Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. The jail figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 24, 2026 and October 4, 2026.
Washington County, Arkansas, has about 266,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A person kept in custody after an arrest in Washington County is held at the county jail, run by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and the jail's record of each person held is a public record. This guide says where to look for someone in custody, what the jail holds and who books people into it.
This guide covers the search, the jail, who books people, state prison and common questions.
Related guides: Washington County public records, Washington County arrest records, Washington County warrants, Washington County criminal records, Washington County court records, Arkansas arrest records and Arkansas inmate search.
Finding Someone in Custody in Washington County
A person kept in custody after an arrest in Washington County is held at the county jail, run by the Washington County Sheriff's Office, whichever agency made the arrest.
SearchSystems opened and checked the jail page of the Washington County Sheriff's Office at washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/sheriff (page title: Sheriff | Washington County, AR), phone (479) 444-5700, 1155 W. Clydesdale Drive Fayetteville, AR 72701, Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on October 4, 2026.
That page is the office's jail information page rather than a roster, so a search for a particular person goes through the office at (479) 444-5700.
The Washington County Jail by the Numbers
On an average day in 2023 the jail held about 780 people, up from about 690 in 2019. Its rated capacity in 2023 was 568 beds, and it ran at 137 percent of it that year. The figures are from the Vera Institute of Justice's Incarceration Trends data.
Washington County has about 266,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate), so the jail holds about 29 people for every 10,000 residents.
Who Books People Into the Washington County Jail
The Washington County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Fayetteville, Springdale, Farmington, Prairie Grove, Tontitown, Elkins and five more cities make the arrests that end in a booking in Washington County.
The FBI's agency list also places these agencies in Washington County: the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (campus police); the State Park at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park and the State Park at Devil's Den State Park (state agency).
The largest arrest counts reported to the FBI were Springdale's 3,520 for 2025, Fayetteville's 2,757 for 2025 and Farmington's 630 for 2025.
Together, the 12 agencies in Washington County with all twelve months of 2025 on file reported 8,948 arrests to the FBI that year. Those kept in custody were booked into the county jail; a person cited and released at the scene was not.
The counts, agency by agency and year by year, are in Washington County arrest records.
From the Jail to State Prison
The jail holds people awaiting trial and people serving short sentences. A person sentenced to prison in Washington County serves the sentence in a facility of the Arkansas Division of Correction, whose inmate locator is at doc.arkansas.gov/correction/online-services.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find an inmate in Washington County?
Ask the Washington County Sheriff's Office at (479) 444-5700; its jail page SearchSystems verified is at washingtoncountyar.gov.
How many people are in the Washington County jail?
About 780 on an average day in 2023, the latest year in the Vera Institute's jail data, against a rated capacity of 568 beds.
What is the phone number for the Washington County jail?
(479) 444-5700, the number on the page of the Washington County Sheriff's Office SearchSystems verified.
Where do people sentenced to prison in Washington County go?
To a facility of the Arkansas Division of Correction; its inmate locator is at doc.arkansas.gov/correction/online-services.
Is this the official Washington County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.