The present work evaluated the concentrations, spatial distribution, pollution, ecological risk, and contamination status of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn) in surface soils (0–30 cm) collected from 16 sites about 200m from oil refineries and industries in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok Governorates, and Koya Town, KRI. The elemental concentrations from soil samples after the digestion process were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, PerkinElmer ELAN 9000, USA). The evaluation was based on Pearson correlation analysis, enrichment factors (EF), contamination factors (CF), degree of contamination, pollution load index (PLI), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), quantification of contamination (QoC), potential ecological risk indices (PERI), risk index (RI), and soil pollution index (SPI). The average concentrations of the elements studied decreased in the order of Fe (30,179.38 mg kg 1) > Ni (145.43 mg kg 1) > Cr (99.50 mg kg 1) > Zn (98.58 mg kg 1) > V (64.31 mg kg 1) > Cu (31.65 mg kg 1) > Co (19.78 mg kg 1) > Pb (15.31 mg kg 1) > As (6.92 mg kg 1) > Cd (0.61 mg kg 1) > Hg (0.02 mg kg 1). Compared with world mean concentrations of soils, Ni, Cr, Co, Cu, As, and Zn were relatively enriched, with Ni showing the highest mean EF (11.89) and CF (up to 16.67). In addition, the Igeo results also revealed Ni as being the most accumulated element, with concentrations of 3.47 at S10 and 1.46 at S3, while Zn and Cd were found to be locally accumulated, with highest concentrations at S6 and S13, respectively. The range of contamination was between 12.4 and 31.9 with the highest levels at S10, S13 and S6. PLI was rated as moderate pollution at 69% of the locations, and less than 1 at 31% locations. S6, S10, and S13 had the highest overall contamination and ecological risk responses. The results of these investigations show significant spatial variation in soil contamination and indicate S6, S10 and S13 as priority areas for additional environmental investigation and monitoring.