Background While the central location is a known adverse prognostic factor in lung cancer, a precise definition of central lung cancer has not yet emerged. Purpose To determine the prognostic significance of central lung cancer (defined by location index) in resected T1-sized early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Material and Methods Patients with resected T1-sized early-stage NSCLC between 2010 and 2015 at a single tertiary cancer center were retrospectively reviewed. Central lung cancer was defined by a location index of the second tertile or less. Kaplan–Meier analysis with log-rank test and multivariable Cox regression analysis were performed to analyze the relationship between central lung cancer and the prognosis of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Inter-observer agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa value and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results Overall, 289 patients (169 men; median age 65 years; interquartile range 58–70 years) were evaluated. Central lung cancer (defined by location index) was adversely associated with RFS ( P = 0.005) and OS ( P = 0.01). Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that central lung cancer was independently associated with poor RFS (adjusted hazard ratio 1.91; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12–3.24; P = 0.017) and OS (adjusted hazard ratio 1.69; 95% CI 1.04–2.74; P = 0.033). Location index demonstrated excellent inter-observer agreement (Cohen's kappa value 0.88; 95% CI 0.82–0.93) with a high ICC (0.98; 95% CI 0.97–0.98). Conclusion Central lung cancer defined by a location index of the second tertile or lower is an independent adverse prognostic factor in resected T1-sized early-stage NSCLC.