Springfield (toponym)

The name "Springfield" is common in Britain and Ireland: two examples being on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, and one located within the borough of Wigan, close to the town center.

During the 19th century, Springfield became one of the world's leading centers of the Industrial Revolution, pioneering advances in interchangeable parts.

In the United States, there are four Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Areas in Illinois, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio.

The television show The Simpsons is set in a town generically named "Springfield", without indicating a state.

Creator Matt Groening has suggested in interviews that he chose the name because of its ubiquity; the show's intentionally contradictory information about the location of the town prevents matching the fictional Springfield to a real one.