Finding a Cooling Center

What is a cooling center?

A cooling center is a public building opened with air conditioning so people can escape the heat, usually at no cost. Maricopa County's network describes three kinds of site: indoor cooling centers, respite sites where people can rest for extended periods, and hydration stations. In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the county's cooling relief page says every site has air conditioning, water and restrooms.

Hours vary widely from one site to the next. In that same Maryland county, police district lobbies stay open around the clock while senior activity centers keep weekday business hours. A cooling center is not a clinic, so anyone showing heat stroke signs such as confusion or fainting needs 911, not a ride to the library; the illness signs page lists them.

How do you find a cooling center near you?

Dial 2-1-1 or contact your local health department; the CDC names both, along with your local emergency management agency. 211 is a network of local help lines across the country, and its calls are confidential. When the National Weather Service issues an Extreme Heat Watch, its advice for homes without air conditioning is to locate the nearest cooling shelter or arrange to stay with nearby family or friends who have it.

Several Sun Belt states run their own maps. Arizona's statewide ADHS heat safety page links cooling centers and hydration stations, and the Phoenix-area map at hrn.azmag.gov lets you filter sites. Texas keeps a map of local relief centers at tdem.texas.gov/cool. Clark County, Nevada, posts each round of cooling station openings with dates.

Seasons end. Maricopa County's extreme heat page said many heat relief sites closed on September 30, 2026, while some stayed open through October. Outside the main season, call before you go.

What should you bring?

Bring a full water bottle, the medicines you will need for the day, and anything that makes a long wait bearable. The CDC tells older adults to drink more water than usual and not wait for thirst, and a refillable bottle makes that easy even where water is provided. Carry medicines in a bag that stays with you rather than in the car: CDC guidance for clinicians warns that insulin can weaken in heat and inhalers can burst in a hot car trunk.

Ask about pets before you leave. Clark County says some of its stations are pet-friendly and accept animals in carriers or on leashes; Anne Arundel County allows no pets at its sites but makes accommodations for service animals. A phone, a charger, and a list of your medicines and doctors are sensible extras if you may be there for hours.

Cooling help by the numbers

• 200+Heat relief sites on Maricopa County's 2026 mapMaricopa County
• 9 a.m.–7 p.m.211 Arizona live operator hours, daily in seasonMaricopa County
• Sept. 30Date many Maricopa sites closed in 2026Maricopa County
• 90°FIndoor temperature above which a fan can raise body heatCDC

What if you can't get to a cooling center?

Ask for a ride, move in with someone who has air conditioning, or cool the home as best you can while you arrange either one. Maricopa County's 2026 network offered transportation to and from heat relief sites for eligible people, and 2-1-1 operators can tell you whether something similar runs near you. NWS advice to stay with family or friends who have A/C is often the fastest fix.

If you must stay put, pick the coolest room, take cool showers or baths, skip using the stove or oven, and wear loose, light clothing; all four come from CDC advice for older adults. Keep a fan in use only while the room stays under 90°F. Have someone check on you at least twice a day, and see the older adults page for the full check-in list. If a room air conditioner is an option, sizing a room unit shows what capacity a bedroom needs.

When the problem is a power outage, Ready.gov says to go to a community location with power if heat is extreme. Anyone running a portable generator must keep it outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, and never in a garage, basement or shed even with doors open (CPSC). The A/C breakdown plan covers outages and failed systems in more detail.

Which other places count as cool spaces?

Libraries and shopping malls are the everyday cool spaces that Ready.gov and the NWS both name. Recreation centers and community centers fill the same role in many counties, and Clark County uses all three for its cooling stations. Ready.gov also suggests asking your local health department which places nearby are set up to help.

A few cautions apply. A parked car is never a cool space: Ready.gov says never to leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm day. Shade outdoors helps, but the NWS heat index already assumes shade, so a shady bench at a 105°F heat index is still in the Danger band. For the reasons heat hits some homes harder, see cooling in humid heat and the heat safety hub.

More questions