This longitudinal cohort study investigated whether peripheral WBC counts could predict peripheral arterial disease (PAD) incidence after a 2.3-year follow-up in a Chinese community-based population without PAD at baseline. A total of 3555 Chinese subjects without fever and PAD at baseline from an atherosclerosis cohort were included in our analysis. The ankle brachial index (ABI) was measured, and PAD was defined as an ABI <0.9. Multivariate regression models were used to evaluate the association of WBC count and new-onset PAD. The mean (±s.d.) baseline WBC count was 6.11±1.54 × 109 l-1, the mean (±s.d.) ABI was 1.11±0.08 at baseline and the incidence of PAD was 2.7% over 2.3 years. WBC counts were significantly associated with PAD incidence (odds ratio (OR)=1.27, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.14-1.41, P<0.0001) with every 1 × 109 l-1 increase in WBC count. This relationship remained significant (OR=1.21, 95% CI: 1.08-1.36, P=0.0014) even after adjusting for other variables. The highest WBC quartile group had increased risk when compared with the lowest quartile group (OR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.09-4.22, P=0.027) in a multivariate logistic model. Furthermore, we did not find significant heterogeneity among the analyzed subgroups based on sex (male or female), age (<60 or ⩾60 years old), body mass index (BMI, <25 or ⩾25 kg m-2), current smoking, current drinking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia or cardiovascular disease. In conclusion, elevated WBC counts independently predict the risk of new-onset PAD in a Chinese community-based population, supporting the hypothesis that systemic inflammation plays an important role in PAD development.