Walnut Creek is a 17.93 mi (28.86 km) long 4th order tributary to the Neuse River in Wake County.

The course of the creek closely parallels Interstate 40, running mostly along the north side of the freeway.

According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:[1] Walnut Creek rises in Maynard Pond in south-central Cary, North Carolina in Wake County and then flows east through Cary and Raleigh to join the Neuse River.

[2] Walnut Creek drains most of the southern areas of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Walnut Creek drains 45.98 square miles (119.1 km2) of area and is underlaid by a number of geologic formations on its course east.