Objective To investigate the air pollution level and the distribution regularity of air pollutants in Jilin City. Methods Based on the data from air quality automatic monitoring system in environmental protection station in Jilin City from 2001 to 2005, the concentration change of the inhalable particulate matter (PM10), SO2, NO2 and TSP in the air were analyzed with hour, season and year in different functional areas. Results The concentration of SO2, NO2 in atmosphere in winter and summer showed a daily changing with a bimodal curve, which appeared a high value section at 19:00—21:00 and 7:00—8:00. The highest concentration of pollutants appeared in winter, the lowest one in summer. The daily average concentration range of SO2, NO2 and TSP was 0.021-0.045, 0.027-0.046 and 0.300-0.470 mg/m3 respectively from 2001 to 2005 with a descending trend by years. As for the space distribution, the pollution in the industry area was the heaviest. Conclusion The air pollution type in Jilin City is still a coal-burning pollution, the concentration of air pollutants distributes differently with time and space.