To reduce carbon emission, there is a need to explore the spatio-temporal evolution patterns of carbon emissions and the factors that influence this process. The terminal energy consumption data of industrial enterprises above a designated size in 14 cities in Hunan Province, China, from 2008 to 2013, were used to study the temporal-spatial patterns and the factors influencing carbon emissions, per capita carbon emissions, and carbon emission intensity at the city scale in Hunan Province. These factors were analyzed using the reference approach provided by the IPCC and the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI). The results showed that 1) from 2008 to 2013, different cities had different carbon emission growth trends, which could be classified into three categories. The top three cities for cumulative carbon emissions were Loudi, Yueyang, and Xiangtan, and their total cumulative carbon emissions accounted for 48.92% of the province's total carbon emissions over the study period. In contrast, the total cumulative carbon emissions from Jishou, Zhangjiajie, and Huaihua accounted for only 2.59%. 2) The city-level carbon emissions and per capita carbon emissions in the eastern cities were higher than those in the western cities of Hunan Province. Furthermore, carbon emissions and per capita emissions were strongly correlated. The cities with high carbon emissions had higher per capita carbon emissions. However, carbon emission intensities from each city in Hunan Province decreased over the period, and the number of cities classified as being in a low-carbon-emission intensity region increased from four in 2008 to seven in 2013. The spatial distribution of carbon emission intensity was related to the type of industry in the city. 3) The energy structure and energy intensity factors could reduce carbon emission growth, but the energy structure contribution was very small and the reduction in carbon emissions was mainly caused by energy intensity. Economic development had the strongest positive impact on carbon emissions, and its cumulative contribution values were 74.285 and 27.579 during 2008-2010 and 2011-2013, respectively. Population size had a small effect on carbon emission, and its cumulative contribution to carbon emissions was only 2.252 in 2011-2013. The focus of current and future carbon emission reduction in Hunan is to accelerate the development of clean energy, improve energy efficiency, promote the optimization and upgrading of energy and industrial structures, and, at a strategic level, to enhance the coordinated development of the four regions in Hunan.