Satellite data from April 2000 to July 2005 and Surfer software technology are used to analyze the annual variation and the characteristics of “urban heat island” of Xianyang, Shaanxi. The results show that it is feasible and efficient to utilize the remote sensing of meteorological satellite to monitor the phenomenon of urban heat island. There are obvious heat island effects at Xianyang. Spring is the strongest season of heat island effects in a year. The effect has an obvious diurnal variation. The heat island effect at the downtown business district is the strongest, and the effect is obviously affected by geographical environment, with the range of effect as large as 163—186 times of urban area of Xianyang.