Springfield, Oregon is 100 miles south of Groening’s hometown of Portland, where he grew up in Evergreen Terrace – the same name as The Simpsons’ family home.

“Springfield was named after Springfield, Oregon. The only reason is that when I was a kid, the TV show “Father Knows Best” took place in the town of Springfield, and I was thrilled because I imagined that it was the town next to Portland, my hometown,” he told Smithsonian magazine.

“When I grew up, I realised it was just a fictitious name. 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.”. . .