Taking the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (HHHP) and middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Jianghuai Region (MYJR) as the study area, the data of heavy metals in the cultivated soil were collected from published literatures. The single factor index method and Nemerow synthesis index method were used to evaluate the pollution degree of heavy metals. Combined with the soil survey data in the 1980s, the spatial and temporal variation characteristics during the period of the 1980s and 2000s was analyzed. Results showed that:(1) The heavy metals in cultivated soils in the study area were at a safe level, and more than 80% of the HHHP and more than 60% of the MYJR were at the clean level. (2) Heavy metal pollution in the MYJR was more serious than that of the HHHP. The single factor index evaluation results showed that the exceedance percentages of soil heavy metals pollution was 35.02% in MYJR, which is twice that of 15.97% in the HHHP. The Nemerow synthesis index method found that there were 20.29% and 13.17% in the pollution levels, where the proportion of light and serious pollution in the MYJR was larger than that in the HHHP and the proportion of serious pollution in the MYJR was three times that in the HHHP. (3) The order of proportions of pollution at the different location was as follows:the farmland soils near the industrial and mining area, the farmland soils in the sewage irrigation area, the farmland soils in the main agricultural production area, and the suburban farmland soils. (4) The heavy metal pollution proportion increased during the 1980s and 2000s. The increased exceedance percentages of Cd, Zn, Hg, and As in the HHHP were 6.34%, 1.98%, 12.78%, and 0.91%, respectively. And those of Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu, Hg, and As in the MYJR were 14.02%, 11.36%, 7.28%, 5.49%, 1.93%, and 0.72%, respectively. Area of worsening pollution were mainly located in Tianjin, Cangzhou in Hebei, Ji'nan in Shandong and Yueyang in Hunan. In the process of urbanization, industrialization and agricultural development, the cultivated soils are threatened by the heavy metal pollution in the study area, which calls for the effective measures to prevent and remedy heavy metals pollution.