon the Metric system.
Obesity has been several times a joke on the show. It is even stated in "Sweets and Sour Marge" that Springfield is "the world's fattest town."
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), 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 the Slack-Jawed Yokel). Population is about 40,000.
Crime
There are a number of prisons in Springfield, including Springfield Penitentiary, Springwood Minimum Security Prison, Springfield Women's Prison, and Montgomery Burns State Penitentiary. The Springfield Police Department, led by Police Chief Clancy Wiggum, is a largely corrupt and incompetent organization. There was also a time in the town's history where the police duties were handed over from the Springfield Police Department over to Springshield which was run by Homer Simpson with the help of his friends Lenny and Carl. Most organized crime in town is controlled by mob boss Fat Tony, however the Yakuza are present in smaller numbers.
Arts & Entertainment
Springfield boasts an opera house, an 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 museums, including Springfield Museum (which features the world's largest cubic zirconia), Springfield Knowledgeum, Springfield Museum of Natural History, Springsonian Museum, and a 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.
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 & Marty on the radio. Alternatively, Channel Ocho is a Spanish language/Latino channel featuring the Bumblebee Man.
Religion
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 Krusofski), a mosque, a Catholic church, an Episcopal church (with vibrating pews) and a Buddhist temple. Apu, a Hindu, has a statue of the god Ganesh in the Kwik-E-Mart.
In the episode "The Joy of Sect," many Springfieldians joined a cult known as Movementarianism, but soon left after it was revealed as a fraud. According to Reverend Lovejoy in "The Simpsons: Guide to Springfield" by Matt Groening, there is also an alliance of people who split off from the Presbyterians to worship an Inanimate Carbon Rod. 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. In "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" Superintendent Chalmers fired Principal Ned Flanders when he overhears him saying "thank the Lord" over the PA system.
Sports
There are a number of sports teams and sports arenas: the Springfield Isotopes AA baseball team (which once threatened to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, whose real life minor league baseball eventually changed their name to the Isotopes), the Springfield Speedway, a monster truck rally (featuring Truckasaurus), the Springfield Atoms football team, the Springfield Stun arena football team, the Springfield Ice-otopes hockey team, the Association of Springfield Semi-Pro Boxers, and a dog track.
Economy
Springfield's economy, although at one time "on the GROW!", 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.
Infrastructure
Government
The current mayor of Springfield is Democrat Joe Quimby, a sleazy womanizing politician who once admitted to using the town treasury to fund the murder of his enemies. He was briefly thrown out in favor of Sideshow Bob Terwilliger, 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. Template:See Template:See
When the mayor briefly skipped town due to missing lottery funds, the town's MENSA chapter (Lisa Simpson, Dr. Julius Hibbert, Lindsey Naegle, Comic Book Guy, and Prof. Frink) 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. Template:See
In the United States House of Representatives, Springfield was represented by Congressman Bob Arnold, who was later expelled for taking bribes. However, in the episode "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington," Horace Wilcox is stated to have been congressman since 1933. After Wilcox's death, Krusty the Clown runs for Congress as a Republican, and wins. He is still a representative, as of the episode "The Ziff Who Came To Dinner."
Laws, Statutes, and Propositions
Gambling is legal in Springfield, as is gay marriage, 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").
There are a number of unusual 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."
Proposition 24, which would deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield, passed with 95% at the end of "Much Apu About Nothing." Marge and her family successfully lobby to get Proposition 242, a "Families Come First" grassroots voter initiative, passed in "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays." In "Three Gays of the Condo," there is a billboard put up by Patty and Selma advocating "yes" on Proposition 104, "Homer out of Springfield".
Education
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, and high school. There are also a number of colleges, including Springfield A&M, Krusty's Clown College, the University of Springfield, and the unfortunately named Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. A full list of education institutions in Springfield can be found here.
Transportation
Several highways run through Springfield, including the Michael Jackson Expressway (Interstate Route 401, formerly the Dalai Lama Expressway), the uncompleted Matlock Expressway, Interstate 95, Route 202, and Rural Route 9. There is also a railroad, an abandoned aqueduct, and an Escalator to Nowhere. There was also a monorail for a brief time, which was shut down after a disastrous maiden voyage. Template:See
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. There is also another route, the 108, as seen in Future-Drama. Template:See
There is also a subway system, most likely a long distance system, to the likes of Bay Area Rapid Transit, with a station at Third Street.
Where is Springfield?
