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Soil moisture is essential for plant growth and terrestrial ecosystems, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. This study aims to quantify the variation of soil moisture content and its spatial pattern as well as the influencing factors. The experiment is conducted in a small catchment named Yangjuangou in the loess hilly region of China. Soil moisture to a depth of 1m has been obtained by in situ sampling at 149 sites with different vegetation types before and after the rainy season. Elevation, slope position, slope aspect, slope gradient and vegetation properties are investigated synchronously. With the rainy season coming, soil moisture content increases and then reaches the highest value after the rainy season. Fluctuation range and standard deviation of soil moisture decrease after a 4-month rainy season. Standard deviation of soil moisture increases with depth before the rainy season; after the rainy season, it decreases within the 0- to 40-cm soil depth but then increases with depths below 40cm. The stability of the soil moisture pattern at the small catchment scale increases with depth. The geographical position determines the framework of soil moisture pattern. Soil moisture content with different land-use types is significantly increased after the rainy season, but the variances of land-use types are significantly different. Landform and land-use types can explain most of the soil moisture spatial variations. Soil moisture at all sample sites increases after the rainy season, but the spatial patterns of soil moisture are not significantly changed and display temporal stability despite the influence of the rainy season. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.