Walnut Creek, Ohio

Walnut Creek is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in central Walnut Creek Township, Holmes County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 908. Located in Ohio's Amish Country, Walnut Creek is a popular location for tourists.

History
Walnut Creek was laid out in 1826. Originally named New Carlisle, the village was renamed to Walnut Creek when the post office was established in 1841.

Beginning in the 1990s business leaders developed Walnut Creek into an American-Victorian themed town, which the University of Dayton's Susan Trollinger calls "puzzling" because of the stark contrast between Victorian overdecorating and the Amish plainness. Tourist-oriented businesses typically include "resting places" such as parlors in hotels or wrapround porches lined with rocking chairs or other seating on retail shops, which emphasizes a sense of having plentiful time. Her conclusion is that the Victorian theme and emphasis on resting places is capitalizing on the attraction of nostalgia for a simpler life with plentiful time, which it has in common with the Amish. Large parking lots and sidewalks connect the business district, which is condensed into six square blocks and connected by wide sidewalks, further encouraging a feeling of a slower-pace and life lived on foot. American flags and other patriotic-themed decor are commonly displayed in both exterior and interior spaces, which Trollinger again finds interesting when contrasted to the Amish, who refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and do not fly flags at their schools and homes.

Geography
Walnut Creek is in eastern Holmes County, sitting atop a 200 ft ridge between Goose Creek to the north and Walnut Creek to the south. It is part of the Tuscarawas River watershed.

It lies at the intersection of State Routes 39 and 515. Route 39 leads west 11 mi to Millersburg, the Holmes county seat, and east 17 mi to New Philadelphia, while Route 515 leads north 6 mi to Winesburg.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Walnut Creek CDP has a total area of 5.8 sqkm, of which 4467 sqm, or 0.08%, are water.

Education
East Holmes Local Schools operates Walnut Creek Elementary School in the community.

Walnut Creek has a public library, a branch of the Holmes County District Public Library.