The location of Springfield is a long-running joke in the series, based in the fact that 34 states in the United States have at least one community with that name. Episodes frequently make fun of the fact that Springfield's state has never been revealed, by adding further conflicting descriptions, obscuring onscreen map representations, and interrupting conversational references. The exact geographic location of Springfield is much disputed, but many episodes make it clear that Springfield exists in some non-existent state, and not one of the actual 50 that exist in the real world. It is also possible that the fictional Springfield is set not only in a fictional state, but also in a fictional version of the United States. In the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington," a map shows the major city at the southeast corner of New York to be, not New York City, but Queens (in real life Queens is one of the boroughs of New York City).
A web page discussing Springfield's location states that due to the many contradictory clues, it is impossible for Springfield to exist in any set location [1]. However, in the episode "Trash of the Titans", the town becomes so polluted (due to Homer's incompetence as sanitation commissioner) that its buildings are moved five miles down the road, via 'plan B'. This could allow for the city to be in more than one state with different episodes taking place before and after the move. This could also explain the discrepancies with there being a port at some times and not others.
Regardless, the following comparisons of the Simpsons' Springfield to real locations have been made.
In one episode, where Homer starts to take marijuana, his doctor says it is legal to take marijuana for medical reasons. This narrows the search down to 11 states, all which allow this: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Oregon
Matt Groening, the creator of the Simpsons, grew up in Eugene, Oregon. From Groening's childhood perspective, Springfield, Oregon was "the next town over". Groening also lived in Portland, Oregon. The show contains several references to features in Portland - Terwilliger Street (Robert Onderdonk Terwilliger a.k.a. Sideshow Bob), Lovejoy Street and Park (Reverend Timothy Lovejoy is the pastor of the Simpsons' church; Asa Lovejoy was a partner in the 1843 land grant that became Portland, Oregon), and Northeast Flanders St. where the signs say "NE Flanders St." Some people have vandalized them to say "NED Flanders St." Ned Flanders.
Many fans of The Simpsons believe Springfield, Oregon to be the Springfield of the show. This holds some merit considering the time show creator Matt Groening spent in the area growing up and other evidence. For instance, a popular park bears a striking resemblance to the fictional Springfield's town square. Also, Springfield, Oregon has a blue collar industrial nature with several paper plants (thus the smell). This complements the adjacent "higher-brow" university town of Eugene, Oregon as the real Shelbyville.
On the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, "Pioneer Statue" was created by sculptor Alexander Proctor in 1919, and is located between Fenton and Friendly hall. It is rumored to have inspired the fictional statue of pioneer Jebediah Springfield in the television show The Simpsons.
Kentucky
In the "Behind the Laughter" episode, a narrator describes the Simpsons as a "northern Kentucky family." In reruns however, this was changed to southern Missouri, deliberately adding to the confusion. There are in fact Springfields and Shelbyvilles in both Kentucky and Missouri. In the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, there is a Springfield, a Shelbyville, and even a Simpsonville within twenty-five miles of each other. However, this episode featured the Simpson family as actors "playing" roles of themselves, and the events depicted on the episode are not recognized as being part of the series' set continuity.
In the official Simpson's Episode guide it states that in the Behind the Laughter episode, Kentucky was revealed to be Springfield's state. As it fails to mention that the episode is a non-canonical one, however, the accuracy of this is debatable.
In a later episode during season 13, Mr. Burns states they will smuggle sugar in from south of the border to which Homer replies, "Oh, you mean Tennessee?", implying they live in Kentucky. Also, in the episode, Brake My Wife, Please, when Homer breaks out in a singing routine, there is a star on the map on which Homer walks to California. The star is placed geographically in Kentucky.
In the episode "Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade", the Capitol City Goofball mascot and delegate says "It is time to address our state's flag. This Confederate symbol is an outrage, particularly because we are a northern state." However, this does not mean that the Simpsons could not live in Kentucky, because it was not part of the Confederacy; rather, it was a border state (i.e. a slave state that remained part of the Union during the Civil War).
Even though this information rules out Kentucky as being a possibility, another factor is yet to be considered. Springfield's rival city, Shelbyville, is a less common name for a city and only appears in five states that also have a Springfield. Those states are Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois. The state that has the shortest distance between these two cities is Kentucky, coming in with the distance of approxamitely 53.4 miles. It would be mere coincidence if this were the only connection, but Shelbyville, KY is even in the same county (Shelby) as Simpson, KY. Kentucky is also home to Simpson county, located in the southern portion of the state. The county is named after Captain John Simpson, an officer who fought in Battle of Fallen Timbers during the Northwest Indian War, and died in the Battle of River Raisin during the War of 1812. It is likely that Jebediah Springfield may have even been loosely based on the idea of John Simpson.
