An elastic-plastic finite element analysis with high order elements is performed to investigate detailed closure behaviour of fatigue cracks in residual stress fields and the numerical results are compared with experimental results. The plane stress, elastic-plastic finite element analysis with 8-node isoparametric elements can predict successfully fatigue crack closure behaviour through residual stress fields as well as in a residual stressfree specimen. A fatigue crack in a tensile residual stress field opens and closes in a normal manner. On the other hand, the crack opening and closing behaviour through a compressive residual stress field is relatively complicated and seems to be influenced by the relative magnitude of applied load to the compressive residual stress distribution and the stress gradient in the transition region from residual compression to residual tension. Within the range of this study, the crack opening behaviour through a compressive residual stress field can be classified into the three main types, namely, normal, unsymmetric partial and symmetric partial crack opening behaviour. The partial crack opening stress intensity factor including the partial crack opening effect can be easily calculated through the finite element analysis. This calculated partial crack opening stress intensity factor is recommended for the prediction of fatigue crack growth through a compressive residual stress field.