| Paxton Creek | |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Pennsylvania |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of Paxton Creek in Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Pennsylvania |
| Subdivision Type3: | County |
| Subdivision Name3: | Dauphin |
| Length: | 13.9miles |
| Source1 Location: | Linglestown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 40.3581°N -76.8025°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1220feet[1] |
| Mouth: | Susquehanna River |
| Mouth Location: | Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 40.2431°N -76.8639°W[2] |
| Mouth Elevation: | 292feet |
| Basin Size: | 27.4sqmi |
| Tributaries Left: | Black Run (Paxton Creek) |
| Tributaries Right: | Asylum Run |
Paxton Creek is a 13.9adj=midNaNadj=mid[3] tributary of the Susquehanna River in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania in the United States.
The Paxton Creek watershed covers an area of and joins the Susquehanna River at South Harrisburg, Harrisburg.[4]
The name Paxton, or Paxtang, is derived the Susquehannock term "Peshtank", meaning "where the waters stand" or "the place of springs". It is born from two branches on the southern slopes of Blue Mountain to form the main stem in Lower Paxton Township. It then forms Wildwood Lake in Susquehanna Township, artificially formed in 1908 by damming the creek for recreational activities.[5] Later, it extends downstream approximately 6.2 miles to Harrisburg as a concrete channel built in 1914 (against the wishes of Warren Manning) to mitigate urban runoff and flooding, which is common after severe storms. This urban stream section of the confluence has been subject to planned restoration efforts, with a 2018 study published by PennDOT stating a goal aiming to "restore the creek’s ecosystem and improve its functions and services" by reversing the negative effects of the concrete channel and its degradation.[6]