An analysis procedure is presented which allows to simulate the mechanical behavior of masonry arch bridges under static loading. Cracking of masonry under tension as well as nonlinear deformation under compression is taken into account. The soil-structure interaction is modeled by incorporating the soil into the finite element model and assigning a yield criterion to this material. Analysis results obtained for real and imaginary structures are presented. The influence of the assumed material parameters on the model prediction has been investigated in parametric studies. With the focus on railway bridges, recommendations for sufficiently accurate and computationally efficient nonlinear finite element analyses of masonry arch bridges are formulated. Furthermore, a technique for the experimental validation of the analysis results is discussed.