Mama and the family are always referring to Raytown as being in "The Tri-State Area". Missouri boarders on 2 other states in 5 different places. I believe they lived in Missouri, bordering Arkansas and Tennessee.

It probably IS in Missouri but I like to pretend it's "Every Small Town, U.S.A.". It's a safe (for the most part) place that I someday would love to live in.

I felt hints of Oklahoma whenever I watched. Yes, I do believe it's most likely Raytown, Missouri the Bigger Jigger had a OK flavor to it. My Tri-States are Missouri, Oklahoma and Kansas.

I believe it is Raytown, Missouri (it actually exists)...Vicki is from Missouri isn't she?

I believe it is Raytown, Missouri (it actually exists)...Vicki is from Missouri isn't she?

California.

I like the concept of "Everytown U.S.A." and believe the producers did that on purpose. I'd have to check for certain but I am almost 100% sure they never ever stated which state Raytown was in.

Welcome to Raytown, MO (http://www.raytown.mo.us/)

I like the concept of "Everytown U.S.A." and believe the producers did that on purpose. I'd have to check for certain but I am almost 100% sure they never ever stated which state Raytown was in.

I believe they did as well. And no, the state Mama and her family live in is NEVER stated in any of 130 episodes. But the origin for the writers was Raytown, MO.

Like "Leave It to Beaver", I think they were deliberately vague about WHICH state Raytown was in so the home viewers could identify with/against the locale.

However; IMO, I always thought it most likely that since this was definitely a Southern family , there were never episodes dealing with snow or cold weather [and Thelma +Bubba both saw through and considered Eunice's excuse of not being able to drive back from Tallahassee, Florida for their dual graduation due to poor brakes and 'too many hills' lame], I tend to believe that this took place in the Georgia, Alabama, Florida triangle. If for no reason than there are few if any hills of note between Tallahassee and that locale.

However; IMO, I always thought it most likely that since this was definitely a Southern family , there were never episodes dealing with snow or cold weather, I tend to believe that this took place in the Georgia, Alabama, Florida triangle.

Raytown has some cold winters. There's the Leland the goose episode where Iola makes him a scarf because he could catch a cold outside "on these chilly December nights", and there's also the episode where they're wearing coats inside and freezing because the furnace is broken and Vint tries to fix it (that's where Mama falls on the roll of pennies in the bank). And they also wear coats in general in some episodes during winter (Christmas shopping etc.). I think of it is maybe the MO/KS/AR area.

The Complete Directory to Peinetime TV shows refers to Raytown as a "Midwestern blue-collar suburb" or it could be a fictional State. With towns like Hinckley, Bundy, and Bump.

On the of the interviews, Beverly Archer mentions that when she auditioned for the role of Iola, she didn't know what kind of accent to use since she was told the setting was Missouri, which is sort of both midwest and southern, so she just copied the accent Vicki used for Mama.

Well Naomi's Ex-husband Leonard Oates flew from Tallahassee to Raytown.