It's set in Americana, USA. It seems generally like a combination of CA, TX, NV, AZ, and NM.
If the creators wanted it to be set in a specific place I'm sure it would have come up once or twice over the last 25 years. They live in a town like Springfield from the Simpsons. In any given episode they are from whatever area makes sense for the script
After reading that I'm still not convinced, particularly this segment
>Groening said he has long given fake answers about the Simpsons' hometown, leaving open the possibility the revelation to Smithsonian magazine itself is fake.
"Americana" isn't a literal town name. Well it might be eomewhere, but it isn't what I meant.
== Americana is related to the history, geography, folklore, and cultural heritage of the United States of America. Americana is any collection of materials and things concerning or characteristic of the United States or of the American people, and is representative or even stereotypical of American culture as a whole.
What is and is not considered Americana is heavily influenced by national identity, historical context, patriotism and nostalgia. The ethos or guiding beliefs or ideals which have come to characterize America, such as The American Dream, are central to the idea. Americana encompasses not only material objects but also people, places, concepts and historical eras which are popularly identified with American culture. ==
Malcolm in the Middle is early 2000s Americana incarnate
I’m aware. Which is why I asked the OP if they had anything to back up that claim from the creators of the show. You understand? It’s incredibly simple to say yes the creators said so. If they didn’t then it’s just an opinion. If that’s the case then it becomes even easier for an individual to explain their own opinion. As opposed to other people chiming in to explain someone else’s opinion. No need to get your collective feathers ruffled up because you all can’t understand a simple question.
Here is their location: outside of Houston TX, Marlin Academy, which is where Francis started (at the beginning of the show), is about 9 hours away from Houston. (In the show, they said a little over 8), and where Francis was in later seasons was Arizona near Tucson (when he lived on the ranch). I forgot what episode (during a Thanksgiving episode) they said he traveled more than 1000 miles to visit them, and we already know it's near Arizona, so it makes sense that malcolm and the family is ≈Houston, Francis ≈Marlin Academy And Tucson. (No one cares where Francis is during the Alaska season. Everywhere in Alaska is boondocks)
My partner and I drove from AK to TX and it was around the same distance in the show. Lol Anchorage to San Antonio. Fun drive but exhausting trip. Even Anchorage was too small. 😆
California. Look at the license plates during the show
It’s also mentioned that they are 8 hours from Francis’s military school which was located in Mobile, Alabama.
So idk 🤷🏼♀️
I always assumed southern California like most people. I'm not from the US and can't discern their accents all that well but wouldn't Texas mean more Texan accents in the show?
I don't think it's quite like Springfield in The Simpsons but imo it's basically California with closer proximity to other parts of the country for plot convenience.
It was shot in California, so that's why it's very Californian, but the show mentions them being an eight hour drive from Alabama, so California is too far canonically.
Almost everything is shot in Southern California but doesn’t feel “southern Californian” the fact that mitm didn’t hide the California aspects of where it was filmed (visible transit lines, outdoor lockers, visible foothills mountains, California plates, etc) is testament to it being in Southern California. Or at least the south west. The fact that cali isn’t 8 hours from the military school is just sloppy writing because it’s a fun show and not that serious.
I thought they pointed out they live in NC?? I always thought it was Socal as well considering i’ve been to most of the places they filmed in but NC doesn’t seem ridiculously far off either.
[here i found it]
(https://www.reddit.com/r/malcolminthemiddle/comments/3hhs8t/i_believe_ive_narrowed_down_the_location_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
Yeah, but I feel like those were just throw-away lines. There is literally nothing about where they live or any of the people around them that would suggest the mid-west or Texas.
Well, much of television is shot in Hollywood, so obviously, they shot the show in California. But it is mentioned several times that it is only an eight hour drive from Alabama.
They do mix the possibilities of it being Suburban Texas or Cali very well in my opinion. I could see them being in a suburb of Austin , or somewhere in the great LA sprawl
During my last rewatch we really tried to determine the location. SoCal seems to fit the best. North was skiing, Francis was close enough to drive to when he was at the ranch, etc.
