[Objective] The temporal and spatial evolution and influencing factors of regional carbon emission in Qingdao City, Shandong Province were analyzed in order to provide a theoretical basis for promoting low-carbon development and carbon emission reduction. [Methods] Based on land use data, nighttime light data, and social and economic data of Qingdao City from 2000 to 2020, carbon emissions from land use were calculated. By constructing a fitting model between carbon emissions and nighttime light values, the spatial distribution difference and trend of carbon emissions of different land use types in Qingdao City were revealed. The decoupling status between carbon emissions and economic development in Qingdao City was analyzed using the Tapio decoupling model. The contribution degree of various influencing factors of land use carbon emissions was analyzed by using LMDI models. [Results] ① The net carbon emissions from land use in Qingdao City generally showed an increasing trend from 1.31×10⁷ t in 2000 to 3.65×10⁷ t in 2020, amounting to an increase of nearly 1.79 times. ② The overall carbon emissions in Qingdao City presented a spatial distribution pattern of “higher in the middle and lower in the surrounding areas”. Industrial energy consumption was the main source of carbon emissions from construction land, with high carbon emission areas mainly concentrated in the Jiaozhou Bay area. ③ The relationship between economic development and carbon emissions in Qingdao City had undergone a transition from “expanding connections” to “weak decoupling”, then “strong decoupling”. ④ The factors that promoted growth of carbon emissions in Qingdao City were population size and economic effect, and the factors that inhibited growth of carbon emissions in Qingdao City were energy structure and energy intensity. [Conclusion] In the future, it will be necessary to further adjust the industrial structure, accelerate the development of a low-carbon economy, and reduce carbon emissions from sources through measures such as technological innovation and energy structure adjustment.