Objective To investigate iodine nutrition status in healthy adults in Xinjiang Urumqi city and their relationship to ethnicity, gender and age. Method A cross-sectional survey was performed in 2 100 residents of Xinjiang Urumqi 2 communities in May 2013, of which 1 835 healthy adults aged 18-84 years, mean age 46.3 ± 14.2 years were enrolled. Urine iodine with arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry and salt iodine and water iodine of the residents were measured. Result The water iodine content was 3.14 μg/L, salt iodine was 27.75 mg/kg, 1 835 urine samples were collected, the urinary iodine median(MUI) was133.4 μg/L, iodine deficiency accounted for 32.37% (595 cases), iodine sufficient 42.94% (788 cases), iodine super-sufficient 14.44%(265 cases), iodine excess 10.19%(187 cases). The urine iodine level in Han ethnic group was higher than those in Uygur adults, no significant difference was observed between men and women (P>0.05). Urinary iodine levels among different age groups had no statistical difference, but in the older groups the level was lower than that in young or middle age adults. The urinary iodine level decreased gradually with the age increasing. Conclusion There was a sufficient pattern of iodine nutrition levels in healthy adults in Xinjiang Urumqi; there was a correlation between the level of iodine nutrition and the ethnicity but not with gender;iodine nutrition level in older age group was lower than those in younger age groups. Monitoring the urinary iodine continually and decreasing iodine intake may be necessary for part of iodine excess population.