[Objective] The objective of this paper was to evaluate land utilization performance and analyze obstacle factors and to provide scientific basis for the improvement of urban land utilization efficiency and allocation of land resource reasonably.[Methods] An indicator system of land utilization performance evaluation, especially for the northwestern region of China, was set up in consideration of local natural environment characteristics. The system mainly had topics of land utilization structure, land utilization degree and land utilization efficiency. The level of urban land utilization performance and the obstacle factors of land utilization were measured based on the data of Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos from 2004 to 2013 using TOPSIS and the model of land utilization obstacle degree.[Results] Research showed that the performance of land utilization of Hohhot-Baotou-Ordos was ascending differently. The performance of land utilization of Hohhot went steadily up. Baotou was stable and Ordos was slower. The main obstacle factors were land utilization structure and social benefits of land utilization.[Conclusion] The performance was closely related to the amount of endowment resources and policy implementation. This paper advised that cities of Central Inner Mongolia should strengthen the urban public facilities and social benefits, optimize the land use structure, and improve land use intensive degree. Cities in central Inner Mongolia have close economic, trade and social intrinsic ties. Land utilization should be improved based on cities integration to form industrial agglomeration and promote the optimization of land resources as a whole.