Shelbyville

Location from The Simpsons by Matt Groening / Fox

Springfield's neighboring rival town — nearly identical in every respect, bitterly opposed in all of them, and the source of constant low-level hostility.

Shelbyville and Springfield were founded by the same two men — Jebediah Springfield and Shelbyville Manhattan — who split over a disagreement about cousin marriage. This is the official history. It explains both everything and nothing about why the rivalry persists. Springfield kids go to Shelbyville for the escalator to nowhere. Shelbyville kids come to Springfield to steal trees. The towns are twins who are not speaking, which means they are aware of each other constantly. There is a Joe's Tavern in Shelbyville. No Springfield resident has ever gone there willingly.

Appearance

Looks exactly like Springfield. This is the joke. The same storefronts, the same architecture, the same basic town layout — just on the other side of an indeterminate line with an enormous amount of cultural significance.

Also known as: Shelbyville, USA

What They Know

• Was founded at the same time as Springfield by Shelbyville Manhattan, who disagreed with Jebediah Springfield about cousin marriage — the rift has persisted for generations
• Has a Joe's Tavern, which Springfield residents refuse to patronize on principle
• Is to the west of Springfield, per the Simpsons Movie's geography, which is otherwise inconsistent
• The Shelbyville-Springfield rivalry is taken seriously by children in both towns and treated with more nuance by adults, who have also never resolved it

Connections

• rivals — springfield

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