Under the dual effects of climate change and human activities, the ecological environment of the Yellow River Basin is constantly changing. It is very important to explore the dynamics of vegetation growth for the implementation of ecological protection policy. Based on Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) Leaf Area Index (LAI) remote sensing data and climate factors data, we analyzed the spatio-temporal characteristics of vegetation cover in the Yellow River Basin from 1981 to 2017, and discussed the impacts and contribution rate of climate change on vegetation. The results showed that:(1) in the study period, the vegetation cover in the Yellow River Basin showed a significant growth trend. The maximum growth range and annual fluctuation of vegetation cover occurred in summer, the smallest fluctuation, slow and steady growth occurred in winter. (2) Spatially, the areas with significantly improved vegetation cover accounted for 52.1% of the whole region, mainly distributed in the central and eastern plain. The decreased area accounted for 4%, mainly distributed in the northern and western plateau mountains. Most of the ecologically fragile regions had different degrees of vegetation restoration, but vegetation cover reduced in some regions with good ecological environment. (3) There was a significantly positive correlation between vegetation cover and air temperature in the Yellow River Basin. The vegetation covers in spring, summer and winter had a significantly positive correlation with their air temperature, but had no obvious correlation with precipitation. While the vegetation cover in autumn had a significantly positive correlation with air temperature and precipitation. There was no significantly negative correlation between vegetation covers and solar radiation in spring, autumn and winter, but no significantly positive correlation in summer. The contribution rate of air temperature to vegetation covers in spring, summer, autumn and winter was greater than that of precipitation and solar radiation. The contribution rate of air temperature to vegetation covers in spring and autumn was greater than that in summer and winter. The contribution rate of precipitation to vegetation cover in autumn was larger than that in spring, summer and winter. Of the four seasons, the contribution rate of solar radiation to vegetation cover in spring was the largest. (4) Spatially, the vegetation cover in 77.0% of the Yellow River Basin had a maximum negative correlation with air temperature, when vegetation lagged the air temperature by 7 months. The vegetation cover in 96.1% of the Basin had a positive correlation with precipitation, and changes in vegetation cover was coincided with precipitation or lagged by one month. The vegetation cover in more than 72.2% of the Basin had a negative correlation with solar radiation when vegetation lagged the solar radiation by 8 months.