Florida
According to the video game The Simpsons Hit & Run, the town of Springfield is in Florida, but this could be ruled out in the episode "Special Edna", in which a sign in Springfield shows the distance to Orlando too far for Springfield to be in the same state. There is also evidence to disprove this point in the episode "Kill the Alligator and Run", in which the family vacations to Florida (which Homer refers to as "America's wang") and is prohibited from returning. After the Simpsons are expelled from Florida, Marge and Homer mark that state on a map, which shows only two states remaining that still welcome the Simpsons: Arizona and North Dakota.
In the Treehouse of Horror IX segment "Starship Poopers," where it is revealed that the alien Kang is Maggie's father, a zoom-out sequence places Springfield in Florida. It should be noted that the Treehouse of Horror episodes have no continuity with the rest of the series and are not considered canon.
Another important factor to consider is the mediterranean climate area of Florida. A town in Florida would not have the large amounts of snowfall we see during the Christmas episodes. The absence of any palm trees in Springfield also indicates that the show takes place outside Florida, as palm trees are indigenous to the state.
New Jersey
In one episode, Lisa writes a letter Mr. Burns, and the letter is sent to C. Montgomery Burns, Springfield, New Jersey.
In the episode "My Sister, My Sitter, and in The Simpsons Hit & Run video game, there is a shopping complex named "Squidport", having a metal (the metalwork much like an overhead traffic sign) arch sign with the name "Squidport" shaped into an arch. Peculiar enough, the complex is almost identical to a shopping center Toms River, New Jersey, the Seacourt Pavilion, bearing an almost identical sign, same font in the lettering sign (same exact style), a similar name, and the two shopping centers have slightly similar architecture.
Midwest
One of the couch gags (which cannot be considered canon) zoomed out and showed the Simpsons' house in Springfield, Illinois. While Springfield, Illinois has a Shelbyville 50 miles to the southeast, and a nuclear power plant 40 miles to the northeast, there has not been any indication that it is 'the' Springfield, and could be coincidental. However, The Simpsons does make a direct reference to the Illinois city; in the episode where Homer is in a graveyard at night digging a plot, discarded dirt covers up the grave of Adlai Stevenson (a prominent Illinois politician and 2-time US presidential candidate, buried in Bloomington, Illinois, 50 miles to the northeast). This theory is ruled out in the episode "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?", as when asked by a ticket agent if he wants tickets to Springfield, Illinois, Herb says no, meaning that - at least for that episode - that Springfield is not in Illinois.
The couch gag sequence of The Simpsons episode entitled "The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" again left the location of Springfield something of a mystery. The sequence featured a "zooming out" from the Simpson household to a satellite view, then a solar system view, and so on in a parody of the 1977 documentary short Powers of Ten. The sequence contained plenty of cloud cover, but put Springfield somewhere in the Midwest, probably near the Mississippi River. The latter location is also suggested in the episode "Lisa the Tree Hugger" in which Lisa tries to protect the oldest tree in Springfield. To do so, she climbs a giant sequoia tree to prevent a team from cutting it down. When looking down on Springfield she sees a structure resembling the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (but also the Needle in Seattle, Washington). A large river can also be seen.
In the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail", monorail salesman Lyle Lanley proclaims "I've sold monorail systems to Brockway, Ogdenville, and North Haverbrook! And, boy, it put them on the map!" He then holds up a map of the U.S. where Brockway, Ogdenville and North Haverbrook are the only cities shown. Marge then later drives to nearby North Haverbrook (where everybody resents there being a monorail there, despite the sign at the city limits saying "Where the Monorail is KING!"). The map shows North Haverbrook in the Midwest, approximately Iowa.
In the episode "The Springfield Files", Mulder tells Scully that there has been "another unsubstantiated UFO sighting in the heartland of America", referring to Homer's close encounter with an alien; so, for that episode, Springfield was presumably somewhere in the Midwest.
Homer suggests that Springfield is within a state bordering the Great Lakes. He said:
Oh, why did I take it [the wedding ring] off? ... Oh, right! To see if I could skip it across Lake Michigan.
Where Springfield isn't
Mississippi, as Principal Skinner notes that selling kids is only legal in Springfield and Mississippi. Also, in the episode "Homer Badman" Grampa Simpson, when hanging a flag with only 49 stars, says, "I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize Missouri."
