[Objective] Land use change and its driving mechanism in Qinhuai River watershed during 1980-2010 were illustrated to provide a scientific basis for ecological economic sustainable development and watershed management.[Methods] Land use conditions of Qinhuai River watershed in 1980, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2008, 2010 were investigated by GIS thematic map and overlaying analysis. The characteristics of land use/cover change were acquired based on the conversion matrix of land-use change from 1980 to 2010. By social statistic data analysis, driving forces of land use change were further discussed in Qinhuai River watershed.[Results] Compared with the rapidly increasing of building area, the gross area of cropland, grasslands and forest lands were decreasing. There is an obvious temporal difference for land use change, and the greatest changes took place from 2005 to 2008. The increased area of building were conversed from croplands, forest lands and water bodies. The main driving forces of land use change in the study area were economic development, population growth and elevation of living standard.[Conclusion] Urbanization is the main driving force that result to the increasing of construction land and decreasing of arable land.