A new index derived from existing indices – an index-based built-up index (IBI) –is proposed for the rapid extraction of built-up land features in satellite imagery. The IBI is distinguished from conventional indices by its first-time use of thematic index-derived bands to construct an index rather than by using original image bands. The three thematic indices used in constructing the IBI are the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), the modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and the normalized difference built-up index (NDBI). Respectively, these represent the three major urban components of vegetation, water and built-up land. The new index has been verified using the Landsat ETM+ image of Fuzhou City in southeastern China. The result shows that the IBI can significantly enhance the built-up land feature while effectively suppressing background noise. A statistical analysis indicates that the IBI possesses a positive correlation with land surface temperature, but negative correlations with the NDVI and the MNDWI.