China is a country with the fastest growing high-speed railway, which is radically changing peoples commuting and travelling patterns, as well as promoting urbanization by reshaping urban spatial patterns in China. However, wide disputes exist in the role of high-speed railway in driving China's urbanization. This paper explores urban spatial patterns and the role of high-speed railway at China's prefecture level over 2010-2016 using MODIS remote sensing data and spatial panel analysis. The results suggest that there is an increasing tendency of urban agglomeration, and the Yangzi River Delta Region has witnessed the most rapid pace of urbanization. The impact of high-speed railway on urbanization depends on the development level of the city and the location of the highspeed railway station. High-speed railway significantly enhances the speed of urbanization with a larger effect in medium and small cities.