Abstract: Soil samples were collected from different sites in a molybdenum ore area in Shaanxi Province. Method of single factor pollution index, Nemerow index and potential ecological risk index were used for soil pollution evaluation and analysis. The results showed that the concentration of Zn was the highest among all heavy metals around the molybdenum ore district. The variation coefficients of Cu and Zn were 151.75% and 137.85% respectively, which belonged to higher variation. Pollution of Cu was the most serious in the soil, as the serious pollution rate reached 30.00%. Comprehensive potential ecological risk index of soil in the downstream river of mine (Q2) and the open-air ore area (Q4) were 323.84 and 382.24 respectively, which belonged to strong ecological risk, while the ecological risk degree in the surrounding farmland was slight. There existed difference among the potential ecological risk of soil heavy metals in the study area. Among all heavy metals, Cd and Hg had potential ecological risk with extremely high strength. Q2, Q3 and Q4 zones should be a key control area for soil heavy metal pollution prevention and control, and the harmful effects of Cu, Zn, Cd and As should be taken seriously. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the ecological environment control of mineral mining and production activities in the future to avoid and reduce the transfer of heavy metal pollution. Meantime, the potential ecological risk of soil heavy metal was controllable in the molybdenum ore area and the surrounding area, and the environmental risk monitoring in key areas should be further strengthened.