diff --git a/cpp/src/arrow/io/file.cc b/cpp/src/arrow/io/file.cc
index 0abadbb16af41..9db2fddba8d9e 100644
--- a/cpp/src/arrow/io/file.cc
+++ b/cpp/src/arrow/io/file.cc
@@ -580,13 +580,21 @@ MemoryMappedFile::~MemoryMappedFile() {}
 
 Status MemoryMappedFile::Create(const std::string& path, int64_t size,
                                 std::shared_ptr<MemoryMappedFile>* out) {
+  int ret;
   std::shared_ptr<FileOutputStream> file;
   RETURN_NOT_OK(FileOutputStream::Open(path, &file));
 #ifdef _MSC_VER
-  _chsize_s(file->file_descriptor(), static_cast<size_t>(size));
+  ret = _chsize_s(file->file_descriptor(), static_cast<size_t>(size));
 #else
-  ftruncate(file->file_descriptor(), static_cast<size_t>(size));
+  ret = ftruncate(file->file_descriptor(), static_cast<size_t>(size));
 #endif
+  
+  if (ret != 0) {
+    std::stringstream ss;
+    ss << "Unable to create file, error: " << std::strerror(errno);
+    return Status::IOError(ss.str());
+  } 
+
   RETURN_NOT_OK(file->Close());
   return MemoryMappedFile::Open(path, FileMode::READWRITE, out);
 }