Abstract: In order to study regional sustainable development, this paper established a comprehensive evaluation system for large regions, which included economic development, social progress and ecological environment. The coupling and coordinated development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt(YREB) was evaluated from two latitudes of time and space based on the relevant data of 109 cities in the YREB from 2000 to 2015. The results pointed out that the integral coordinated development of the YREB was better than before, and it has changed from primary coordination to intermediate coordination during the past fifteen years. The results also showed obvious regional differences: the east was superior to the west, and the provincial capital cities had evident advantages. Meanwhile, the results indicated that the economic development played the most important role in the process of coupling coordination development of the YREB, and the ecological environment was the cornerstone. Based on the aforementioned findings, relevant strategies should be put forward from the aspects of developing human capital, building infrastructure, jointly governing and protecting the ecological environment.