In the industry-oriented peri-urban region of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, concentrations of total and DTPA extractable Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were determined of 119 topsoil samples collected from an area of 8 km² and factors dominating spatial distributions of these elements were studied. Concentrations and coefficient of variation of soil heavy metals in this area were found increasing and so were significant positive correlations between concentrations of DTPA extractable metals and of their respective totals. Spatial variations of Cu, Zn and Cd in the soils were induced mainly by the industry therein. However the patterns of their spatial distribution hardly indicated any similarity probably because of the dispersiveness in distribution and diversity in type of the industrial plants in the study area. Concentrations of Pb were found high in the soil close to the city and decreased with distance away from the city. Highway and land use didn't show any close relationship with the variation of heavy metal concentrations in the soil, which was obviously obscured by the impact of the industry. It is, therefore, strongly recommended that a reasonable and orderly layout be made for industrial plants, so as to control the scope of soils polluted with heavy metals.