Dopamine (DA) release in the striatum regulates reward, motivation, and locomotion. The release is considered to have a short-lived phasic and continuous tonic component. Recent studies, however, have challenged the existence of tonic DA and revealed major regional diversity in extracellular DA dynamics. Here we build a large-scale three-dimensional model of extracellular DA dynamics in the dorsal (DS) and ventral striatum (VS) based on experimentally determined biological parameters. The model predicts rapid dynamics in DS with little-to-no basal DA, whereas the lower uptake capacity in VS slows signalling and allows for a build-up of a tonic extracellular concentration. By simulating receptor binding, we find that the DA D1 receptor occupancy tightly follows the extracellular concentration, whereas DA D2 receptors integrate the DA signal over seconds-long periods with inability to pick-up short firing pauses. Our modelling further predicts that the extracellular levels in VS are highly sensitive to DA transporter (DAT) uptake capacity, and that nanoclustering of DAT in VS might be an efficient mechanisms to dynamically regulate uptake activity and dopaminergic signalling. Summarized, our model conceptualizes recent experimental observations on striatal DA signalling and provide a new framework for improved understanding of the complex physiological and pathophysiological functions of DA.