Editing Springfield (The Simpsons) (section)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Springfield's environment is shown as unusually polluted. Overflowing garbage forces the whole town – population and structures — to move {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} away from the massive dump that the old town of Springfield had become.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Trash of the Titans |episode-link=Trash of the Titans |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Maxtone-Graham, Ian; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=May 26, 1998 |season=9 |number=22}}</ref> Springfield is also home to the state's largest self-sustaining [[tire fire]], which has been burning continuously for many decades.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer's Paternity Coot |episode-link=Homer's Paternity Coot |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Anderson, Mike. B; Cohen, Joel H. |network=Fox Broadcasting Company |airdate=January 8, 2006 |season=17 |number=10}}</ref> Lake Springfield's [[pollution]] almost leads to the town's destruction by an [[United States Environmental Protection Agency|Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)]] bomb in ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'',<ref name=":2">''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''</ref> and pollution from the [[#Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant]] has mutated the fish in the river, causing some to grow an extra eye.<ref name="blinky">"[[Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish]]"</ref> Its atmosphere is so polluted that, in one 1995 episode, it reduces a [[comet]] to a rock the size of a [[Chihuahua (dog breed)|chihuahua]]'s head.<ref>''[[Bart's Comet]]''</ref>

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

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

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

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

=== Religion ===
{{Main|Religion in The Simpsons}}

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