Though the location is based on suburbs of the DFW Metroplex, the physical location of Arlen is never specified in the series, other than that it is in Texas. Similar to the location of Springfield on "The Simpsons", the location of Arlen within Texas is arbitrary based on the needs of a particular episode's plot, and multiple episodes give conflicting information as to Arlen's geographic location within the state. For example, one episode indicates that it is just north of the Brazos River in central Texas. Other episodes place it near Houston or Dallas, while others feature trips to Mexico and back taking place within a matter of hours. In "Harlottown", the location is revealed to be somewhere on the Chisholm Trail.