| Great Alamance Creek | |
| Name Other: | Tributary to Haw River |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA North Carolina#USA |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Great Alamance Creek mouth |
| Pushpin Map Alt: | Map of Great Alamance Creek mouth location |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | North Carolina |
| Subdivision Type3: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name3: | Alamance Guilford |
| Length: | 37.12miles[1] |
| Discharge1 Location: | Haw River |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 268.41cuft/s at mouth with Haw River[2] |
| Source1: | divide between Great Alamance Creek and Deep River |
| Source1 Location: | about 1 mile north of Pleasant Garden, North Carolina |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 35.9779°N -79.7492°W[3] |
| Source1 Elevation: | 780feet |
| Mouth: | Haw River |
| Mouth Location: | Swepsonville, North Carolina |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 36.0174°N -79.3659°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 458feet |
| Progression: | Haw River → Cape Fear River → Atlantic Ocean |
| River System: | Haw River |
| Tributaries Left: | Little Alamance Creek (Pleasant Garden Creek) Back Creek Little Alamance Creek |
| Tributaries Right: | Climax Creek Stinking Quarter Creek |
Great Alamance Creek, also called Big Alamance Creek, is a 37-mile long[4] creek that is a tributary of the Haw River. The creek's headwaters are in Guilford County, but it flows primarily through Alamance County, North Carolina. It is a major source of water for the cities of Burlington and Greensboro through the Lake Mackintosh Reservoir. It was called "Alamance" after an old local Native American word used to describe the blue-colored mud in the bottom of the creek.[5]
The creek was a part of the site of the Battle of Alamance, fought in 1771 between the colonial militia under the command of Governor William Tryon. When Alamance County was formed from Orange County in 1849, it was named for this battle and creek.
Great Alamance Creek has a tributary that is also called "Alamance Creek" - Little Alamance Creek, which is actually a little longer than Great Alamance Creek at over 12 miles,[4] much of it in Burlington. However, it has less water flow than Great Alamance Creek. Little Alamance Creek flows through City Park[6] in Burlington.
According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as:[3]