The invention discloses a counterweight arrangement structure in an elevator traction system. The counterweight arrangement structure comprises an elevator car, a mounting platform and shaftway vertical columns which are arranged at four corners of the mounting platform, a traction machine and a traction wheel connected with the traction machine are arranged on the mounting platform, a first traction rope and a second traction rope are wound around the traction wheel, one end of the first traction rope is connected with the top of the elevator car, the other end of the first traction rope is connected with a first counterweight which is slidably arranged in the first shaftway vertical column, one end of the second traction rope is connected with the top of the elevator car, the other end of the second traction rope is connected with a second counterweight which is slidably arranged in the other shaftway vertical column, the first counterweight and the second counterweight are located on the two sides of the traction wheel correspondingly, and the four corners of the elevator car are in sliding connection with the corresponding shaftway vertical columns correspondingly. According tothe counterweight arrangement structure, multi-direction free setting of an elevator car door is facilitated, meanwhile, the overall impression of an all-transparent sightseeing elevator and a household elevator can be remarkably improved, and the safety of the elevator can be improved.