Abstract: Halophytes are essential ecological indicator species in the desert-oasis transition zone of the Minqin Lake area. Exploring spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors of halophyte communities is crucial for ecosystem restoration and prediction of degradation trajectories of fragile ecosystems in the transition zone. However, there are still unclear aspects regarding the relationship between halophyte communities and spatial characteristics, driving mechanisms, and ecological significance. This study systematically surveys 152 halophyte sampling points in the desert-oasis transition zone of Minqin Lake and Two-way Indicator Species Analysis, Kriging Interpolation, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis to identify the spatial distribution, drivers, and ecological significance of halophyte communities. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) There are seven types of halophyte communities in the study area, namely Kalidium foliatum+Lycium ruthenicum community, Haloxylon ammodendron+Kalidium foliatum community, Nitraria tangutorum+Limonium aureum community, Nitraria tangutorum community, Caragana Caragana korshinskii+Psammochloa villosa community, Artemisia ordosica community and grass community; (2) Electrical Conductivity(EC), Soil Moisture Content(SMC), and Soil Content(SC) are the main factors influencing community distribution, with explanatory powers of 0.91, 0.83 and 0.71, respectively; (3) The correlation between EC and community structure indicates that Kalidium foliatum+Lycium ruthenicum community, Haloxylon ammodendron+Kalidium foliatum community, Nitraria tangutorum+Limonium aureum community, Nitraria tangutorum community, Caragana Caragana korshinskii+Psammochloa villosa community, Artemisia ordosica community, and grass community belongs to high salt (EC > 8 dS/m), middle salt (8 dS/m > EC > 4 dS/m) and lower salt (4 dS/m > EC > 2 dS/m) environment, respectively, while grass communities indicate a middle-low salinity environment. This study provides valuable insights for future remote sensing studies on the spatial-temporal dynamics of plant communities, soil changes, as well as ecological restoration, through establishing a corresponding relationship between plant community types and the degree of salinization.