Canton, New York Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Canton

Town

Canton in 1945

Seal

Map highlighting Canton's location within St. Lawrence County.

Canton

Location in New York

Country

United States

State

New York

County

St. Lawrence

Established

1805

Area

• Total

105.86 sq mi (274.18 km²)

• Land

104.76 sq mi (271.33 km²)

• Water

1.10 sq mi (2.85 km²)

Population

(2020)

• Total

11,638

• Density

106.11/sq mi (40.97/km²)

Time zone

UTC−5 (EST)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−4 (EDT)

ZIP code

13617

Area code(s)

315

Demonym

Cantonian
Cantonite

Website

[1]

Canton is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. In 2020, about 11,638 people lived there. The town has two villages: one is also called Canton, and the other is Rensselaer Falls. The town was named after the famous port city of Canton (now called Guangzhou) in China.

Canton is home to two important schools: St. Lawrence University and the State University of New York at Canton. The local school district, Canton Central School District, is also based in the village of Canton.

History of Canton
Geography of Canton
Population of Canton
Transportation in Canton
Communities and locations in the Town of Canton
Notable people
Images for kids
See also

History of Canton

US Weather Bureau station around 1900

People have lived in this part of New York for a very long time, possibly since the Paleo-Indian period, which was about 15,000 to 7,000 years ago. Later, Native American groups like the Iroquoian peoples arrived. The Mohawk and Oneida people consider the Adirondack Mountains, which are nearby, to be part of their land. When the first European settlers came, this area was part of the Mohawk Nation's territory. The Mohawks are also known as Kanienkehaka, meaning "the people of the flint."

The first settler arrived in Canton in the year 1800. The town was officially formed on May 14, 1805. It was created from a part of the town of Lisbon. The name "Canton" was chosen because people were very interested in trade with China at that time. Canton was one of the first ten towns in St. Lawrence County. In 1845, the community of Canton became an official village. The historic Brick Chapel Church and Cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

Geography of Canton

After the War of 1812, the United States and Great Britain drew a border line. This line divided the land of the Akwesasne Mohawk people. Now, the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation is located in both the United States and Canada.

The town of Canton covers about 105.9 square miles. Most of this area, about 104.8 square miles, is land. The rest, about 1.1 square miles, is water.

A map of Canton from 1885, showing important places.

The Grasse River flows north through the middle of St. Lawrence County. The Oswegatchie River flows through the northwest part of the town. A main road, U.S. Route 11, runs through Canton from northeast to southwest. It crosses with New York State Route 68 and New York State Route 310 in Canton village.

Population of Canton

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1820	1,337	—
1830	2,440	82.5%
1840	3,465	42.0%
1850	4,685	35.2%
1860	6,379	36.2%
1870	6,014	−5.7%
1880	6,275	4.3%
1890	6,096	−2.9%
1900	6,387	4.8%
1910	6,151	−3.7%
1920	6,497	5.6%
1930	6,795	4.6%
1940	6,138	−9.7%
1950	7,652	24.7%
1960	8,935	16.8%
1970	10,348	15.8%
1980	11,568	11.8%
1990	11,120	−3.9%
2000	10,334	−7.1%
2010	10,995	6.4%
2020	11,638	5.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

In the year 2000, a census showed that 10,334 people lived in Canton. There were about 3,198 households. Many households, about 31.8%, had children under 18 living with them. About 49.3% were married couples.

The people in Canton were of different ages. About 18.9% were under 18 years old. About 29.6% were between 18 and 24. The average age in the town was 27 years old.

Transportation in Canton

U.S. Route 11 is a major road that goes through Canton. You can take a bus service called Adirondack Trailways from Canton. It connects to other towns like Gouverneur, Watertown, and Syracuse to the west. To the east, it goes to Potsdam, Malone, and Rouses Point.

To the north, New York State Route 68 leads to Ogdensburg. From Ogdensburg, you can cross into Canada at the Johnstown border. Canada's capital, Ottawa, is about an hour away from there.

A railway line, the CSX Transportation former New York Central Railroad St. Lawrence Division, also runs through the town. This line used to carry passenger trains until 1964.

Communities and locations in the Town of Canton

Crary Mills – A small community southwest of Canton village.
Brick Chapel – A community south of Canton village on County Road 27.
Canton – The main village, located in the center of the town by the Grasse River and US-11.
Eddy – A community in the southwest part of the town on US-11.
Morley – A community on the northern town line by the Grasse River. It was once called "Long Rapids."
Pyrites – A community in the southwest part of the town on US-11.
Rensselaer Falls – A village in the northwest part of the town.
St. Lawrence University – A university located in Canton village.
SUNY Canton – A state college northwest of Canton village.
Upper and Lower Lakes State Wildlife Area – A protected area for wildlife.
Woodbridge Corners – A place northwest of Canton village on NY-68.