Abstract：Based on the data of investigation at the scene, the paper analyzes the characteristics of rural settlement expansion in Jinzhong Plain, including its scales, velocities and types of the expansion of rural settlement samples by some tables and figures, and probes into the factors affecting the rural settlement expansion in Jinzhong Plain, with the opinion that it results mainly from combined efforts of population growth, family-scale changing, economy development, income growth, transportation improvement, industrialization of rural area and some other facto rs.The population grow th and familyscale reducing enhances the resident demand of the rural settlements. The transportation-improvement mainly affects the scales; velocities and types of the expansion of rural settlements, and the important new and expanding highway make the settlements attraction in those areas.The industrialization of rural area directly advances rural settlement expansion because of the rural-business-enterprises' occupying a large of rural land in many settlements, and the industrialization of rural area clearly makes farmer income increase quickly, strengthens the peasants' economic abilities and quickens the velocity of resident-house constructions also. At last, it points out some difficult problems brought about by rural settlement expansion.The results of the rural settlement expansion are includes three aspects. First, according to the investigation in the rural settlement samples, the land resources waste is very serious. Second, the rural settlements in the Jinzhong Plain have high technique of agriculture farming, good transportation and irrigation condition, but the rural settlement expansions leads to nasty descent of the ratio of farmland area com paring with settlement area. Third, the rural settlement expansions made the layouts of the resident house developments in those areas not reasonable, and made the facilities of settlement foundation unqualified. At the same time, some settlements attraction along the important highway line not only affected the transportation seriously, but also broke the whole space of the rural settlement layouts. Obviously, adopting some positive and valid measures to stop the settlement expansion have already become a urgent thing.
