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This paper quantifies urban land use eco-efficiency (ULUEE) and explores its improvement in the context of western China. We propose a hybrid model that includes the Super-slack-based measure model (Super-SBM) and a varying co-efficient panel model using data from 11 provincial cities in the western regions of China from 2000 to 2018. The results show that overall ULUEE, pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency were ecologically inefficient. Meanwhile, ULUEE differences between cities mainly reflect different levels of pure technical efficiency. Further, the linkage between urban population density and ULUEE can be expressed in inverted-U and U-shape curves, and most cities' industrial development positively affects ULUEE, while most cities' fixed asset investments negatively affect ULUEE. Moreover, land management institutions (LMIs) play a moderator role, shaping the main impacts of industrial development on ULUEE. Therefore, the findings suggest that improving ULUEE in the western region of China should focus on attracting inflows of highly skilled people, optimizing resource allocation, and guiding/regulating local government actions. [Display omitted] • Overall urban land use eco-efficiency (ULUEE), scale efficiency and pure technical efficiency of ULUEE are estimated and found to be eco-inefficient in the studied areas. • Slowing ULUEE improvement during the studied period results from slowing improvement of scale efficiency. • ULUEE differences between cities were mainly caused by pure technical efficiency. • LMI plays a moderator role in reducing the main impacts of industrial development on ULUEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]