[Objective] The impacts of the driving force of land ecosystem service value in Nanjing City were analyzed in order to provide important evidence for scientific research on the ecosystem service value, ecological protection and construction, optimization of urban and rural spatial layout, and sustainable development of land. [Methods] The ecosystem service values of various land use types were estimated based on land use data from 1990 to 2018 in Nanjing City, Jiangsu Province. The spatiotemporal dynamics of the ecosystem service values were analyzed, and their responses to changes in land use and landscape pattern were demonstrated. [Results] The area of construction land in Nanjing City changed significantly from 1990 to 2018, and was followed by changes in the area of cultivated land. Construction land area increased by 105.67%, while cultivated land area decreased by 19.93%. However, little change was found for cultivated land, grassland, woodland, and water. Patch density of Nanjing City decreased from 0.589 0 to 0.512 5， indicating that the overall landscape fragmentation index continued to decrease. The total ecosystem service value of Nanjing City showed a falling trend, decreasing by 8.13%, while the most significant change existed for water. [Conclusion] Along with social and economic development of Nanjing City, population have a greater influence on the spatiotemporal change of the ecosystem service value than economic factors. Population has increasingly become the main driving factor affecting the ecosystem service value of Nanjing City.