West of the Mississippi
In several episodes the radio and television stations in Springfield use the call sign KBBL. All radio and television station call signs west of the Mississippi River, except for few grandfathered stations, begin with the letter K while stations east of the Mississippi River begin with the letter W. This implies then that Springfield must be west of the Mississippi River because its television station uses the call sign KBBL, television being non-existent at the time of creation of the K and W call sign system, unless the stations in question operate on a dual-license arrangement (an owner of a grandfathered radio station that later received a license for a sister television station), as in KYW-AM radio station and KYW-TV/KWY-DT television stations, all in Philadelphia, east of the Mississippi River.
East Coast
Springfield, Massachusetts is referenced by the "Springfield Memorial Bridge" which separates Springfield from West Springfield in the cartoon and in Massachusetts. Another Massachusetts reference is that Mayor Quimby and his political machine have similarities to the powerful Kennedy family.
In episode 3FO6, Mother Simpson, Homer discovers that the tombstone he always thought belonged to his mother actually belongs to Walt Whitman (causing Homer to pummel said tombstone and curse "Leaves of Grass, my ass!"). Walt Whitman is buried in Harleigh Cemetery, in Camden, New Jersey.
In the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Badge", the character Fat Tony drives into downtown Springfield past a highway identification sign that very closely resembles United States Interstate signs, and bears the route number 95. The real I-95 is a major north-south route along the east coast of the United States. It should be noted however, that this was a parody of The Sopranos, which takes place in New Jersey, through which I-95 runs. However, The Simpsons cannot take place in New Jersey, as Homer and Bart must drive extensively to reach the Edison National Historic Site. In the episode Old Yeller Belly, the Amish build a treehouse for the Simpsons, indicating that Springfield is in either Ohio or Pennsylvania. Also, Milhouse's mother mentions Mechaniscsburg; there is a Mechanicsburg in both Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In one episode, Bart's Comet is threatening to strike Springfield. Professor Frink devises a plan in which a rocket is fired at the comet. The rocket is shown being launched from the Springfield Armory, which was established in Springfield, MA during the Revolutionary War, and still exists as a historical museum.
A parody episode of the series Drawn Together places Springfield in Connecticut.
In the episode "New Kids on the Blecch", L.T. Smash is able to drive an aircraft carrier to New York City.
West Coast
There is a strong case for the non-existent state being west of the Mississippi River, particularly somewhere on the west coast. This is supported by the facts that:
- Springfield sits on the ocean, and
- it has various features that only the west coast has
- redwood tree(s)
- mesas
- a TV station that starts with a K (assuming that the Federal Communications Commission of the Simpsons' universe mirrors the real world FCC.)
- sunsets over the ocean
Springfield's local radio station uses the call letters KBBL. In the episode "Colonel Homer", the town also has a country music radio station KUDD. "K" as the first call letter usually indicates a radio station west of the Mississippi River, whereas "W" as the first call letter usually indicates a radio station east of the Mississippi River. Most of the exceptions to the rule (such as station KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, KYW in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, WOW in Omaha, Nebraska, or WHB in Kansas City, Missouri) were assigned call letters before this convention was established. It should be noted that in "Homer Alone", the lobby of Rancho Relaxo (located in the Springfield Mountains) plays the radio station "Coma", whose call letters are WKOMA. It is also possible that if the town was located next to the Mississippi River, they could also receive "W" stations on their radio.
Several episodes indicate that Springfield has an ocean coastline. One episode showed jellyfish washing up on Springfield Beach. In another episode Bart, Homer, and the Junior Campers float out to sea during a rafting trip. They are rescued by floating towards an unmanned oil rig which nevertheless features a failing Krusty Burger restaurant. Offshore oil rigs in the United States are found off the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico and California. The episode "New Kids on the Blecch" established that oceangoing warships visit and dock at Springfield's harbor. The episode "Simpson Tide" also shows that the submarine Homer is commanding travels west out of the Springfield Harbor into Russian Waters.
The zip code of Springfield on Hans Moleman's drivers' license is 90701, which would place Springfield near Artesia, California. In the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" the Simpson's mail contains the zip code 192005.
Springfield is also served by the Union Pacific.
Other places
Springfield is near a junction of five states (in real life, no such junction exists), yet it borders the ocean; it has a canyon, a desert, and mountains, including the tallest mountain in the United States. (In the episode "King of The Hill", Bart claims the Murderhorn is more than four miles higher than Springfield's elevation. The actual tallest mountain in the United States, Mount McKinley in Alaska, rises less than four miles above sea level.) Plus, the city is vulnerable to every sort of natural disasters, which no one area would have. Sometimes it snows in Springfield, the town once experienced a hurricane, its ocean coast has an oil platform close offshore, and Springfield's western side (which is three times the size of Texas) is a vast oil field. Springfield is also 2,000 miles away from Arlen, Texas, which Hank Hill said in a brief cameo. A road sign seen in another episode showed Springfield is 678 miles away from Mexico City. That would place Springfield within Mexican territory or in the southern most tip of Texas. Skinner drives Willie's car from Springfield to Orlando, Florida and passes a sign saying Orlando, 2653 miles. The Springfield in this episode has to be in Oregon or California.
