Canton, Michigan facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Canton Township, Michigan
Charter township
Charter Township of Canton
The Canton Municipal Building in 2010
Motto(s): "Michigan's Community of Vision!"
Location within Wayne County
Canton Township, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Canton Township, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Wayne
Settled	1825
Organized	1834
Area
• Charter township	36.14 sq mi (93.6 km²)
• Land	36.11 sq mi (93.5 km²)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km²)
Elevation	679 ft (207 m)
Population (2020)
• Charter township	98,659
• Density	2,732.2/sq mi (1,054.9/km²)
• Metro	4,285,832 (Metro Detroit)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48187, 48188
Area code(s)	734
FIPS code	26-13120
GNIS feature ID	1626030

Canton Township, often just called Canton, is a special type of town called a charter township in Wayne County, Michigan. It's a western suburb of Detroit, located about 23 miles (37 km) west of downtown Detroit. It's also about 15 miles (24 km) east of Ann Arbor.

In 2020, Canton had a population of 98,659 people. This makes it Michigan's second most populated township. It's also the ninth most populated city or town overall in Michigan. Canton is known for being a high-income area and is often ranked as one of the safest cities in Michigan and the U.S.

Communities in Canton

Canton Township is made up of a few smaller communities.

Canton is a community within the township. The name often refers to the whole township. It has its own post office, which started in 1852.
Cherry Hill is another community in the northwest part of the township. It has a mix of new neighborhoods and old historic buildings.
Hoffman was a historic settlement located west of the city of Wayne in 1880.
Sheldon (or Sheldon's Corners) is a community in the southern part of the township. It's on U.S. Highway 12. This community dates back to 1825, even before Canton Township was officially created. The Sheldon Inn was built here in 1825. Sheldon is a Michigan State Historic Site.

History of Canton Township

The area where Canton Township is located has a long history.

On March 7, 1834, the Michigan government officially created the Township of Canton. It was formed from a southern part of Plymouth Township. The township was named after the city of Canton in Imperial China. The first meeting to organize the township happened in April 1834.

In 2002, a bug called the emerald ash borer was found in Canton. This bug caused problems for ash trees in the Great Lakes region.

The Canton Historical Society and Museum opened in 1982. It's located in an old one-room schoolhouse.

On August 24, 2023, a small tornado hit Canton.

Geography

Canton Township covers about 36.14 square miles (93.60 km2). Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit being water.

The southern part of the township is drained by the Lower River Rouge. The northeastern part is drained by Tonquish Creek and Garden Creek. These are all small rivers and streams.

Economy

Canton Township has many businesses and job opportunities.

Yazaki North American Headquarters

Top Employers

Here are some of the biggest employers in Canton Township:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	Plymouth-Canton Community Schools	1,957
2	Yazaki North America	970
3	Walmart	785
4	A. D. Transport Express	545
5	Sysco Detroit	404
6	Charter Township of Canton	373
7	The Home Depot	316
8	IKEA	301
9	Target	285
10	Meijer	265

The company Visible Ink Press, which publishes books, also has its main office in Canton.

Transportation

Canton has several ways to get around.

Major Highways

I-275 runs north and south along the eastern side of the township.
US 12 (Michigan Avenue) runs east and west through the southern part of the township.
M-153 (Ford Road) runs east and west through the middle of the township.

Airport

Airport Sign

Canton–Plymouth Mettetal Airport is a public airport in the northeast part of the township.

Trails

The I-275 Metro Trail is a path for bicycles that runs next to Interstate 275.

Education

Canton Township is served by three main school districts:

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools (P-CCS) serves most of Canton.
Wayne-Westland Community Schools serves the southeastern part.
Van Buren Public Schools serves the southwestern part.

Schools in Canton

Wayne-Westland Community Schools

Some areas of Canton are part of the Wayne-Westland Community Schools. Students in these areas might go to Walker-Winter Elementary School in Canton or Roosevelt-McGrath Elementary School in Wayne. For middle school, they might attend Stevenson Middle School in Westland or Franklin Middle School in Wayne. High school students go to John Glenn High School in Westland or Wayne Memorial High School in Wayne.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools

Many schools are part of the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools.

Elementary Schools

Bentley Elementary School
Bird Elementary School
Dodson Elementary School
Eriksson Elementary School
Farrand Elementary School
Field Elementary School
Gallimore Elementary School
Hoben Elementary School
Hulsing Elementary School
Isbister Elementary School
Miller Elementary School
Smith Elementary School
Tonda Elementary School
Workman Elementary School

Middle Schools

Discovery Middle School
East Middle School
Liberty Middle School
Pioneer Middle School
West Middle School

High Schools

Canton High School
Plymouth High School
Salem High School
Starkweather Center (for alternative education)

These three high schools (Canton, Plymouth, and Salem) are all part of the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park.

Public Charter Schools

Canton also has several public charter schools:

Canton Charter Academy
Achieve Charter Academy
South Canton Scholars Charter Academy
Plymouth Scholars Charter Academy
Canton Preparatory High School

Private Schools

There are also private schools in the area:

All Saints Catholic School
Plymouth Christian Academy
Plymouth Canton Montessori
Crescent Academy International
Banyan Montessori Academy

Further Education

Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology offers programs for higher education.

Demographics

Aerial view looking west at the intersection of Warren and Ridge roads

The population of Canton Township has grown a lot over the years.

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	1,333	—
1860	1,547	16.1%
1870	1,350	−12.7%
1880	1,392	3.1%
1890	1,184	−14.9%
1900	1,218	2.9%
1910	1,113	−8.6%
1920	1,219	9.5%
1930	1,583	29.9%
1940	2,111	33.4%
1950	3,761	78.2%
1960	5,313	41.3%
1970	11,057	108.1%
1980	48,616	339.7%
1990	57,047	17.3%
2000	76,366	33.9%
2010	90,173	18.1%
2020	98,659	9.4%
2023 (est.)	98,041	8.7%

In 2010, there were 90,173 people living in Canton. About 29% of the population was under 18 years old. The average age was 33 years. Many families live in Canton, with about 63.4% of households being married couples.

The median income for a household in Canton was about $82,669 in 2007. This means half the households earned more than that, and half earned less. Only a small percentage of families and people were living below the poverty line.