[Objective] The long-term variations of soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) and its primary controlling factors in terraces on the Loess Plateau were explored. [Methods] Terraces were selected for three land use types, i.e. farmland, orchard, and grassland, with slope designated as the control. Soil samples were collected from slopes and terraces with construction ages of 7, 20, 30 and 40 years to determine the K_s and soil physicochemical properties. The Kruskal-Wallis H test, Spearman correlation analysis, and partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) were conducted to examine the impact of terrace construction on K_s and its temporal variations, as well as the influencing factors. [Results] (1) The K_s of terraces under different land use types exhibited varying patterns with increasing ages of terrace construction. The K_s of farmland increased continuously with construction age of 7, 20, 30 and 40 years, increasing from 0.18 mm/min to 0.28 mm/min, with a growth rate of 55.56%. The K_s of orchard increased with the increase of construction years firstly, then showed a decreasing trend after 30 years, and the K_s of orchard with a construction age of 30 years was significantly higher than that of orchard with a construction age of 7 years, increasing from 0.12 mm/min to 0.35 mm/min, with a growth rate of 191.67%. The K_s of grassland increased with the increase of construction years firstly, then remained relatively stable after 20 years, and the K_s of grassland with a construction age of 20 years was significantly higher than that of grassland with a construction age of 7 years, increasing from 0.14 mm/min to 0.31 mm/min, with a growth rate of 121.43%. (2) The primary factors influencing K_s included soil particle size distribution, soil bulk density, and mean weight diameter of aggregates, with the path coefficients being -0.431, -0.561 and 0.226, respectively. [Conclusion] The variation in the impact of terrace land use types on soil properties resulted in varying patterns of K_s with increasing ages of terrace construction. The results can provide a basis for the subsequent management of terraces and the development of efficient dryland farming.