Some of the cities, towns, and places in Washington County are Appleby, Arnett, Baldwin, Banyard, Black Oak, Blackburn, Blue Springs Village, Boston, Brentwood, Brush Creek, Cane Hill, Canehill, Center, Cincinnati, Clyde, Cove Creek, Crawford, Durham, Dutch Mills, Elkins, Elm Springs, Evansville, Farmington, Fayette Junction, Fayetteville, Floss, Goshen, Greenland, Gulley, Habberton, Harmon, Harris, Hazel Valley, Hicks, Hogeye, Hubbard, Illinois, Johnson, Lee's Creek, Lincoln, Litteral, Marrs Hill, Mayfield, McNair, Morrow, Mount Olive, Oak Grove, Odell, Onda, Pilgrim's Rest, Pitkin Corner, Prairie, Prairie Grove, Reed, Rhea, Rhea's Mill, Richland, Rochelle Riviera, Savoy, Shady Grove, Skylight, Sonora, Spring Valley, Springdale, Starks, Starr Hill, Steele, Strain, Strickler, Sulphur City, Summers, Sunset, Suttle, Tolu, Tontitown, Tuttle, Valley, Viney Grove, Vineyard, Walnut Grove, War Eagle Cove, Weddington, Wedington, Wedington Woods, West Fork, Wheeler, White River, White Rock, Winslow, Woolsey, Wyman, Wyola
Washington County is a regional economic, educational, and cultural hub in the Northwest Arkansas region. Created as Arkansas's 17th county on November 30, 1848, Washington County has 13 incorporated municipalities, including Fayetteville, the county seat, and Springdale. The county is also the site of small towns, bedroom communities, and unincorporated places. The county is named for George Washington, the first President of the United States
Located within the Ozark Mountains, the county is roughly divided into two halves: the rolling Springfield Plateau and the steeper, forested Boston Mountains. It contains three segments of the Ozark National Forest, two state parks, two Wildlife Management Areas, the Garrett Hollow Natural Area, and dozens of city parks. Other historical features such as Civil War battlefields, log cabins, one-room school houses, community centers, and museums describe the history and culture of Washington County.
Washington County occupies 951.72 square miles (243,220 ha) and contained a population of 203,065 people in 76,389 households as of the 2010 Census, ranking it 4th in size and 3rd in population among the state's 75 counties. The economy is largely based on the business/management, education, sales, office/administration, and poultry production industries. Poverty rates, median household income, and unemployment rates best state averages, but lag national trends. Politically, Washington County has transitioned from reliably Democratic to steadily Republican in national and state elections since the mid-20th century, with local offices following suit toward the end of the 20th century.
Washington County has long had a reputation for education in the state. The University of Arkansas, the largest four-year college in the state, was established in Fayetteville in 1871. A Washington County campus of the Northwest Arkansas Community College was opened in 2019. Today, Washington County contains eight public school districts, including two of the largest districts in the state (Springdale Public Schools and Fayetteville Public Schools) and two private schools.