| Paint Creek | |
|---|---|
 Paint Creek at Greenfield | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | 5 mi (8.0 km) southwest of London |
| • elevation | 1,100 ft (340 m)[1] |
| Mouth | |
• location | Scioto River near Chillicothe |
• elevation | ~ 590 ft (180 m)[2] |
| Length | 94.7 mi (152.4 km) |
| Basin size | 1,143 sq mi (2,960 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Chillicothe |
| • average | 1,368 cu ft/s (38.7 m3/s), USGS water years 1986-2019[3] |
Paint Creek is a tributary of the Scioto River, 94.7 miles (152.4 km) long,[4] in south-central Ohio in the United States.[5] Via the Scioto and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. It drains an area of 1,143 square miles (2,960 km2).[4]
Paint Creek rises in southwestern Madison County and flows initially south-southeastwardly through Fayette County and along the boundaries of Highland and Ross Counties, past the towns of Washington Court House and Greenfield. Downstream of Greenfield, a dam causes the stream to form Paint Creek Lake, part of Paint Creek State Park. Below the dam, Paint Creek flows eastwardly through Ross County, past Bainbridge and just to the south of Chillicothe to its confluence with the Scioto River.[6]