The　retrieval　of　impervious　surface　is　a　hot　topic　in　the　remote　sensing　field　in　the　past　decade.　Nevertheless,　studies　on　retrieving　impervious　surface　from　hyperspectral　image　and　the　comparison　of　the　performances　in　retrieving　impervious　surface　between　hyperspectral　and　multispectral　images　are　rarely　reported.　Therefore,　The　present　paper　focuses　on　the　characteristics　of　hyperspectral　(EO-1　Hyperion)　and　multispectral　(Landsat　TM/ETM+)　images　and　implements　a　complementary　study　on　the　comparison　based　on　the　retrieved　impervious　surface　information　between　Hyperion　and　TM/ETM+　data.　For　up　to　242　bands　of　Hyperion　image,　a　further　study　was　carried　out　to　select　feature　bands　for　impervious　surface　retrieving　using　stepwise　discriminant　analysis.　As　a　result,　11　feature　bands　were　selected　and　a　new　image　named　Hyperion＇　was　thus　composed.　The　new　Hyperion＇　image　was　used　to　investigate　whether　this　band-reduced　image　could　obtain　higher　accuracy　in　retrieving　impervious　surface.　The　three　test　regions　were　selected　from　Fuzhou,　Guangzhou　and　Hangzhou　of　China,　with　date-coincident　or　nearly　coincident　image　pairs　of　the　used　sensors.　The　linear　spectral　mixture　analysis　(LSMA)　was　employed　to　retrieve　impervious　surface　and　the　results　were　accessed　for　their　accuracy.　The　comparison　shows　that　the　Hyperion　image　has　higher　accuracy　than　TM/ETM+,　and　the　Hyperion＇　composed　of　the　selected　11　feature　bands　has　the　highest　accuracy.　The　advantages　of　Hyperion　in　spectral　and　radiometric　resolutions　over　TM/ETM+　are　believed　to　be　the　main　factors　contributing　to　the　higher　accuracy.　The　high　spectral　and　radiometric　resolutions　of　Hyperion　image　allow　the　sensor　to　have　higher　sensitivity　in　distinguishing　subtle　spectral　changes　of　ground　objects.　While,　the　highest　accuracy　the　11-band　Hyperion＇　image　achieved　is　owing　to　the　significant　reduction　of　the　band　dimension　of　the　image　and　thus　the　band　redundancy.