Which Netflix show features the town of Hawkins?
Quick answer
The fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, is the setting of Netflix’s Stranger Things, created by the Duffer Brothers. Set in the 1980s, the series follows a group of kids, a girl with psychic powers called Eleven, and their battle against monsters from a dark parallel world known as the Upside Down.
Key facts
- Show
- Stranger Things
- Created by
- Matt and Ross Duffer (the Duffer Brothers)
- First season
- July 2016
- Final season
- Season 5, released in 2025
Hawkins looks like a sleepy Midwestern town, with a high school, a mall and quiet neighborhoods. But beneath it lies the secret Hawkins National Laboratory, where government experiments open a doorway to the Upside Down.
Main characters
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Eleven | Millie Bobby Brown |
| Mike Wheeler | Finn Wolfhard |
| Dustin Henderson | Gaten Matarazzo |
| Lucas Sinclair | Caleb McLaughlin |
| Will Byers | Noah Schnapp |
| Joyce Byers | Winona Ryder |
| Jim Hopper | David Harbour |
| Steve Harrington | Joe Keery |
Is Hawkins real?
No. Hawkins is fictional. Most of the series was filmed in and around Atlanta, Georgia, especially the small town of Jackson. Fans visit filming spots such as the Gwinnett Place Mall-inspired Starcourt sets and downtown streets.
Why the show became a hit
- A love letter to 1980s pop culture: Steven Spielberg films, Stephen King novels, Dungeons & Dragons and synth music
- Kids on bikes facing real danger, with friendship at the center
- Its music revived old songs; Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” (1985) returned to the charts in 2022, reaching No. 1 in the UK
The Upside Down
The Upside Down is a dark, decaying mirror of Hawkins, home to creatures named after Dungeons & Dragons monsters, such as the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer.
For another fantasy world on TV, see Westeros in Game of Thrones. Stephen King’s influence is clear too; read what hotel is in The Shining.
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