Abstract: Soils in the riparian area of river are ecologically the main components of stream system, and they act as a part of maintaining the normal status of aquatic habitats. With the rapid industrialization and urbanization, however, excessive sewage sludge or solid wastes containing heavy metals was discharged into river by various human activities, such as mining, smelting, waste incineration, fossil fuel combustion and transportation, which interferes the natural growth of aquatic flora and fauna, causes the deterioration of water quality, and impairs human health through a contaminated food chain, especially in drinking water source area. But few studies on soils in riparian area of river have been carried out, therefore, the research in this aspect will contribute to a better understanding of heavy metal pollution, and affect stream system and environmental protection of aquatic habitats. The concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb, Zn, Ni and V in topsoil samples collected from the riparian area from the headwaters to the estuary of the Fenghe River in Shaanxi Province were measured with Xray fluorescence spectroscopy. GIS mapping and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the spatial distribution, accumulation, potential risk and sources of heavy metals in the study area. The results showed that a significant spatial accumulation of heavy metals except Cu in soils were found at midstream and downstream. The geometrical mean concentrations of Co, Cr, Mn, Pb and V in soils were 21.5, 92.1, 611.1, 32.9 mg•kg-1 and 75.4 mg•kg-1 respectively, all of them exceeded the corresponding background values in Shaanxi. The Environmental Quality Standard (GB15618-1995, Grade Ⅰ) was taken as a reference of soils, the over-limit ratios of heavy metals in the soil samples were 100% for Co, 75% for Cr, 19% for Cu, 63% for Mn, 25% for Pb, 6% for Ni and 25% for V, that means the soils were mainly polluted by Co and Cr. The Nemero Index showed that the pollution of soils was slight. The Geoaccumulation Index displayed that the contamination of Cu was accumulated in the headwaters and at the midstream, and that of Co, Cr, Pb and Ni at the midstream and downstream of the Fenghe River. Factor analysis and correlation coefficient analysis were used to identify the main sources of heavy metals in soils. The results illustrated that Co, Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn and Ni derived mainly from industry sources, traffic and garbage, and Mn and V from natural sources. It is very necessary to prevent and remediate the polluted soil to reduce soil contamination by heavy metals and to focus on the potential risk of heavy metals in soils in the riparian area of the Fenghe River for water safety and human health.