Abstract: In order to find out the tendency of the cultivated land change in a city effectively protect and rationally use the cultivated land resource, the writer analyzes the cultivated land spatio-temporal change in Yanshi city during the period from 1997 to 2004. With the method of principle component analysis, the driving factors affecting the cultivated land change in the city are qualitatively and quantitatively researched. The conclusions as follows: During the period from 1997 to 2004 the cultivated land change in Yanshi city could be defined quantity added stage and decrease stage; the extent of change varied in areas, changes of the villages and towns of economy developed were greater than that of the villages and towns of economy draggled, changes of the center town and the pivot villages and towns were greater than that of the commonly villages and towns, changes of the mountainous areas were greater than that of level areas. Besides policy and idea factors, development of economy were also mainly to contribute to the change and some specific countermeasure were brought forth based on the change.