To study optimum N application rates for winter wheat under limited irrigation in North China Plain and the influence of N fertilization on distribution and remobilization of leaf nitrogen in wheat canopy, field experiments were carried out in Xunxian Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Henan, China in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, using the wheat cultivar Zhoumai 18 which has high yield potential. Under only one spring irrigation of 75 mm, six N application rates, i.e., 0, 120,180, 240, 300 and 360 kg/hm², and five N application rates, i.e., 0, 120, 210, 270 and 330 kg/hm², were set up in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, respectively. The results showed that appropriate N fertilization rates increased winter wheat yield significantly, and the grain yield at N fertilization rate of 180 kg/hm² was the highest in 2008-2009, and the grain yields at N fertilization rates of 210 kg/hm² and 270 kg/hm² were 8340 kg/hm² and 8558 kg/hm² respectively in 2009-2010, higher than those of other treatments. N utilization efficiency (NUE) and partial factor productivity of N (PFPN) reduced with increasing N application rates, the recovery efficiency of applied N (REN) and agronomic efficiency of applied N (AEN) increased at first and then decreased with increasing N application rates, and reached the highest at 180 kg N/hm²and 210 kg N/hm² treatments respectively. Leaf N content and accumulation amount significantly increased after N fertilization and decreased with lowering leaf layers during grain-filling stage. Leaf N remobilization amount, remobilization efficiency and contribution of N remobilization to N content of grain declined in the order of the 1st leaf layer >2nd leaf layer > 3rd leaf layer > 4th leaf layer. With increasing N application rate, vertical distribution gradients of leaf N in canopy first increased and then decreased. Vertical canopy gradients of leaf N content were significantly correlated with leaf N remobilization efficiency (R²=0.722^*), and highly significant correlated with contribution of N remobilization to N content of grain (R²=0.975^**). Optimum N application rates (120-210 kg/hm²) enhanced leaf N vertical gradients in canopy, improved N recycling within plant, increased leaf N remobilization amount, remobilization efficiency and contribution of N remobilization to N content of grain and maintained higher REN. High N application rate (330 kg/hm²) reduced leaf N vertical gradients in canopy, inhibited N recycling within plant, reduced leaf N remobilization amount, remobilization efficiency and contribution of N remobilization to N content of grain and decreased REN significantly. The two-year results showed that under limited irrigation, the N application rates within 180-210 kg/hm² optimized vertical leaf N distribution, improved leaf N remobilization in canopy, and gained higher grain yield, grain protein content and REN.