The 3D spatiotemporal distribution (spatial and annual-month-daily temporal) features of the air quality index (AQI), air pollutants (PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, NO₂, CO, and O₃-8h), and air pollution risks (R) from 2003 to 2018 were investigated to understand the severity of air pollution in Henan province. The multiyear ascending trends for AQI and R values, with a peak in 2015, were observed in 2003 to 2018 since the annual population-weighted average concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and O₃-8h were always higher than the CAAQs II from 2013 to 2017 in Henan province. Changes in the monthly moving average AQI values in Henan province conformed to a U-shaped pattern, with the highest values in the winter (from December to February) and the lowest in the summer (from June to August). Triple peaks for AQI values of 8:00‒10:00 a.m., 6:00‒8:00 p.m., and 2:00‒4:00 p.m. in the representative municipalities corresponded with the morning and evening traffic tendencies and photochemical process. A spatial analysis indicated that there were decreasing trends for air pollution from northwest to southeast in Henan province. Data on 48 concrete parameters were collected from 2003 to 2017 to construct a driving force‒pressure‒state‒influence‒response (DPSIR) model for assessing the socioeconomic forces driving air pollution in this province. It was the too-rapid growth of the driving force index (DFI), induced by urban development and population growth (UDPG), economic growth and change of industrial structure (EGCIS), and energy consumption growth and structure change (ECGSC), that led to a direct increase in the atmospheric pollution burden, i.e., total emissions from air pollution and industrial emissions, which are linearly correlated to values of UDPG and ECGSC, respectively (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the prediction models for AQI and R values in Henan province, with the growth rates being 4.251 DFI⁻¹ and 0.0816 DFI⁻¹, respectively, were simulated by multiple linear regression analysis. Therefore, the integrated risks of air pollution in Henan province were originally driven by DFI.