Canton, Missouri
Canton is a city of 2,752 people in Lewis County, Missouri, founded in 1830.
Why visit Canton
Townapedia lists 10 museums and landmarks, 4 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 2 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Lincoln School and Lock and Dam No. 20.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 17°F.
Weather in Canton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Canton
Canton is a city in Lewis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,774 at the 2020 census. Canton is the home of Culver–Stockton College, a small liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It also had the oldest continuously operating ferry across the Mississippi River, which closed in April 2014.
From the Wikipedia article Canton, Missouri (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks10
Lincoln School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
School in Canton, Missouri
Lock and Dam No. 20
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Mississippi River lock and dam, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes1
History
The city of Canton, believed to be named in honor of Canton, Ohio, predates the surrounding Lewis County by three years, having been founded in 1830, whereas the county would not be created from part of Marion county until 1833. It was founded by Issac Bland, Robert Sinclair, and Edward White—the latter constructing the town's first home in February, 1830. The building also doubled as Canton's first business, a tavern. Canton's early history could well be called a tale of two cities. The village of Tully, founded in November, 1834, was just a mile north of fledgling Canton and had a slightly better area for steamboats to anchor. Being the preferred spot to load and unload cargo, Tully slowed Canton's growth for the first two decades of its existence. However a series of floods, especially a major one in 1851, destroyed much of Tully. The few remnants of Tully were destroyed in the early 1930s during the construction of Lock and Dam No. 20.
From the History section of Canton, Missouri on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Map of Canton
24 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°F | 17°F | 1.6 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 21°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 30°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 63°F | 42°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 72°F | 53°F | 5.2 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 63°F | 4.6 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 66°F | 4.2 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 64°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 77°F | 56°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 44°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 51°F | 32°F | 2.6 in |
| Dec | 39°F | 23°F | 2.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Canton L&D 20 (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lewis County has had 21 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-08-03: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-07-09: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2016-01-02: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2015-08-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Quincy Regional Airport (UIN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Quincy 16 mi southeast, about 25 min by car
- Warsaw 16 mi north, about 26 min by car
- Keokuk 20 mi north, about 33 min by car
- Hamilton 20 mi northeast, about 32 min by car
- Camp Point 25 mi east, about 41 min by car
- Carthage 29 mi northeast, about 46 min by car
- Hannibal 30 mi south, about 48 min by car
- Fort Madison 35 mi north, about 57 min by car
- Barry 39 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Burlington 51 mi northeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Canton downtown, Fourth between Lewis and Clark, Nyttend, Public domain
- Mississippi River Lock and Dam number 20 HAER, Peter A. Rathbun, Public domain
- Lincoln School, Canton, Nyttend, Public domain
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