The revelation that Springfield was once entirely in the telephone area code 636 and that chaos erupted when half the town was switched to the new area code 939 does not clarify the situation; area code 636 is in Missouri, while 939 is in Puerto Rico. In another episode, Superintendent Chalmers refers to Springfield Elementary School as "the most dilapidated in all of Missouri", and shocks everyone (viewers and characters alike) by this disclosure, before continuing with "and that's why it was shut down and moved here, brick by brick." There also happens to be a Lake Springfield in Missouri.
There is also evidence that the Simpsons live in Louisiana. During one of the Halloween specials, it is proposed that Kang, a space alien, is the real father of Maggie. When Kang initiates telepathic contact with Maggie, baby Maggie responds by transmitting a signal with her pacifier. As the camera pans away from earth, the concentric radio signals are shown to be emanating from Louisiana. Furthermore, Marge is of French ancestry, so maybe she's cajun.
In one episode, Chief Wiggum reported his location by noting the exact moment when the Sun was directly over his position, suggesting that the state lies at least partly in the tropics. (Hawaii is the only tropical U.S. state, but the show has invented new states.)
In an episode where the Simpsons visit a Prep school Homer says to Lisa that he will pay for her to attend any college in South Carolina.
In the episode where Lisa goes to work with Homer he points out Springfield Power Plant's location on a map of the USA, it appears to be in a fictional state south of Florida and is given as a place which would really be in the ocean.
A central highway called Highway 401 is mentioned in several episodes. There is a central highway named Highway 401 in the Province of Ontario, Canada, that passes through the City of Toronto. This has also lead to speculation of Toronto being the inspiration to Springfield (or of Springfield, Ontario being the show's location); however as mentioned above, the countless pieces of evidence of Springfield being in the United States automatically disprove this theory. However, Springfield has been shown to be close to the Canadian border, as the Simpsons have made day-trips into Canada, and everybody in Springfield knows the Canadian Anthem.
Various other episodes show travelling characters:
- The episode "New Kids on the Blecch" establishes that Springfield is only a few minutes' sail from New York City by ship.
- The episode "Viva Ned Flanders" (and other episodes in which characters visit Las Vegas) establishes that Springfield is within an easy day's drive of Las Vegas by car.
- The family has been to New York City by bus.
- In an episode where Homer joins the US Navy reserve, a map shows his submarine's route leaving Springfield on the US Pacific coast.
- Marge is seen driving to Ogdenville, which was shown in the southwest, approximately Arizona.
- Homer is shown driving into Montana, presumably on a short trip.
- The family is shown driving over the Mississippi River en route to Washington, D.C.
- Ned Flanders falls for one of Homer's pranks by going to Montana to meet Jesus.
Springfield's State
The flag of Springfield's state showed (prior to a redesign contest) a Confederate Battle Flag floating on (or sinking into) a body of water in front of a sunrise, paralleling the controversies surrounding the state flags of Mississippi and Georgia. (The flag had to be redesigned because they live in a "northern state".) The state bird is the potbellied sparrow; the state pasta is bowtie. The state slogan is "Not Just Another State", and the longtime governor is Mary Bailey. The capital of Springfield's state is named "Capital City", and boasts its own Major League Baseball team.
While the name of the state has never been mentioned, Homer Simpson's driver's license shows that the state's abbreviation is "NT". According to producer/director David Silverman, Springfield is in the made-up state of "North Takoma" (a play on North Dakota, perhaps as well as the north end of the city of Tacoma, Washington). The two-letter abbreviation NT is legally used to refer to Canada's Northwest Territories, or Australia's Northern Territory, but it is clear Springfield is in the U.S.. U.S. flags are everywhere in Springfield: note the flag in the opening credits. The episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington" supplies not only the abbreviation NT for the state, but also the abbreviation TA (on mail addressed to the Simpsons), and in that same episode it is revealed that Springfield's zip code 192005.
See also
External links
- Map of Springfield
- History of Portland, Oregon (an influence on the fictional history of Springfield)
- The Simpsons Archive: Where Is The Simpsons' Springfield?
- CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet, location of The Simpsons being determined by elimination
- Czech Page
