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Objective Arthritis patients experience the impact of disease beyond routinely assessed clinical measures. We characterized arthritis‐attributable interference in four important routine life domains: 1) recreation/leisure/hobbies; 2) household chores; 3) errands/shopping; and 4) social activities. Methods Participants were from the Arthritis Conditions Health Effects Survey (2005‐2006), a cross‐sectional survey of noninstitutionalized US adults 45 years or older with doctor‐diagnosed arthritis (n = 1793). We estimated the prevalence of “a lot” of arthritis‐attributable interference and quantified the associations between sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological characteristics and “a lot” of arthritis‐attributable interference (vs “a little” or “none”) in each domain using prevalence ratios (PRs) in multivariable (MV)‐adjusted logistic regression models. Results An estimated 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 adults with arthritis reported “a lot” of arthritis‐attributable interference in recreation/leisure/hobbies (27%), household chores (25%), errands/shopping (22%), and social activities (18%). The highest prevalence of “a lot” of arthritis‐attributable interference was for those unable to work/disabled or reporting severe arthritis symptoms (pain, stiffness, fatigue), anxiety, depression, or no/low confidence in ability to manage arthritis, across domains. In MV‐adjusted models, those unable to work/disabled, currently seeing a doctor, or reporting fair/poor self‐rated health, severe joint pain, anxiety, or no/low confidence in ability to manage arthritis were more likely to report arthritis‐attributable interference than their respective counterparts. Magnitudes varied by domain but were consistently strongest for those unable to work/disabled (MV PR range = 1.8‐2.5) and with fair/poor health (MV PR range = 1.7‐2.7). Conclusion Many characteristics associated with arthritis‐attributable interference in routine life activities are potentially modifiable, suggesting unmet need for use of existing evidence‐based interventions that address these characteristics and reduce interferences to improve quality of life.