Howard County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of 2008, the population was 14,143. The county seat is Nashville. Howard County is Arkansas's 74th county, formed on April 17, 1873, and named for James Howard, a state senator.

It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 595 square miles (1,542 km²), of which 587 square miles (1,521 km²) is land and 8 square miles (20 km²) (1.31%) is water.

Howard County was formed in 1873 from parts of Hempstead, Sevier, Polk and Pike Counties. Center Point was the County Seat. In 1905, the county seat was moved to Nashville. The Arkansas & Louisiana Railroad ran from Hope to Nashville. Farming was the main source of income but now Howard County has several large industries that provide approximately 4,500 jobs. As of the 2000 census, Howard County had a population of 14,300 residents.