The impact of nitrogen emission was assessed using ‘nitrogen footprints’ to determine the effect of human activities on the environment. With rapid urbanization in China, city residents are playing increasingly important roles in the alteration of nutrient flow. Food consumption, as an important process of urban nutrient metabolism, is an important driver of environmental pollution in cities. The food nitrogen footprints of residents reflect reactive nitrogen emissions impacting the surroundings to feed the whole population of a city. Taking Beijing city as a case study, the food nitrogen footprints of residents from 1980-2012 were calculated based on the N-Calculator model. Meanwhile, the characteristic trends and associated economic and social factors were analyzed. The results showed that changes of food nitrogen footprints per capita of Beijing residents were consistent with changes of food consumption per capita. The food nitrogen footprints of urban residents increased from 1980 to 2002 and then remained between 14.69-22.58 kg (N) per capita per year. The average nitrogen footprint during the study period was 17.78 kg (N) per capita per year, which was similar to the nitrogen footprint of residents in developed countries. The food nitrogen footprints of rural residents, decreased slightly from 1982 to 2012, and then remained between 10.81-15.28 kg (N) per capita per year with 12.72 kg (N) per capita per year as the average. Meanwhile, the proportions of food with high nitrogen contents increased in the food nitrogen footprints of both urban and rural residents. Food with high animal meat contents increased from 27%-41% and 10%-31%, for urban and rural residents, respectively. Subsidiary food with high dairy contents also increased from 7%-18% and 1%-13% for urban and rural residents, respectively. The food nitrogen footprint of urban residents was positively correlated with per capita disposable income. Meanwhile, there were negative correlations between Engel's coefficient, the average number of family members, and food nitrogen footprints per capita. The correlations between the food nitrogen footprints of rural residents and the socio-economic driving factors were contrary to those of urban residents. The food nitrogen footprints of rural residents were negatively correlated with per capita disposable incomes, and positively correlated with Engel's coefficient and the average number of family members. During the study period, the food nitrogen footprints of Beijing residents increased 8066 t (N) on an average per year. Current food consumption patterns of urban residents contributed to the increasing food nitrogen footprints of the city, accelerated by rural and external population immigration. Calculation of food nitrogen footprints can provide theoretical support for residents to change their high nitrogen consumption patterns, contributing to the low nitrogen development of cities.