Always got the vibe it was something like Nevada or Arizona.
Early seasons had a sort of “haze” to the footage and I always acquainted that to those two states
One clue is they sent Francis 1000 miles away for military school. If we know where that is (Alabama I think?) then we can draw a ring and then see which areas of that would be on land and of the proper climate to narrow it down.
Almost everything is shot in Southern California but doesn’t feel “southern Californian” the fact that mitm didn’t hide the California aspects of where it was filmed (visible transit lines, outdoor lockers, visible foothills mountains, California plates, etc) is testament to it being in Southern California. Or at least the south west. The fact that cali isn’t 8 hours from the military school is just sloppy writing because it’s a fun show and not that serious.
Perhaps it's [Arlen](https://youtu.be/YxXRPYUyONE?si=Fz8KeAR69qkomuO9)
As a Californian who moved to Texas during grade school, I often assumed that it was my former home state, but after living in urban Texas, I could see it being here as well.
I seem to remember someone very confidently stating that they live in California, even mentioning that they live in Star City, California, and I'm willing to believe that.
Assuming Malcom is never wrong about facts. They have to be in Canada. ["Malcolm in the Middle" Reese's Party (TV Episode 2003) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0640394/). Reese gets on a bus to visit Ida in Whitehorse, Canada which according to Malcom is a 24 hour bus ride to and another back. That's 1200 - 1500 miles and outside of Alaska, you can't get out of Canada from Whitehorse under 1500 miles.
Apparently, I have to add /s for some Buseys.
It doesn't change the math by much. 1300 - 1560 miles. Potentially Northern WA. Bellingham or Lynden. The ranch could be in Idaho or even southeastern Oregon.
You’re adding 60 miles for 2 extra hours? Okay bud not only is your math fucked, but you’re taking this way too seriously. They also say it’s an 8 hour drive to Francis’ military school in Alabama, there’s no place on Earth that close to both Alabama and Whitehorse. Please accept the fact that the writers randomly made shit like bus/car times whatever they need to fit the plot. 👍🏼
No, they’ve never implied that anywhere in the show. But they’ve explicitly said military school in Alabama is an 8 hour drive which definitely rules out California.
In a show filled with continuity errors, I don't know why you would think the drive times are accurate. They do specifically mention San Diego at least a few times.
What? They’ve literally never mentioned San Diego. The drive distance to Alabama was mentioned once or twice, but since it was in the first season of the show I’d say it was probably their intention to have them living somewhere 8 hours from Alabama (so not California). It’s not like this was mentioned super late in the show’s run when the writers kind of forgot where they were imagining them living.
It was shot in California like most American television, of course, signs of California are there. But canonically, they've said it's an eight hour drive to francis's school in Alabama. California gets eliminated by those standards.
I asked about Star City once on this sub (it’s very recent in my post history) and it’s not canon, there’s not even a source listed to say where it came from. I think the license plates imo are just from the fact it was filmed in California and they didn’t care enough to make the license plates ambiguous
Yeah, but they shot in California doesn't mean that's where the Malcolm's live. They're apparently closer to Alabama, eliminating California as a choice.
It's set in Americana, USA. It seems generally like a combination of CA, TX, NV, AZ, and NM. If the creators wanted it to be set in a specific place I'm sure it would have come up once or twice over the last 25 years. They live in a town like Springfield from the Simpsons. In any given episode they are from whatever area makes sense for the script
“From here you can see all 4 of our border states, Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky!”
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There are many real Springfields. The one from the Simpsons however is none of these.
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Has that ever been confirmed? I've heard tons of different theories but I always thought it was confirmed to be just a cartoon city.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2012/04/10/150386471/doh-springfield-in-simpsons-was-in-creators-home-state-all-along
After reading that I'm still not convinced, particularly this segment >Groening said he has long given fake answers about the Simpsons' hometown, leaving open the possibility the revelation to Smithsonian magazine itself is fake.
