Abstract: Research on potential and spatial distribution of reserved urban construction land is the basis for scientifically formulating regional spatial development strategy and optimizing urban development pattern. This paper takes central Jilin Province as a case study to analyze the quantity and spatial distribution of limit potential and effective potential of reserved urban construction land mainly with spatial analysis methods on GIS platform, considering the factors of terrain, land use type, distribution of basic farmland, land use planning, population and urban development. The results show that: (1) the limit potential of reserved urban construction land in central Jilin Province amounts to 14 913.32 km², the values tend to decrease from north to south, which is mainly affected by the administrative region size, climate conditions and geographical environment characteristics; (2) the limit potential utilizing dominance degree index of central Jilin Province is 0.467 8, the values of north parts are higher than that of the south parts, which is closely related with terrain and urban density; (3) the effective potential of reserved urban construction land in central Jilin Province amounts to 2 214.91 km², the major trend of spatial distribution shows that values are high in the middle part, low in the northwest and southwest parts, and medium in the eastern edge part, which is closely related to urbanization level and urban density; (4) the effective potential of reserved urban construction land per capita is 106.65 m² per person, the values are high in the middle part, low in the western edge part, and medium in the edge region of northern, eastern and southern parts, which is mainly affected by urbanization level and urban density, and also has a certain relationship with the population distribution characteristics.