Paint Creek (West Virginia)

{{Short description|River in West Virginia, United States}}

{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox river

| name = Paint Creek

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| image = Paint Creek Kanawha County WV.jpg

| image_caption = Paint Creek in Ash Branch Park in Kanawha County

| map = Paint Creek WV map.png

| map_size = 300

| map_caption = A map of Paint Creek and its watershed

| pushpin_map =

| pushpin_map_size = 300

| pushpin_map_caption= Location of the river mouth in West Virginia

| subdivision_type1 = Country

| subdivision_name1 = United States

| subdivision_type2 = State

| subdivision_name2 = West Virginia

| subdivision_type3 = Counties

| subdivision_name3 = Raleigh, Fayette, Kanawha

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| length = {{convert|42.1|mi|km|abbr=on}}

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| source1 =

| source1_location = northern Raleigh County

| source1_coordinates= {{coord|37|48|32|N|81|16|10|W|display=inline}}{{cite gnis|1544521|Paint Creek}}

| source1_elevation = {{convert|2322|ft|abbr=on}}The National Map elevation for GNIS source coordinates. Retrieved 2013-11-24.

| mouth = Kanawha River

| mouth_location = Hansford

| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|38|12|34|N|81|23|30|W|display=inline,title}}

| mouth_elevation = {{convert|604|ft|abbr=on}}

| progression =

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| basin_size = {{convert|123|sqmi|abbr=on}}

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Paint Creek is a {{convert|42.1|mi|km|adj=on}}{{cite web|title=West Virginia, Upper Kanawha Watershed|url=http://iaspub.epa.gov/tmdl_waters10/attains_watershed.control|work=Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results|publisher=U.S. Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=May 2, 2013}} tributary of the Kanawha River in southern West Virginia. Paint Creek is part of the Mississippi River watershed via the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers and drains an area of {{convert|123|mi2}}.{{cite web|title=Upper Kanawha River|url=http://www.dep.state.wv.us/watershed/w5050006.html|work=Watershed Atlas Project|publisher=West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection|access-date=May 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050404084717/http://www.dep.state.wv.us/watershed/w5050006.html|archive-date=April 4, 2005}}

Paint Creek rises in north central Raleigh County and flows along County Route 7 north through Sweeneyburg and Maynor. At Maynor, the creek continues north along the West Virginia Turnpike.{{Cite FTP |title=Raleigh County, West Virginia General Highway Map |trans-title= |date= |year=2011 |url=ftp://129.71.206.174/county_maps/Raleigh_1_of_4.pdf |scale= |series= |version= |cartography= |page=1 |pages= |section= |inset= |edition= |location= |language= |format=PDF |isbn= |id= |ref= |server=West Virginia Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |access-date=May 2, 2013 }} The creek follows the turnpike north into Fayette County, where it runs through the communities of Willis Branch, Pax, Long Branch, and Lively before curving to the northwest. Past Mossy and East Kingston, the creek briefly turns away from the highway before following it through Westerly, Milburn, Coalfield, Mahan, and Collinsdale.{{Cite FTP |title=Fayette County, West Virginia General Highway Map |trans-title= |date= |year=2011 |url=ftp://129.71.206.174/county_maps/Fayette_2_of_2.pdf |scale= |series= |version= |cartography= |page=2 |pages= |section= |inset= |edition= |location= |language= |format=PDF |isbn= |id= |ref= |server=West Virginia Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |access-date=May 2, 2013 }} The creek then enters Kanawha County, where it heads north through Burnwell, Greencastle, and Whittaker. At Standard, Paint Creek Road turns away from the turnpike to follow County Route 83 (Paint Creek Road) north through Livingston and Gallagher.{{Cite FTP |title=Kanawha County, West Virginia General Highway Map |trans-title= |date= |year=2011 |url=ftp://129.71.206.174/county_maps/Kanawha_5_of_5.pdf |scale= |series= |version= |cartography= |page=5 |pages= |section= |inset= |edition= |location= |language= |format=PDF |isbn= |id= |ref= |server=West Virginia Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |access-date=May 2, 2013 }} The creek flows north through Hollygrove before reaching its mouth at the Kanawha River in Hansford.{{Cite FTP |title=Kanawha County, West Virginia General Highway Map |trans-title= |date= |year=2011 |url=ftp://129.71.206.174/county_maps/Kanawha_5_of_5.pdf |scale= |series= |version= |cartography= |page=5 |pages= |section= |inset= |edition= |location= |language= |format=PDF |isbn= |id= |ref= |server=West Virginia Department of Transportation |url-status=dead |access-date=May 2, 2013 }}

Paint Creek was named for the fact Indians blazed trees using natural paint.{{cite book|last=Kenny|first=Hamill|title=West Virginia Place Names: Their Origin and Meaning, Including the Nomenclature of the Streams and Mountains|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015009099824;view=1up;seq=495;size=125|year=1945|publisher=The Place Name Press|location=Piedmont, WV|page=469}}