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Major city · United States

CentraliaCentralia, Pennsylvania

Go as a 1–2 hour roadside stop on PA-61, not a base: no beds, food, fuel or shops in the borough, and the ground is unsafe.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Mar (ice, snow, unplowed streets)
Airports
AVP · MDT · PHL
Nights
0
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Centralia is a near-empty borough on a ridge in the Alleghenies and Susquehanna Valley where an underground anthracite fire has burned since 1962. Almost every building is gone, the old highway surface was torn up in 2020, and state and local officials discourage visiting. Treat it as a short, careful look from the road, then sleep and eat in Ashland, Mount Carmel or Shamokin, 10–25 minutes away.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Centralia, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and a snack in Ashland$4–8
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25
  • Budget bedCampground pitch, state park nearby, a night, per roomUS$25
  • Mid-range bedMotel double room nearby (Ashland, Mount Carmel, Shamokin), a night, per roomUS$110
  • High-end bedMotel double room nearby (Ashland, Mount Carmel, Shamokin), a night, per roomUS$180

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$60 · Mid US$120 · High US$220

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Underground coal fire burning since 1962Abandoned borough with fewer than five residentsOld PA-61 route through the former townAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church
Airports
AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International (About 1 h 15 min by car via I-81 and PA-61) · MDT Harrisburg International (About 1 h 45 min by car) · PHL Philadelphia International (About 2 h 30 min by car)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Centralia: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

1°C

−8°C

11 rd

Feb

3°C

−7°C

10 rd

Mar

8°C

−3°C

11 rd

Apr

15°C

3°C

12 rd

May

21°C

8°C

12 rd

Jun

25°C

13°C

11 rd

Jul

28°C

16°C

11 rd

Aug

27°C

15°C

10 rd

Sep

23°C

11°C

9 rd

Oct

16°C

5°C

9 rd

Nov

9°C

0°C

10 rd

Dec

3°C

−5°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

You need a car. Centralia sits on PA-61 about 3 km north of Ashland, and part of the old highway was rerouted around the fire zone. Surface streets in the borough are broken and partly closed; drive the open roads, park only where it is legal and clear, and do not walk onto cracked or smoking ground.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Ashland and Pioneer Tunnel

go

Door to door: About 15 min

PA-61 south, about 5 min by car

Food, fuel and lodging; the mine tour shows the same anthracite seam that burns under Centralia.

Mount Carmel

go

Door to door: About 15 min

PA-61 west, about 10 min by car

Larger than Ashland; use it for meals and a base.

Shamokin Dam

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

PA-61 west then US-11/15 south

River-town stop on the Susquehanna; combine with a wider drive.

Selinsgrovecaution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

PA-61 west to US-11/15 south

Best as an overnight base for the region, not a quick return.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Ashland

Closest beds, food and fuel, about 3 km south; Pioneer Tunnel coal mine tour is here.

Mount Carmel

About 8 km west on PA-61; more food options than Ashland.

Shamokin

About 15 km southwest; the largest nearby town with chain motels.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Stop cost (fuel, coffee, snack in Ashland)
$10–20
Day out from a nearby base (fuel, lunch, mine tour)
$40–70
Overnight nearby, mid motel, per person
$60–110

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel double room nearby (Ashland, Mount Carmel, Shamokin)1 × 1 night × US$110US$110
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$120US$240
Fuel, 100 km round trip1 × US$12US$12
Pioneer Tunnel mine tour, per person2 × US$12US$24
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$42
Trip total≈ US$229 per person per day, bed includedUS$458

2026 estimate in US dollars; Centralia has no beds, so lodging is priced in nearby towns. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and a snack in Ashland$4–8
Diner lunch nearby$12–20
Gallon of petrol$3.30–3.80
Motel double room, nearby town$70–180
Pioneer Tunnel mine tour ticket$10–15
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–25

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

The borough is condemned ground: toxic fumes and heat rise from cracks, and old mine workings can collapse. Stay on open paved roads, stay upwind of smoke, keep out of fenced or cracked areas, and call 911 for any breathing trouble.
  • Toxic gas and heat rise from cracks in the ground; stay upwind of any smoke or steam.
  • Ground over the old mine workings can collapse; keep to paved, open roads.
  • Most buildings are demolished and there are no shops, restaurants, bars or hotels in the borough.
  • A few residents remain; stay off private property and do not photograph homes.
  • The old PA-61 surface was torn up in 2020, so the former roadside walk no longer exists.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the ridge; download offline maps before you leave Ashland.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Pennsylvania State Police (non-emergency)
717-783-1000
Poison control (24 h)
1-800-222-1222

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

CentraliaCentralia, Pennsylvania

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Poison control1-800-222-1222

Embassy

No consulates in the borough; nearest major consulates are in Philadelphia and New York. US visitors: your own embassy is in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Fuel, Ashland → Centralia and back: about $3–5
  • Motel double, Ashland or Mount Carmel: $70–180 a night
  • Pioneer Tunnel mine tour: about $10–15 per person

Say or show

  • Is it safe to walk here? — Is it safe to walk here?
  • Where is the nearest gas station? — Where is the nearest petrol station?
  • Where is the nearest motel? — Where is the nearest motel?
  • I need help. — I need help.

Tipping: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis. Prices are shown before sales tax.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Centralia. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Dec–Mar (ice, snow, unplowed streets) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Field-check the open PA-61 alignment and which borough streets are legally drivable.
  2. Confirm current state and local guidance on visiting before publishing a walking route.
  3. Add verified cutoffs for the Ashland Pioneer Tunnel mine tour and nearby food stops.
  4. Add a hostile-weather fixture for winter ice on the ridge.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources