Since the mining cities in central Liaoning region are important energy production and heavy industry base in China, the research on their air quality trends and driving factors will improve the status of air quality deterioration and prompt the balanced development between economy and ecosystem. Based on the data of air quality from the long-term monitoring stations in Anshan, Fushun and Benxi, the air quality trends and driving factors of mining cities in central Liaoning during 2001 and 2006 were analyed by Daniel's trend test method. Results showed that: from 2001 to 2006, the urban air pollution was serious in the mining cities of central Liaoning. Based on the Ⅱ standard in "The standard of environmental air quality" (GB3095-1996), the dust each month and PM₁₀ exceeded the standard all the years, the SO₂ exceeded the standard in part years, so they showed a coal smoke pollution typically. The change of various pollutants in Anshan was not clear, while the SO₂ concentration increased, and the other pollutants showed a downward trend; the PM₁₀ concentration in Fushun showed a downward trend significantly(p<0.1), and the other pollutants showed an upward trend, the NO₂ increased significantly(p<0.1); the various pollutants in Benxi showed a downward trend. The spatial-seasonal differentiation of air pollution was significant, the pollution concentration in winter and spring was higher than that in summer and autumn, and the pollution concentration in industry and traffic areas were significantly higher than that in residential and clean areas. The main driving factors of the environmental air quality trends of the mining cities in central Liaoning region were energy demand pressures, environmental protection measures, urban unique geographical location and weather conditions. Therefor, in order to improve the air quality of the mining cities in central Liaoning region, we should improve the energy consumption structure, strengthen motor vehicle emissions management, make a rational urban layout, increase the capacity of the atmospheric environment including all the cities in central Liaoning region.