By means of creep tests and microstructure observations, the effect of transverse pre-compression on high-temperature creep behavior of a [001] oriented single crystal nickel-based superalloy was studied. Results show that after being pre-compressed along [100] orientation at 1040 篊/180MPa for 40 h, the cuboidal g?phase has been transformed into one-dimensional P-type stripe-like rafts parallel to the compressive stress axis. The misorientations of the alloy and stress axis of pre-compression and tensile creep are responsible for the transverse connection of the stripe-like g?rafts. The decrease of the interfacial energy of g?g phases is the driving force of the microstructure evolution during the pre-compression treatment and the subsequent tensile creep test of the alloy. Compared to the alloy without pre-compression, the microstructure of the pre-compressed alloy makes the dislocation slip in matrix channels more easily, which has more contributions to the strain rate of the alloy along [001] orientation, so the pre-compression decreases the creep resistance of the alloy at 980 篊/200 MPa.