Interaction analysis of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the evolution of the Loess Plateau of China's progress towards achieving the SDGs are two prominent research areas of the 2030 Agenda. This paper aims to develop an evaluation index system for the sustainable development of 44 cities in the Loess Plateau of China during 2000-2020, with a focus on achieving the SDGs. It identifies key factors influencing SDGs by analyzing synergies and trade-offs among indicators and drawing the SDG indicator's network. The ultimate goal is to propose effective countermeasures and recommendations for enhancing sustainable development in the Loess Plateau. The study found that nearly half of the indicators interacted, and the synergies between indicators greatly outweighed the tradeoffs. Network connectivity was the highest in the second period (2006-2010), whereas modularity was the highest in the first period (2000-2005) and high-level clustering. Economic development and improvement of living standards were indispensable nodes in the network. When the SDGs level was low, urban construction was more effective for sustainable development, and when the SDGs level was high, the economic structural transformation and high-quality social development were the main areas of concern. Sustainable development is a systematic, long-term goal. Loess Plateau cities should pay more attention to the positive impact of highly coordinated indicators on the sustainable development system.