Objective To analyze the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in type 2 diabetic patients and its association with traditional and non-traditional risk factors. Methods A total of 420 type 2 diabetic patients with duration exceeding 1 year and without acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina,and infection were evaluated. PAD was diagnosed by ankle-brachial index ≤0.90. Risk factors included age, gender, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, diabetes duration,glycated hemoglobin A[C ( HbA_1C ), uric acid, triglyceride, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),high sensitive C reactive protein(hs-CRP),fibrinogen,and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER). Results The prevalence rate of PAD was 16.4%(69/420). Older age, longer diabetes duration,lower HDL-C, higher UAER, hs-CRP and fibrinogen were associated with PAD. Multiple Logistic regression revealed that only age, UAER, hs-CRP and fibrinogen levels were independent risk factors. The prevalence rate of PAD was 4.7%(2/43), 12.9%(27/209) and 23.8%(40/168) in patients of less than 50 years old,50-70 years old and more than 70 years old, and was 7.9%( 14/177),9.3%( 11/118) and 35.2% (44/125) in different hs-CRP group (hs-CRP < 1 mg/L,l-3 mg/L, >3 mg/L), and was 9.7% (30/310) ,34.4%(33/96) and 42.9%(6/14) in normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria, and was 12.1%(43/356) and 40.6%(26/64) in different fibrinogen levels group (≤4 g/L and > 4 g/L). Conclusions The prevalence rate of PAD is higher in type 2 diabetic patients. Non-traditional cardiovascular risk factors may be involved in the development of PAD.