Many places in the world are referred to by the inhabitants or outsiders as "The Center of the Universe". Usually this is meant tongue-in-cheek but may also refer to some particular attribute of the place.

On Earth

• Epping, New Hampshire, so-called by locals as the confluence of major roads
• Ashland, Virginia, local saying
• Barrett, Minnesota, an inside joke by the locals
• Castle Hill, New Zealand, called the "Spiritual Center of the Universe" by the Dalai Lama
• Fremont, Seattle, Washington, according to welcome signs leading to the neighborhood
• La Center, Kentucky, proclaimed so in 1908 by a local land developer
• Mount Pinos, a mountain in California revered by Chumash Indians
• Philo, Illinois, according to the town water tower
• Rabbit Hash, Kentucky, by the documentary Rabbit Hash, Center of the Universe
• San Dimas, California, according to Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
• Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, according to a billboard placed at the city entrance, which says "Welcome to Stara Zagora - Center of the Universe."
• Toronto, Ontario, used by non-Torontonian Canadians
• Tulsa, Oklahoma, refers to a marked circle on the Boston Avenue pedestrian overpass. Persons standing in the circle experience an unusual audio phenomenon when they speak.
• Wallace, Idaho, On September 25, 2004, Mayor Ron Garitone proclaimed Wallace to be the center of the Universe. Specifically, a sewer access cover was declared to be the precise location of the center of the Universe. A specially made manhole cover was made to mark the spot. It bears the words "Center of the Universe. Wallace, Idaho."
• High Falls, New York, local nickname
• Vidette Lake, British Columbia, recognized as such by Tibetan Buddhist sect

In Science

• The place where the Big Bang occurred, and from which all galaxies are moving away from, is considered the center of the physical universe.

In Fiction

Several places are referred as the "center of the universe" in various fictional stories:

• The planet Oa, home of the Guardians of the Universe in the DC Comics Universe.
• The swamp where the Man-Thing lives contains the "Nexus of All Realities" in the Marvel Comics Universe.
• The planet Eternia, home of the Masters of the Universe, is considered to be in the center of the universe and to still contain a spark from the Big Bang in its center.
• Azathoth, a mindless living planet, is located in the center of the Universe of the Cthulhu Mythos.
• In Futurama, the planet that Nibbler, Leela's pet, and the rest of the nibblonion species comes from is the centre of the universe.