Hawkins is a fictional small town in the U.S. state of Indiana from the series Stranger Things , described in-universe as being in Roane County, about 80 miles outside Indianapolis. In real life, most “Hawkins, Indiana” scenes are filmed in and around the town of Jackson, Georgia, which doubles for the show’s streets, square, and key buildings.

Quick Scoop: Where Hawkins Takes Place

Hawkins itself does not exist on a real map; the Duffer Brothers created it as a made‑up Midwestern town so they could mix different small‑town vibes and supernatural events without being tied to real‑world geography. Within the story, though, characters repeatedly refer to Hawkins as an Indiana town roughly an hour and a half from Indianapolis, firmly placing it in that fictional Midwestern setting.

In‑Universe Location

  • Hawkins is presented as a small Midwestern community in Roane County, Indiana, a county that also does not exist in real life.
  • Dialogue and ancillary materials put it “about 80 miles outside of Indianapolis,” giving fans a rough sense of where it would sit on an Indiana map.

Real‑World Filming Spots

  • The downtown streets, library exterior, and general town square of “Hawkins” are mainly shot in Jackson, Georgia, which stands in for the Indiana town on screen.
  • Other Hawkins‑area spots (schools, neighborhoods, woods) are filmed at various locations around the Atlanta, Georgia region, chosen for tax incentives and flexible shooting conditions.

Fan Theories About the “Real” Hawkins

  • Fans often analyze driving times, weather, and references to cities like Indianapolis and Chicago to guess a “real” analog, with popular theories placing a Hawkins‑like town somewhere in southern or western Indiana.
  • None of these theories are canon; interviews and coverage make it clear the town is an intentional composite rather than a stand‑in for one specific Indiana community.

Meta Note & SEO Bits

  • Focus idea: where does hawkins take place – it is a fictional Indiana town, filmed mainly in Jackson, Georgia, and located in‑universe about 80 miles from Indianapolis.
  • This question stays popular whenever new Stranger Things news or season updates surface, since fans revisit the lore and filming locations around Hawkins.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.