To explore the optimal supply model of water and nitrogen for spring maize under limited irrigation in arid Northwest China, a field experiment with orthogonal design was conducted in the Wuwei Oasis region margin of Shiyang River Basin to study the effects of irrigation amount at different growth stages and the nitrogen application rate on the group yield and the water and nitrogen utilization of spring maize. With the increase of nitrogen application rate, the grain yield of spring maize increased, and the highest grain yield was obtained when the nitrogen application rate was 300 kg x hm(-2) and the irrigation amount at jointing stage was 136 mm. The grain irrigation water use efficiency (GIWUE) decreased with increasing irrigation amount. When the irrigation amount in whole growth period was 340 mm, the grain yield and GIWUE were improved simultaneously with increasing nitrogen application rate. The GIWUE reached the maximum when the nitrogen application rate was 300 kg x hm(-2) and the irrigation amount at seedling and grain-filling stages was 34 mm, respectively. The effects of nitrogen application and irrigation on the nitrogen accumulation in the whole plant decreased in the order of nitrogen application rate, irrigation at jointing stage, irrigation at seedling stage, irrigation at grain-filling stage, and irrigation at heading stage. The optimal supply model of water and nitrogen for spring maize in Wuwei Oasis was 300 kg x hm(-2) of nitrogen application plus 34, 136, 68 and 102 mm of irrigation at seedling, jointing, heading and grain-filling stages, respectively.