Based on the summarizing of previous studies and the field observation of five outcrop zones of Taihang Mountains in the north-west of Henan Province, the fracture characteristics and main controlling factors were studied by using methods of geostatistics and tectonic stress analysis. The results show that high-angle fractures are the main type in the research area, which can be divided into four groups. By analyzing the main controlling factors and the genetic mechanism, it is deduced that the fractures formed in four periods, i. e. Paleogene, Miocene epoch, Pliocene epoch to Early Pleistocene, later Middle Pleistocene. Tectonism, lithology and layer thickness are three main factors that affect the fracture development; the tectonism has a significant influence on the trend, dip, opening width, down-cutting depth and filling condition; the linear density is closely related to lithology and layer thickness; the fractures is developed with the growth of dolomitic content, and the mean value of linear density has a good linear relationship with the mean value of layer thickness.