Jonesboro, city, a seat (with Lake City) of Craighead County, northeastern Arkansas, on Crowleys Ridge; incorporated 1883. It is a commercial and processing center of a farm area producing rice, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and livestock; one of the world's largest rice mills is here. Other manufactures include machinery, lighting fixtures, and printed materials. In the area is Arkansas State University (1909). Jonesboro was founded in 1859 as the seat of newly created Craighead County and named for William A. Jones, a state legislator. Population 31,530 (1980); 46,535 (1990); 55,515 (2000).