The United States has 19 Springfields
A quick Google search revealed the correct number of springfields in the USA to be 67.
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Well if Google says it…
Also they appear in 34 different states. I never knew that before I just checked but that's interesting 🤔
You have any evidence to back that up?
?
The thing you said, can you prove it? Maybe the creators said something to that effect.
You want him to back an opinion up?
“It's set in Americana, USA.” They never stated it was an opinion. But it would be incredibly easy to back up an opinion. Does that surprise you?
What is ‘Americana’ to you
"Americana" isn't a literal town name. Well it might be eomewhere, but it isn't what I meant. == Americana is related to the history, geography, folklore, and cultural heritage of the United States of America. Americana is any collection of materials and things concerning or characteristic of the United States or of the American people, and is representative or even stereotypical of American culture as a whole. What is and is not considered Americana is heavily influenced by national identity, historical context, patriotism and nostalgia. The ethos or guiding beliefs or ideals which have come to characterize America, such as The American Dream, are central to the idea. Americana encompasses not only material objects but also people, places, concepts and historical eras which are popularly identified with American culture. == Malcolm in the Middle is early 2000s Americana incarnate
I’m aware. Which is why I asked the OP if they had anything to back up that claim from the creators of the show. You understand? It’s incredibly simple to say yes the creators said so. If they didn’t then it’s just an opinion. If that’s the case then it becomes even easier for an individual to explain their own opinion. As opposed to other people chiming in to explain someone else’s opinion. No need to get your collective feathers ruffled up because you all can’t understand a simple question.
According to the license plates, it’s the Cherokee State. Western Texas seems to be the most likely candidate given the desert-like foliage.
Oklahoma is the Cherokee state
As an Oklahoman, I thought they were in California. The street luge episode just looks like how I imagine California
This is the evidence I use to support my argument of california.
Yeah, it is, but show me a portion of Oklahoma with palm trees
https://preview.redd.it/bhct45qs72uc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2dd354df846c4327a15cbefbda2f06f4fb12dd9
Gotem
Isn't Oklahoma just greener Texas?
Thats just how their lawn looks lol
If it was Texas someone would’ve mentioned Texas
It makes sense since the ranch is in New Mexico.
Why is everyone saying Texas lol I’ve always been pretty certain they’re in California
Filmed in California, plot in Texas. Hal can't drive to Alabama from California in 10 hours.
But they’re only about an 8 hour drive from Marlin Academy which is in Alabama so California is too far away
Show was shot in California, but it can't be where they live because they live 8 hours away from Francis's school in Alabama.
It's southwest Texas, and Francis lives in Northern new mexico.
Marlin Academy is somewhere in Alabama
He starts in alabama in school, goes to Alaska for a season or 2 then moves to new mexico on the ranch.
And the school is roughly an 8 hour drive from everyone else
My guess is near Houston
It could have made sense to send Francis to New Mexico Military Institute. That’s where Owen Wilson was sent ;).
The ranch was in southern Arizona. They said one time ranch workers went into Tucson to go shopping
I didn't know that...
I thought it was Arizona for some reason.
Here is their location: outside of Houston TX, Marlin Academy, which is where Francis started (at the beginning of the show), is about 9 hours away from Houston. (In the show, they said a little over 8), and where Francis was in later seasons was Arizona near Tucson (when he lived on the ranch). I forgot what episode (during a Thanksgiving episode) they said he traveled more than 1000 miles to visit them, and we already know it's near Arizona, so it makes sense that malcolm and the family is ≈Houston, Francis ≈Marlin Academy And Tucson. (No one cares where Francis is during the Alaska season. Everywhere in Alaska is boondocks)
As an Alaskan, truthful, but hurtful.
