This paper reviews the ecological footprint model and expands the model to calculate the ecological footprint and carrying capacity of Shaanxi Province in 2000 and 2012. It is known that increased pollution emissions, including waste gases, wastewater, and solid wastes, affect ecological footprints. We determined the tons of chestnut and walnut, poultry eggs, silkworm cocoons, pepper, palm sheet and lacquer. We compared the numbers of these biological subjects in Shaanxi Province with the global averages. From 2000 to 2012, the per capita ecological footprint increased from 1.300 hm²/cap to 3.077 hm²/cap the per capita ecological deficit increased from 0.374 hm²/cap to 2.176 hm²/cap, and the per capita ecological carrying capacity decreased from 0.926 hm²/cap to 0.901 hm²/cap. Our data indicate that the ecological environment in Shaanxi Province was overloaded, and that the supply and demand of ecological goods from Shaanxi Province increased during 2000-2012. The ecological footprint for 10000 Yuan GDP decreased from 2.626 hm²/10000 Yuan to 0.799 hm²/10000 Yuan. This indicated that Shaanxi Province's resource use and economic development capacity improved. The increase in the development capacity index from 3.191 to 6.842 also supports this. These data suggest that the ecological development capacity of Shaanxi Province continues to improve. The decrease in the ecological footprint and rise of ecological carrying capacity of Shaanxi Province contributes to an ecological deficit. The development of energy and heavy chemical industries in northern Shaanxi means that the consumption of coal, oil, and other fossil fuels is accelerating. The urban population is increasing because of the development of industrial enterprises and this improves the local economy. However, it also causes heavy pollution in the area. Mineral resource mining destroys ecological habitats in southern Shaanxi. The exploitation of mineral resources has aggravated environmental pollution and ecological destruction, and the need for sustainable development is great. To solve these problems, the ecological carrying capacity should form the basis for new urbanization by relocating industries and regulating industrial development. Shaanxi Province should strictly control the population outside the urban areas of prefectural-level cities to comply with the existing urban scale. In addition, it is important to consider expanding urban city spaces to adapt to the growing population scale and increase the urbanization rate of key towns. Local governments should establish threshold limits on energy and heavy chemical and mining industries, and implement strategies for energy conservation to ensure that reduced emissions targets are met. In this manner, Shaanxi Province will be able to grow in a sustainable way.