The present paper is an attempt to analyse the trends of differential in literacy rate, spatial patterns of urban-rural differential and the relationship between differential index and selected variables of development among the districts of Uttar Pradesh, India. The urban-rural differential index is found to be high in the south-eastern part and it tends to decline towards western part of the state. The relationship between rural literacy and urban literacy rate are marked by a substantial increase from western-central to eastern regions. The ‘t’ test reveals that male literacy rate, female literacy rate, urbanization, per capita income, commercialization, educational facilities, and medical facilities are the chief determinants.