To investigate the evolution of the hydrological regime in Shandong Province, this study utilized the Mann-Kendall trend test, rescaled range analysis, and partial correlation analysis to characterize the spatiotemporal variability of key hydrological cycle elements, namely precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, and runoff from 1980 to 2018. The results indicated that all three elements exhibited fluctuating upward trends. Notably, actual evapotranspiration and runoff depth increased significantly, with annual growth rates of 1.64mm/a and 2.32mm/a, respectively. Seasonally, actual evapotranspiration showed a significant increase in spring (0.84mm/a, p＜0.01) and winter (0.10mm/a, p＜0.05), while runoff depth increased significantly during spring (0.50mm/a, p＜0.01) and summer (1.50mm/a, p＜0.05). The Hurst indices for areas with significant increases in evapotranspiration and runoff depth were generally above 0.5, suggesting strong persistence in these rising trends. Precipitation was identified as the dominant driver of runoff changes, exerting a significant positive effect with a contribution rate of 72.3%. Meanwhile, variations in both precipitation and leaf area index jointly contributed to the increase in actual evapotranspiration.