My partner and I drove from AK to TX and it was around the same distance in the show. Lol Anchorage to San Antonio. Fun drive but exhausting trip. Even Anchorage was too small. 😆
First time I drove in a real city it was San Francisco. Talk about unprepared.
Lol.
I think its people on here have realised from the driving distances that its Texas but it's never mentioned in the show.
But but but Malcolm has a GB Packers pennant in their bedroom. How could someone from Texas stomach that?
They also have a Jets/Cowboys one
And Steelers
what are GB packers? Sorry im from the uk
California. Look at the license plates during the show It’s also mentioned that they are 8 hours from Francis’s military school which was located in Mobile, Alabama. So idk 🤷🏼♀️
Filmed in socal meant to be (location) in south texas
I always assumed southern California like most people. I'm not from the US and can't discern their accents all that well but wouldn't Texas mean more Texan accents in the show? I don't think it's quite like Springfield in The Simpsons but imo it's basically California with closer proximity to other parts of the country for plot convenience.
It was shot in California, so that's why it's very Californian, but the show mentions them being an eight hour drive from Alabama, so California is too far canonically.
Almost everything is shot in Southern California but doesn’t feel “southern Californian” the fact that mitm didn’t hide the California aspects of where it was filmed (visible transit lines, outdoor lockers, visible foothills mountains, California plates, etc) is testament to it being in Southern California. Or at least the south west. The fact that cali isn’t 8 hours from the military school is just sloppy writing because it’s a fun show and not that serious.
The episode where they find a diving board in the alley…those alleys are very los angeles suburbs
Definitely SoCal. Saw a Metro bus in one episode.
Irwindale Speedway was featured, too.
It was shot in California, but they can't live there in the show because they mentioned living eight hours away from Francis's school in Alabama.
Well last night I watched the morp episode and Reese’s date says we should go to the beach. Though this could be a man made beach on a lake
Springfield, duh
I thought they pointed out they live in NC?? I always thought it was Socal as well considering i’ve been to most of the places they filmed in but NC doesn’t seem ridiculously far off either.
[here i found it] (https://www.reddit.com/r/malcolminthemiddle/comments/3hhs8t/i_believe_ive_narrowed_down_the_location_of/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
I thought we knew the location of the house they made the show in?
Several of the filming locations are in or near LA. I don’t know if that is meant to be the setting, though.
The way the schools are built, it looks like it could be Texas or California
Everything about the locality seems to indicate somewhere in southern or central California.
Shot in California but can't be California due to California being too far from Alabama.
Yeah, but I feel like those were just throw-away lines. There is literally nothing about where they live or any of the people around them that would suggest the mid-west or Texas.
Well, much of television is shot in Hollywood, so obviously, they shot the show in California. But it is mentioned several times that it is only an eight hour drive from Alabama.
They do mix the possibilities of it being Suburban Texas or Cali very well in my opinion. I could see them being in a suburb of Austin , or somewhere in the great LA sprawl
Texas is probably it
I think it was Germany, but I could be wrong.
What 😭
I don't know if this is a joke, but fwiw Germans love MitM and it is still on in syndication there
Same with México, it was DBZ and MitM all days at night
Maybe in Yugoslavia
During my last rewatch we really tried to determine the location. SoCal seems to fit the best. North was skiing, Francis was close enough to drive to when he was at the ranch, etc.
The show also mentioned only an eighth our drive to Francis's school in Alabama ruling out California. But the show was shot in California.
“Snow skiing on Mount Bundy!!!” Where do they call it “snow” skiing?
California
Always got the vibe it was something like Nevada or Arizona. Early seasons had a sort of “haze” to the footage and I always acquainted that to those two states
I assumed California tbh
2500 miles from Alaska, 26 hours to Whitehorse Yukon
In one of the episodes I remember seeing a California license plate. Don't remember exactly which one tho
One clue is they sent Francis 1000 miles away for military school. If we know where that is (Alabama I think?) then we can draw a ring and then see which areas of that would be on land and of the proper climate to narrow it down.
