[Objective] This study aimed to clarify the spatiotemporal pattern evolution law of the coupling coordination between the recessive form of urban land use and ecological welfare performance, reveal the direction of its influencing factors, and provide a scientific basis for promoting the green development of urban agglomerations along the Lower Yellow River. [Methods] Based on panel data from 17 prefecture-level cities along the Lower Yellow River from 2012 to 2021, the comprehensive index and Super-SBM models were used to measure the recessive form of land use and ecological welfare performance. In addition, ArcGIS visualization, kernel density analysis, and a coupled coordination model were used to deply analyze the evolution trend of the recessive form of land use, the performance level of ecological welfare, and the coupling coordination degree of them in the spatial and temporal dimensions, with the influencing factors analyzed using the 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 and the recessive form of land use of cities along the Lower Yellow River 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 had significant positive effects on the coupling coordination; but scientific and technological innovation and the urban environment had obvious inhibitory effects on the coupling coordination. Meanwhile, elevation, slope, and education level did 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 leading role of provincial capitals, and promote green coordinated development among cities.