What year is Stranger Things set in?

If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, the time period is probably not much of a mystery. From the outfits, the catch phrases, and all that time spent hanging at the oh-so-happening Star Court Mall, we’re clearly somewhere in the 1980s.

But we do know a few other key specifics to clue us in on when exactly things start getting strange in the cozy and quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana.

When does Stranger Things take place?

The very start of Stranger Things begins on November 6, 1983. On this fateful day, Eleven accidentally opens the gate, letting the Demogorgon into Hawkins. Girls just want to have fun, am I right? Unfortunately and as we all know, fun does not immediately follow.

It’s also the day that Will Byers goes missing and his loyal friends begin their quest to find him, hopefully alive.

From there in the series, the first three seasons occur in a time frame of about two years, spanning from 1983 to 1985.

Some fans believe that the super popular, award-winning show would’ve been just as successful in any other time period. However, many have argued that the supernatural series couldn’t have been set in any other time period and become the cultural phenomenon that it is today.

In other words, the science fiction thriller had to be set in the 1980s. Luckily, the Duffer Brothers were keenly aware of that from the start.

As Young Hollywood writes, the ’80s setting is “not merely an artistic throwback” but instead, it’s “strategically critical to the storyline and the success of the show.” And if you’ve already binged (or even just started) this streamable modern classic, you probably agree for more reason than one. I know I do.

The question is, will season 4 slide straight into 1986? Or, will we jump forward (or maybe even backward) in time? With Stranger Things, you never know where and when we might travel to.

Hopefully, we’ll be finding out sooner rather than later. Stay tuned.