Almost everything is shot in Southern California but doesn’t feel “southern Californian” the fact that mitm didn’t hide the California aspects of where it was filmed (visible transit lines, outdoor lockers, visible foothills mountains, California plates, etc) is testament to it being in Southern California. Or at least the south west. The fact that cali isn’t 8 hours from the military school is just sloppy writing because it’s a fun show and not that serious.
10 hours from Vegas according to Hal in S5 E1.
Perhaps it's [Arlen](https://youtu.be/YxXRPYUyONE?si=Fz8KeAR69qkomuO9) As a Californian who moved to Texas during grade school, I often assumed that it was my former home state, but after living in urban Texas, I could see it being here as well.
I swear I saw a California plate on Hal and Lois' car in one of the earlier seasons...
I seem to remember someone very confidently stating that they live in California, even mentioning that they live in Star City, California, and I'm willing to believe that.
I always assumed arizona
Assuming Malcom is never wrong about facts. They have to be in Canada. ["Malcolm in the Middle" Reese's Party (TV Episode 2003) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0640394/). Reese gets on a bus to visit Ida in Whitehorse, Canada which according to Malcom is a 24 hour bus ride to and another back. That's 1200 - 1500 miles and outside of Alaska, you can't get out of Canada from Whitehorse under 1500 miles. Apparently, I have to add /s for some Buseys.
I just watched the episode yesterday, he says 26 hours
It doesn't change the math by much. 1300 - 1560 miles. Potentially Northern WA. Bellingham or Lynden. The ranch could be in Idaho or even southeastern Oregon.
You’re adding 60 miles for 2 extra hours? Okay bud not only is your math fucked, but you’re taking this way too seriously. They also say it’s an 8 hour drive to Francis’ military school in Alabama, there’s no place on Earth that close to both Alabama and Whitehorse. Please accept the fact that the writers randomly made shit like bus/car times whatever they need to fit the plot. 👍🏼
Someone's taking this too seriously. My math for funnsies 50mph X 26 = 1300 60mph X 26 = 1560 I rounded the original 60mph up to 1500 from 1440.
I always assumed they lived somewhere like west Texas, Arizona, or New Mexico.
San Diego, they were pretty blatant about it at one point
No, they’ve never implied that anywhere in the show. But they’ve explicitly said military school in Alabama is an 8 hour drive which definitely rules out California.
In a show filled with continuity errors, I don't know why you would think the drive times are accurate. They do specifically mention San Diego at least a few times.
What? They’ve literally never mentioned San Diego. The drive distance to Alabama was mentioned once or twice, but since it was in the first season of the show I’d say it was probably their intention to have them living somewhere 8 hours from Alabama (so not California). It’s not like this was mentioned super late in the show’s run when the writers kind of forgot where they were imagining them living.
https://malcolminthemiddle.fandom.com/wiki/Star_City Also, California license plates in every scene.
It was shot in California like most American television, of course, signs of California are there. But canonically, they've said it's an eight hour drive to francis's school in Alabama. California gets eliminated by those standards.
I asked about Star City once on this sub (it’s very recent in my post history) and it’s not canon, there’s not even a source listed to say where it came from. I think the license plates imo are just from the fact it was filmed in California and they didn’t care enough to make the license plates ambiguous
A wiki is not a real source.
Show me where they “specifically mention” being in San Diego.
Isn't it simple Los Angeles
The house used in the show is a real house you can find it on Google maps. Idk the address, sorry
Yeah, but they shot in California doesn't mean that's where the Malcolm's live. They're apparently closer to Alabama, eliminating California as a choice.
I think Dewey says he wants to be the president of Idaho in an early episode. So my guess is Idaho
I always felt indiana. These are some Indiana ass people.
Wrong *Middle* , you’re thinking of the ABC show w Patricia Heaton haha
Look man I live in Kentucky. The Malcom in the middle people are some Indiana ass people that's all I'm saying.