What state do the Simpsons live in?

Question

Just follow the clues, they say. I have tried to figure this one out, and have come up with nothing solid. Don't just tell me where, but give me the reasons.

Answer 1

They live in Springfield, Oregon. It is Matt Groening's home state. He went to the University of Oregon which is in Eugene, OR (the city next to Springfield). The statue that sits in the center of the Simpson's Springfield is modeled after a statue on the University of Oregon campus. He chose Springfield, OR because it is known, to a certain degree, as a redneck town and is sort of a joke in Eugene. Springfield's mall was voted one of the Top 10 most ghetto malls in America on the Letterman Show.

Answer 2

Springfield returned the following (121 cities in 37 states):

Alabama Arkansas California Colorado Florida Georgia Iowa
Idaho Illinois Indiana Kansas Kentucky Louisiana
Massachusetts Maryland Maine Michigan Minnesota Missouri
Mississippi North Carolina North Dakota Nebraska
New Hampshire New Jersey New York Ohio Oregon
Pennsylvania South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas
Virginia Vermont Wisconsin West Virginia
This is the great debate about the Simpsons and is a running joke that the creators of the show came up with. They knew that there were a number of Springfield cities in the country so it would be almost impossible to identify exactly where this Springfield was.

When Apu was becoming a citizen, Homer points to the midwest on the map but Lisa says "Springfield isn't there, it is here" but her pointing is obscured by Bart's head (is that what it was?)

Also, when they filmed the super hero movie in Springfield, they said "Get us tickets to the state that Springfield is in."

Also, they used a zip code that was Michigan on a letter for Homer (and there is a Shelbyville near that area if I recall correctly).

Lots of others. Mountains with snow next to sea, etc.

They could be somewhere in the west. In the episode where Lisa is helping Homer bet on football games, they're watching a football game in the morning, and Homer asks Lisa "Who do you like in the afternoon game?" That might put them in the West.

There was one episode where Homer works as a oil driller in West Springfield where Lisa and Marge are trying to organize a search to find Homer. They show the map of the "state"; showing that "West Springfield" is 4 times the size of, and in the shape of, Texas.

While there is a Springfield in Illinois, it is definetly not there. There has been much talk of Capital City and since Springfield is the capital of Illinois, that leaves out at least one.

There was another clue that the Simpsons were in Northern Kentucky...I can't remember which episode it was, but someone said something to the effect of, "The state south of our's", and Homer says, "What, Tennessee?" Also, in the episode where the family goes to Brazil to find Lisa's pen pal, the pen pal says something about not knowing which state they lived in, and Lisa says, "It's kind of tricky, but if you listen to all the clues you can figure it out." This would seem to indicate that they've answered the question.

Also, on a personal note, I've been to northern Kentucky and I passed a road sign that read "Simpsonville". What was weird about this is that the "Simpsonville" part looked like it was a change to the sign (i.e., a change that was put on after the sign was put up), and driving down the road a little way, there was another sign for Shelbyville.

During the episode when Homer meets his long lost mother, he goes to see her grave and discovers it is Walt Whitman's. Walt Whitman is buried in Camden, New Jersey about 100 miles fron Springfield, New Jersey.

Just to add to the mess and revive an old thread, in 'Poppa's got a New Badge', when the mob's going to get Homer (and they do that hysterical Soprano's spoof through Springfield), they show them driving on I-95. Which would again enforce an East Coast location.

Springfield is supposedly located in a coastal state, because they've gone to the ocean several times and the beach has been labelled at least once as being in Springfield, such as last night's episode with Springfield's annual celebration of the returning Jellyfish.

Also, it can't be Michigan. In one episode where the family goes to Chief Wiggum for assistance, he replies "We have a saying around here... let Michigan handle it".

Considering the number of geographical references and inferences made in the show, there are too many conflicting errors to accurately place Springfield

Answer 3

My assumption would be Missouri. There was an episode way back when where the Grandfather made a comment about the number of stars on the US flag (he apparently recognizes only 49 stars). He stated that "It'll be a cold day in H*LL before I recognise Missouri." , said as if in reference to them living in Missouri. I don't remember the episode name, but it aired about 4 or 5 years ago. Good Luck on finding the answer! Cheers!

Answer 4

Springfield, Illinois. I've watched the show since I was younger and I'm pretty sure if you watch the beginning when the show first comes on and they play the theme song, it shows a picture of a water tower or something like that, that has Illinois written on it. They might have changed the opening song cartoon thingy since I've seen it awhile ago.

Answer 5

they say that to keep you questioning it...there is no answer...if they were real people, there would be merit in trying to guess...

matt groening did model springfield and the simpson family after his own experiences but the cartoon city is just like the cartoon family...based in reality but not real (i know that sounds beyond obvious)...

the writers just love to confuse the simpons fanatics that claim they KNOW where springfield is located...

the joke's on us!

Answer 6

I think they are having you on..... springfield has an ocean within miles of a desert , i really doubt that springfield is in any state, they are just having a laugh at our expense.

Answer 7

I was thinking Illinois, because there is a Shelbyville near Springfield Ill.

Answer 8

I heard a few years back that it was either North or South Dakota, but I don't really know.

Answer 9

I was under the impression that it was Springfield Illinois

Answer 10

nobody knows for sure....that is why they are having a contest to decide what springfield will host the movie premier