[Objective] This paper reveals the characteristics of soil and water conservation measures in different stages of the Loess Plateau in order to provide theoretical basis for key measures and main strategies of soil and water loss control.[Methods] Based on the data of different soil and water conservation measures from 1954 to 2015 in the loess hilly and gully region, we analyzed the changes of the key measures of soil and water conservation, such as terrace, afforestation, grass planting, closure treatment and silt dam.[Results] The application area of the key measures of soil and water conservation increased with the growing governance years, and the fastest increase rate was the measure of afforestation. The incremental proportion of various soil and water conservation measures was relatively stable over the years. The maximum incremental proportion of woodland was 58%, and closed treatment area gradually increased while terrace area gradually decreased. The number of silt dams increased firstly and then decreased.[Conclusion] The temporal and spatial variation pattern of soil and water conservation measures is related to the guiding principle of national policies and the governance requirement of local governance in the loess hilly and gully region. Afforestation is the most important soil and water conservation measure in the region, and closure and protection has become the development trend of vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau.