First seen
1949
Superboy #2.
Smallville is the small farm town where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark. It first appeared unnamed in More Fun Comics #101 (1945) and was named in Superboy #2 (1949). Early stories placed it in Maryland, on the east coast or in Iowa; John Byrne fixed it in Kansas in 1986. It isn't a real town, though real ones have borrowed the name.
In depth
The full story.
Smallville is where Clark Kent learned to be a good man before he learned to be Superman. It’s the farm, the friends and the values he carries into Metropolis.
Where is Smallville?
Smallville is a small farm town in Kansas and home to the Kent farm, where Jonathan and Martha Kent raised Clark. Action Comics #822 (2005) puts it about 55 miles from Salina.
It wasn’t always in Kansas:
| Era | Where Smallville was | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | First appears, unnamed, in More Fun Comics #101 | Likely |
| 1949 | Named in Superboy #2 | Likely |
| Before 1986 | Placed in Maryland, on the east coast, or in Iowa (on radio) | Likely |
| 1986 onwards | Kansas, fixed by John Byrne’s reboot | Likely |
Is Smallville a real place?
No, Smallville is fictional, but real places have had fun with it:
- Hutchinson, Kansas, renamed itself Smallville for a day in 2013.
- The Smallville TV series gave the town the ZIP code of Chase, Kansas.
- The Kent farm in Superman (1978) was filmed in Blackie, Alberta, in Canada.
Clark’s life in Smallville
In John Byrne’s The Man of Steel #1 (1986), Clark is a star high-school American football player in Smallville. His childhood friend and first love, Lana Lang, first appeared in Superboy #10 (1950). Meet her and his other friends on Superman’s friends and allies. The Kent family’s history is on the Superman family tree, and his love of farm life is on Superman’s personality.
Smallville on screen
Smallville has been filmed in some surprising places, including England:
| Film or show | Where Smallville was filmed | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Superman (1978) | Alberta, Canada (August 1977), with the Red Deer River valley for the earthquake scenes | Likely |
| Superman III (1983) | Calgary and High River, Alberta (late August 1982) | Likely |
| Superman IV (1987) | Hertfordshire, England, reportedly at Baldock | Likely |
For the full story of Superman’s English filming locations, see Superman filmed in Britain.
Smallville (2001–2011) told the story of the teenage Clark, with John Schneider and Annette O’Toole as the Kents, Erica Durance as Lois and Lucas Grabeel as Conner Kent (see where to watch Smallville in the UK). In Superman (2025), the Kents are alive on their farm, played by Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell, and Lois takes the injured Superman and Krypto there to recover. See our Lois Lane guide for more.
Questions
Asked and answered.
Where is Smallville?
In modern stories Smallville is a farm town in Kansas, about 55 miles from Salina according to Action Comics #822 (2005). That wasn't always so: early stories put it in Maryland, on the east coast or in Iowa, until John Byrne fixed it in Kansas in his 1986 reboot.
Is Smallville a real place?
No, Smallville is fictional. Real places have borrowed it, though: Hutchinson, Kansas, renamed itself Smallville for a day in 2013, and the Smallville TV series used the ZIP code of Chase, Kansas. The 1978 film's Kent farm was filmed in Blackie, Alberta, in Canada.
When did Smallville first appear?
Smallville first appeared, without a name, in More Fun Comics #101 (January 1945), which introduced Superboy. It was first named in Superboy #2 (1949). Clark's childhood friend Lana Lang arrived the following year in Superboy #10 (1950).
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