If you’re a fan of the television cartoon the Simpsons, you’ll know that one of the most coveted secrets in the entertainment industry is the actual US state that is home to the legendary mythical town of Springfield. During the entire 23 years the show’s been on the air, the creators have made it one of the most successfully guarded secrets on TV. Now, creator Matt Goening reveals for the first time ever, what state the Simpson’s live in.
Creating an entire news article to deliver a one-word answer isn’t easy. So bare with us as we throw a couple fun facts at readers to set the stage.
In all of their 500 episodes, the Simpsons hometown of Springfield is promoted and teased numerous times per episode. But never once is the state mentioned. Often, the writers tease us by having one of the characters explain that ‘Springfield is located where 4 states touch – Vermont, Kentucky, Arizona and Montana. Of course, those states are nowhere near each other. Other times, the writers simply say Springfield is located in ‘West Dakota’ or ‘South Virginia’.
Many Simpsons fans have opened a map of their own state, cheerfully finding their own Springfield, such as Illinois, Missouri or dozens of others. Some states like Tennessee even find Springfield’s next door neighbor ‘Shelbyville’. But alas, no ‘Capital City’ or ‘Ogdenville’.
In an interview in the May issue of Smithsonian Magazine, Matt Groening admits the obvious when he says he thought using a common name for the Simpsons hometown would make a large section of viewers believe the Simpsons is based on a town in their own state. He was right. As quoted by Reuters, the Simpsons creator says, “I also figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the US. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, ‘This will be cool; everyone will think it’s their Springfield.’ And they do.”
How many Springfields are there in the United States?
That question seems to be as difficult to answer as what state do the Simpsons live in. Mapquest says there are 52 Springfields in America. Wiki Answers says there are 34. And Yahoo Answers gives the most detailed response of all saying, ‘Officially, there are 13 cities, 11 towns, and 14 townships, for a total of 38. Of these, only 16 are incorporated cities or towns. Of the 11 towns, 4 are in Wisconsin. Of the 14 townships, 9 are in Pennsylvania, 2 are in Michigan, 2 are in New Jersey, and 1 is in Minnesota’.
Complete list
Springfield city, Florida
Springfield city, Georgia
Springfield city, Illinois
Springfield city, Kentucky
Springfield city, Massachusetts
Springfield city, Michigan
Springfield city, Minnesota
Springfield city, Missouri
Springfield city, Nebraska
Springfield city, Ohio
Springfield city, Oregon
Springfield city, South Dakota
Springfield city, Tennesse
Springfield town, Colorado
Springfield town, Dane County, Wisconsin
Springfield town, Jackson County, Wisconsin
Springfield town, Louisiana
Springfield town, Marquette County, Wisconsin
Springfield town, Otsego County, New York
Springfield town, Penobscot County, Maine
Springfield town, South Carolina
Springfield town, St. Croix County, Wisconsin
Springfield town, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Springfield town, Windsor County, Vermont
Springfield township, Bradford County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Burlington County, New Jersey
Springfield township, Cottonwood County, Minnesota
Springfield township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Kalkaska County, Michigan
Springfield township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Springfield township, Oakland County, Michigan
Springfield township, Union County, New Jersey
Springfield township, York County, Pennsylvania
Surprise, surprise, the Simpsons live in Springfield, Oregon. For die-hard Simpsons fans, that was their hunch. The show’s creator, Matt Groening, was raised in Oregon. He now freely admits that the show’s towns were based on the towns where he grew up, including Springfield. He also made the wise decision to keep it a secret, knowing full well that fans would think it was the same Springfield located in their own state, thus giving them a special connection to the show.
What’s your favorite Simpson’s episode?
That was the question posed across the globe in England by The Guardian. For this author, it’s the episode where Bart sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a ‘fudgicle’. Readers of the Guardian voted the below episodes their favorite ten. See if you agree and let us know your favorite episode in the Comments section below.
Ten most favorite episodes, as ranked by readers of The Guardian:
10 – A Streetcar Named Marge
9 – Homer Badman
8 – Homer the Heretic
7 – Lisa’s Substitute
6 – Deep Space Homer
5 – El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer
4 – Marge vs. the Monorail
3 – Last Exit to Springfield
2 – Cape Feare
1 – You Only Move Twice
