Paynes Creek is an unincorporated town in Tehama County, California, 23 miles (37 km) east of Red Bluff with a population of about 450. Its ZIP code is 96075 and telephone prefixes follow, which is shared with the town of Dales, California, about 9 miles (14 km) to the west. The town is named for the eponymous watercourse Payne's Creek.