The spatial heterogeneity of soil organic carbon (SOC) levels is important in researches of both global carbon - nitrogen cycle and climate change. By employing geostatistics methods and GIS technology, we studied the spatially heterogeneous distribution of SOC in the Yaoxiang small watershed in the hilly area of central and southern Shandong Province. Results showed that: 1) SOC, total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents showed a trend of declining with the increase of soil depth, and there was an extremely significant difference in SOC content between 0 - 10 cm and 10 - 30 cm soil layers, and significant differences in total nitrogen and total phosphorus contents were found between 0 -10 cm and 10 -30 cm soil layers. 2) SOC content in 0 - 10 cm soil layer had an extremely significantly positive correlation with total nitrogen content and elevation, and had a significantly positive correlation with total phosphorus content; SOC content in 10 -30 cm soil layer had a significantly positive correlation with total nitrogen and elevation. 3) Semivariogram model of SOC content belongs to the Gaussian model, and SOC content in 0 -10 cm soil layer had a strong regional pattern, and that in 10 -30 cm soil layer showed a moderate spatial correlation. 4) SOC content was higher in the eastern and northwestern parts and lower in the central and southern parts of the small watershed; the distribution of SOC diminished gradually from the eastern and northwestern parts to central and southern parts, which was basically consistent with the trend of DEM in the Yaoxiang small watershed. 5) Fractal dimension of SOC content in 0 -10 cm soil layer was smaller than that in 10 -30 cm soil layer, and the spatial pattern of SOC was relatively simple; in contrast, the spatial pattern of SOC in 10 -30 cm soil layer was more complex. The fractal dimensions of SOC content in different directions showed that the east-west (E-W) direction was the advantageous pattern of SOC distribution in the Yaoxiang small watershed.