【Objective】This study aimed to investigate the spatial differentiation patterns of land resource suitability and land-use matching characteristics in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia, and to provide scientific basis and decision support for sustainable land management in this region.【Methods】Following the law of the minimum, this study employed Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and hot spot and cold spot analysis methods to explore and construct a three-tiered evaluation framework for Suitability Evaluation of Soil for Agricultural Use, consisting of “suitability classification, suitability degree discrimination, and matching analysis”. An empirical study was conducted across 29 banners and counties within the farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia.【Results】(1) The regional land suitability exhibits a macro pattern of “farming in the east, pastoralism in the west, interlacing in the middle, and localized forestry suitability.” The southeastern banners and counties serve as the core areas for farming suitability, the central and western areas are predominantly characterized by grassland attributes, while localized high-value areas for forestry suitability are closely related to ecological restoration and social demands. (2) The spatial differentiation of suitability degrees is significant: arable land is predominantly moderately and marginally suitable, grassland is mainly highly suitable and concentrated in the typical steppe zone, whereas highly suitable areas for forestry are sporadically distributed. (3) The land-use matching analysis identifies three types of mismatches: ecologically overloaded, spatially squeezed, and functionally imbalanced, whose spatial differentiation is coupled with the regional eco-geographical pattern.【Conclusion】This study indicates that land-use mismatches exist in the farming-pastoral ecotone of Inner Mongolia. Future land development and utilization should prioritize stock optimization and functional enhancement to achieve the coordinated development of agricultural growth and ecological protection.