[Objective] Clarify the spatio-temporal pattern evolution law of the coupling coordination between the recessive form of urban land use and ecological welfare performance along the lower Yellow River, reveal the direction of its influencing factors, and promote the green development of urban agglomerations along the lower Yellow River. [Methods] Based on the panel data of 17 prefecture-level cities along the lower Yellow River from 2012 to 2021, comprehensive index model and Super-SBM model were used to measure the recessive form of land use and ecological welfare performance. In addition, ArcGIS visualization, kernel density analysis and coupled coordination model were used to deeply analyze the evolution trend of the recessive form of land use, the performance level of ecological welfare and the coupling coordination degree of the two cities in the spatial and temporal dimension, and the influencing factors were analyzed with the help of Tobit regression model. [Results] (1) The recessive form of land use in each city was stable but improved, and the ecological welfare performance experienced a phased evolution process of "first decreasing and then increasing". (2) During the study period, the coupling coordination degree of the overall ecological welfare performance of cities along the lower Yellow River and the recessive form of land use experienced a change from "near disharmony to barely coordination", and tended to change to primary coordination. (3) Opening to the outside world, industrial structure and spatial agglomeration have significant positive effects on coupling coordination; Scientific and technological innovation and urban environment have obvious inhibition effect on coupling coordination. The elevation, slope and ten thousand students do not affect the coupling coordination. [Conclusion] In the future, it is necessary to promote the rational use of land according to local conditions, formulate scientific environmental protection policies, strengthen the monitoring and management of cities, strengthen the radiating leading role of provincial capitals, and promote the green coordinated development among cities.