A cross-sectional study was conducted in Heilongjiang in a representative sample of 2 875Chinese adults aged from 20 to 74 years. Questionnaire was conducted. Their height, weight, waist circumference,blood pressure, blood glucose, serum insulin, lipids, and other indexes were determined. The criterion of International Diabetes Federation was applied for metabolic syndrome (MS) diagnosis. The results showed that the preliminary prevalence rate of MS was 19.34% and the age-adjusted prevalence rate of MS was 21.92% ( male 20.41% , female 23.11% ). The prevalence rate of MS increased with the age. The prevalence rate in the urban area was higher than that in the town and rural area ( both P < 0.05 ). The result of multiple factor logistic regression analysis showed that body fat content, insulin resistance, age, residential difference, drinking habit,daily staple food quantity, urine albumin, education, family history of obesity, and gender were related with MS.