The Simpsons and Portland, Oregon

Signs for streets in Portland, Oregon which inspired select characters on The Simpsons

There are many connections between the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and the city of Portland, Oregon, the hometown of series creator Matt Groening.[1][2][3]

Many characters on the show have names similar to streets in Portland; Burnside, Flanders, Kearney, Lovejoy, Quimby, and Terwilliger inspired Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Kearney Zzyzwicz, Reverend Lovejoy, and Mayor Quimby, and Robert Onderdonk Terwilliger Jr. (better known as Sideshow Bob), respectively.[4][5]

The 2019 episode "Marge the Lumberjill" is set in Portland and includes street signs with the names that inspired the character names.[6]

In early 2021, Groening signed a portrait of Homer Simpson for a fundraising auction for Lincoln High School, his alma mater.[7]

Ned Flanders Crossing (2021), a footbridge spanning Interstate 405 to connect the Northwest District and Pearl District, is named after Ned Flanders.[8]

In 2021, an anonymous artist installed a "Merge Simpson" depicting Marge Simpson near an on-ramp to Interstate 405 in northwest Portland. The sign was displayed below a column of shrubbery resembling Simpson's beehive. City officials removed the sign because of driving safety concerns.[9][10]

  1. ^ Rose, Joseph (May 4, 2012). "'The Simpsons' map of Portland (What other proof do you need that they're Oregonians?)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  2. ^ De La Roca, Claudia (May 2021). "Matt Groening Reveals the Location of the Real Springfield". Smithsonian. Smithsonian Institution. ISSN 0037-7333. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Schneider, Michael (April 12, 2012). "Exclusive: Nope, Springfield is Not in Oregon, Clarifies The Simpsons' Matt Groening". TV Guide Magazine. Archived from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved 2021-11-24.
  4. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (May 27, 2017). "'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening returns to Portland to share stories about Bill O'Reilly, more". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  5. ^ Hogan, Michael (December 15, 2014). "25 things you never knew about The Simpsons". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 20, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Bereta, Jesse (11 November 2019). "Review: The Simpsons "Marge the Lumberjill"". Bubbleblabber. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  7. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (February 1, 2021). "Matt Groening creates a special Homer Simpson pandemic portrait for Lincoln High School fundraiser". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  8. ^ McCarter, Reid (September 13, 2021). "Well, hi-diddly-ho, Portland now has a bridge called "Ned Flanders Crossing"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  9. ^ "D'oh! 'Merge Simpson' street sign appears in NW Portland". KATU. October 14, 2021. Archived from the original on October 16, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Ramakrishnan, Jayati (October 14, 2021). "Portland removes 'Merge Simpson' sign from NW Portland freeway ramp". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on October 15, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2021.