The electrochemical characteristics of artificial graphite coated with petroleum pitch were investigated as anode material in lithium ion batteries. Petroleum pitch with various softening points (SP 150, 200 and 250 °C) was prepared to coat the surface of artificial graphite using tetrahydrofuran as the solvent. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to confirm the coating properties of the prepared anode materials. The electrochemical characteristics of the batteries were investigated by initial charge/discharge, cycle, rate performance, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests in the electrolyte of 1.0M LiPF6 (EC :DEC= 1 : 1 vol%). With the goal of optimizing the pitch coating process of graphite as an anode material, both the composition ratios of artificial graphite to petroleum pitch and the carbonization temperatures were varied. The best battery anode performance was found to be 10wt% coated carbon with heat treatment at 1,000 °C on the artificial graphite using petroleum pitch with SP 250 °C. Pitch-derived amorphous carbon coating effectively decreases irreversible capacity and increases the cycle stability. The prepared anode materials have good initial efficiency (92.9%), discharge capacity (343 mAh/g), cycle stability (97%), and rate performance of 10 C/0.1 C (84.1%).