Abstract: Based on field research and geospatial data of rural settlements in the Bala River Basin, Guizhou Province, this article utilizes spatial analysis tools of ArcGIS and the methods of shape index and average nearest neighbor analysis to explore the spatial pattern of rural settlements and their driving mechanisms in the Bala River Basin, Guizhou Province. The results indicate that: 1) The rural settlements in the Bala River Basin are primarily characterized by a strip or finger-like shape, situated on a hill facing the water. Settlement site selection tends to be in the transitional zone of the natural environment in order to obtain favorable resources. The settlement density within the watershed is dense in the center and sparse in the north and south, exhibiting an overall aggregation pattern, with a distribution form that ranges from uniform to aggregation to random from upstream to downstream. 2) The distribution pattern of the settlements has a distinct positive correlation with elevation, slope, and transportation. They are primarily distributed in low hill areas with an elevation of 700~900 meters and a slope of 6~25 degrees, and are located near rivers and transportation routes.