Petroșani, city, Hunedoara județ (county), west-central Romania, situated on a tributary of the Jiu River. Founded in the 17th century, it is the principal city and cultural centre for the upper Jiu Valley coalfield. It has a theatre and a museum of mining. The city is the headquarters for a group of nearby mining centres, including Lupeni, Petrila, Vulcan, and the new town of Uricani at the foot of Mount Retezat. Output from the area averages several million tons of low-grade bituminous coal annually. Petroșani manufactures coal by-products and is the site of a state mining institute. Jules Verne, the fiction writer, wrote about Petroșani and its environs in his book Le Château des Carpates, after his visit to Romania in 1892. Highways and a railway connection extend through Petroșani. Pop. (2007 est.) 43,948.