In order to make full use of saline water resources, a pot experiment was carried out to investigate the characteristics of soil salt distribution and the growth of summer maize (Zea mays L.) subjected to three alternate brackish water irrigation methods (i.e., BFF: in which maize was irrigated with brackish water at the seedling stage and fresh water at the remaining periods;FBF: in which brackish water was irrigated at the jointing stage and fresh water at other stages;FFB: in which plants were watered with brackish water at the filling stage and fresh water at the vegetative stage) at three levels (i.e., L was 1g/L NaCl;M was 3g/L NaCl;H was 5g/L NaCl), respectively. The results showed that the soil salt content under fresh water irrigation throughout the whole growth period (CK) was the lowest, and the higher the salinity of brackish water was applied, the higher the soil salt content was. Under the same salinity of brackish water irrigation, the descending order of average soil salt content distribution in the same depth was FFB, FBF and BFF. After harvest, in the 0~15cm soil layer, the average soil salt contents of BFFL, FBFL, FFBL, BFFM and FBFM were lower compared with the original soil salt content. The similar reductions were found in the 15~30cm soil layer, while the average soil salt content in the 30~45cm soil layer were 36.92%, 39.20%, 51.54%, 96.91% and 88.17% higher than the original soil salt contents of these treatments. The average soil salt content of BFFH was higher than the original soil salt contents by 8.92% and 135.44% in the 15~30cm and 30~45cm soil layers, respectively, and with lower average soil salt content in the 0~15cm soil layer. Moreover, the higher average soil salt contents than the original soil salt contents were found in all soil layers of FBFH, FFBM and FFBH. The average soil salt contents of FFB at 3g/L and 5g/L levels were highest in the 30~45cm soil layer, followed by those of the 0~15cm soil layer, while the average soil salt contents were the minimum in the 15~30cm soil layer. Instead, the average soil salt contents of other treatments followed the order from high to low was the 30~45cm soil layer, 15~30cm soil layer and 0~15cm soil layer. The inhibition degree of different brackish irrigation to the growth related traits such as plant height, leaf area of summer maize in decreasing order were as follows: the jointing stage, the seedling stage and the filling stage. As the degree of salinity was increased, the inhibitory effect became more significant. In all brackish water irrigation methods, the order of plant dry weight, grain weight and the 100-grain weight from high to low was FBF, BFF and FFB. Furthermore, with the increase of water salinity, the yield of summer maize was decreased gradually. With the same irrigation amount, the yield of FBFH was the lowest, which decreased grain weight by 34.85% compared with CK. For maize cultivation in coastal area, the brackish water should be irrigated in the late growth stage to ensure the output. After that, fresh water irrigation would be beneficial during the noncrops growing season for salt leaching and reducing the risk of the soil secondary salinization.