For a comprehensive understanding of the pollution characteristics and ecological risk of heavy metals of farmland soil in Yingxing County of Yangtze River Delta，China，the cadmium (Cd)，arsenic (As)，copper (Cu)，zinc (Zn),mercury（Hg） and lead (Pb) pollution situations were evaluated by using the single factor index，Nemerow pollution index and Hakanson potential ecological risk index，and the theoretical basis was provided for the safe use of regional cultivated land. The results showed that the heavy metal pollution of cultivated soil in Yixing County was generally light, and 10.27% of the soil samples had heavy metals concentrations higher than the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land. The over standard rates of Cd, Cu, As, Hg, Pb and Zn were 10.11%, 0.88%, 0.44%, 1.49%, 0.10% and 0.35%，respectively．Cd and Hg were the main contaminants in Yixing County，the over standard rate of Cd was higher than that of cultivated land in China．In terms of the ecological risk，heavy metals of farmland soil in Yixing County showed a “light” ecological risk，with Cd accounting for 57.46% of the total ecological risk．The north-east of Dingshu Town, Xushe Town and the south-east of Zhangzhu Town were three areas with high ecological risk in Yixing County．The contamination of farmland soils in Yixing County may mainly come from man-made chemical production activities. Based on the ecological risk assessment of heavy metal pollution in cultivated soil of counties in the Yangtze River Delta region, the research result can provide the basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in cultivated soil, and improve the level of safe utilization of cultivated land resources.