The 1996–97 season was the 82nd season of the Isthmian League, which is an English football competition featuring semi-professional and amateur clubs from London, East and South East England. The league consisted of four divisions.
| Competition: | Isthmian League Premier Division |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Winners: | Yeovil Town |
| Promoted: | Yeovil Town |
| Relegated: | Chertsey Town Grays Athletic Staines Town |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1362 |
| Highest Attendance: | 8,007 – Yeovil Town – Enfield, (25 March) |
| Attendance: | 230,209 |
| Average Attendance: | 498 (+2.9% to previous season) |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
The Premier Division consisted of 22 clubs, including 18 clubs from the previous season and four new clubs:
| Competition: | Isthmian League Division One |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Winners: | Chesham United |
| Promoted: | Basingstoke Town Chesham United Walton & Hersham |
| Relegated: | Canvey Island Marlow Tooting & Mitcham United |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1254 |
| Highest Attendance: | 2,262 – Aldershot Town – Basingstoke Town, (31 March) |
| Attendance: | 139,574 |
| Average Attendance: | 302 (+10.6% to previous season) |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
Division One consisted of 22 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and six new teams:
Three clubs relegated from the Premier Division:
Three clubs promoted from Division Two:
| Competition: | Isthmian League Division Two |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Winners: | Collier Row & Romford |
| Promoted: | Leatherhead Collier Row & Romford Wembley |
| Relegated: | Dorking Hemel Hempstead Ware |
| Matches: | 462 |
| Total Goals: | 1451 |
| Highest Attendance: | 820 – Collier Row & Romford – Leatherhead, (15 April) |
| Attendance: | 62,737 |
| Average Attendance: | 136 (+17.2% to previous season) |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
Division Two consisted of 22 clubs, including 17 clubs from the previous season and five new clubs:
Two clubs relegated from Division One:
Three clubs promoted from Division Three:
Also, Collier Row & Romford, formed from a merger between Collier Row and Romford
| Competition: | Isthmian League Division Three |
| Season: | 1996–97 |
| Winners: | Wealdstone |
| Promoted: | Braintree Town Northwood Wealdstone |
| Matches: | 272 |
| Total Goals: | 886 |
| Highest Attendance: | 630 – Wealdstone – Epsom & Ewell, (19 April) |
| Attendance: | 30,404 |
| Average Attendance: | 112 (+9.8% to previous season) |
| Prevseason: | 1995–96 |
| Nextseason: | 1997–98 |
Division Three consisted of 17 clubs, including 16 clubs from the previous season and one new club:
Before the start of the season Cove and Harefield United resigned from the league.