In this paper, the optimal design of composite rotor blade cross-section is performed using a genetic algorithm. Skin thickness, torsion box thickness and skin lay-up angle are adopted as discrete design variables. The position and width of a torsion box are considered as continuous variables. An object function of optimal design is to minimize the mass of a rotor blade, and constraints are failure index, center mass, natural frequency and blade minimum mass per unit length. Finally, design variables such as the thickness and lay-up angles of a skin, and the thickness, position and width of a torsion box are determined by using an in-house program developed for the optimal design of rotor blade cross-section.