 The primary setting of Family Guy is Quahog ( / ˈkoʊhɒɡ / [ pron. ko @-@ hog or kwo @-@ hog ] ) , a fictional district of Providence , Rhode Island that was founded by Peter 's ancestor Griffin Peterson . MacFarlane resided in Providence during his time as a student at Rhode Island School of Design , and the show contains distinct Rhode Island landmarks similar to real @-@ world locations . MacFarlane often borrows the names of Rhode Island locations and icons such as Pawtucket and Buddy Cianci for use in the show . MacFarlane , in an interview with a news program on WNAC @-@ TV , Channel 64 in Providence , stated that the town is modeled after Cranston , Rhode Island . 
