[Objective] The temporal and spatial variation characteristics of cultivated land types and their influencing factors were studied in order to provide a theoretical basis for policy-making regarding cultivated land protection, sustainable agricultural development, and soil and water conservation in this region. [Methods] The study was conducted for Laiyang City in Shandong Province. High-resolution remote sensing data from 2019 to 2021 were combined with field observations in order to divide cultivated land types into five categories: irrigated land, arid flat land, arid sloping land, arid terrace land, and abandoned land. We determined the spatio-temporal distribution and variation of different types of cultivated land and their influencing factors, and identified the variable regions by using dynamic change degree, land use transfer matrix, and geographic detector. [Results] ① Cultivated land of Laiyang City accounted for 54.44% of the total land area, with an overall distribution pattern of more cultivated land in the southern and western areas of the city, and less in the northern and eastern areas of the city. Arid terrace land accounted for 61.19% of the total cultivated land area, which was followed by irrigated land, arid flat land, and arid sloping land. Abandoned land accounted for only 0.33% of the total cultivated land area. ② The analysis of single factor detector showed that landform type, slope, and soil type were the three main factors affecting the distribution of cultivated land type, and the (q values) were all above 0.3 when the factors interacted with each other. ③ From 2019 to 2021, the net rate of cultivated land conversion was -0.25%. The total area decreased 4.73 km², mainly due to conversion of arid terrace land, arid sloping land, arid flat land, and irrigated land to construction land. This conversion mostly occurred in the urban area located in the low hilly area with a slope of less than 5° and a brown soil type. [Conclusion] The mainly cultivated land type is dry terraced field. Cultivated land distributed in low hilly area with gentle slopes (representing cultivated land with good quality) is easy to change. As the area continues to decrease, the protection measures of high-quality cultivated land should be strengthened.