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Canton, Texas
Canton is a city of 4,545 people in Van Zandt County, Texas, founded in 1850.
Why visit Canton
Townapedia lists 22 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 28 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Van Zandt County Courthouse and Van Zandt Country Club.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 95°F; January lows average 35°F.
Weather in Canton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Canton
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Van Zandt County in East Texas, United States. It is located about 40 miles west of Tyler. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,229.
From the Wikipedia article Canton, Texas (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks22
Van Zandt County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
Historic place in Canton, Van Zandt County, Texas
10 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial Plaza
Park · 0.7 mi
1200 South Trade Days Boulevard, Canton
Restaurants and cafes28
Southern Brew Coffee Co.
Cafe · 1.3 mi
1760 North Trade Days Boulevard
Mo-We 05:00-18:00; Th,Fr 05:00-20:00; Sa 06:00-20:00; Su 07:00-17:00
El Sombrero
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.7 mi
230 East Veterans Memorial Parkway, Canton
Jerry's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.6 mi
2250 North Trade Days Boulevard, Canton
Val's Italian Restaurant & Pizza
Restaurant · Italian
116 South Capitol Street, Canton
16 more on the map.
History
Canton was surveyed as early as 1840 by a company of men under Dr. W. P. King. The community stands on the original survey of Jesse Stockwell, an early settler in the area. No settlement was made until 1850, when the town was laid out and named by settlers moving from Old Canton in Smith County, Texas. The first district courthouse at Canton opened in 1850, and a post office, the county's fourth, was established in that year.
When the Texas and Pacific Railway was built across the county in 1872, it missed Canton by 10 miles (16 km), and the citizens of Wills Point persuaded county officials to move the county seat there. In the resulting dispute in 1877, armed residents of Canton went to Wills Point to recover the records, and the county judge wired Governor Richard B. Hubbard for aid. The Texas Supreme Court finally decided in favor of Canton. Unwilling to use the railroad at Wills Point, Canton businessmen established Edgewood, 10 mi (16 km) to the northwest of town, and built an extension to the railroad at a siding formerly called Stevenson.
From the History section of Canton, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Quality Inn & Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
2406 North Trade Days Boulevard, Canton
Churches and places of worship10
St Therese Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 1.2 mi
885 First Monday Lane, Canton
Shopping7
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries8
Healthcare3
Map of Canton
97 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 35°F | 3.4 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 38°F | 3.6 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 45°F | 4.2 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 53°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 83°F | 62°F | 4.8 in |
| Jun | 90°F | 70°F | 3.9 in |
| Jul | 94°F | 73°F | 2.2 in |
| Aug | 95°F | 73°F | 2.6 in |
| Sep | 89°F | 66°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 55°F | 4.8 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 45°F | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 37°F | 4.1 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Wills Pt (13 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
Van Zandt County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-05-17: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2021-02-19: Severe Winter Storms (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2021-02-14: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Ice Storm)
- 2020-03-25: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2016-04-25: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Terrell Municipal Airport (TRL) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 26 miles away.
- Ben Wheeler 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Brownsboro 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Athens 24 mi south, about 39 min by car
- Terrell 27 mi northwest, about 44 min by car
- Heartland 35 mi west, about 57 min by car
- Tyler 36 mi southeast, about 59 min by car
- Forney 37 mi west, about 59 min by car
- Royse City 39 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Rockwall 42 mi northwest, about 1 h by car
- Mesquite 44 mi west, about 1 h 15 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
Loading what members have shared...
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
- Blackwell House Museum, Canton, TX IMG 5614, MyName ( Billy Hathorn ( talk )), CC BY 3.0
- Canton October 2017 04 (Canton Square Bed & Breakfast), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 03 (Van Zandt County Courthouse), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 05 (N Buffalo Street and W Dallas Street), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 02 (Alex's Greek Cafe), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 06 (Van Zandt County Courthouse), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 07 (Canton Dish Barn), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 11 (Plaza Theater), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 01 (City Hall), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 08 (Reminisce Antiques), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 09 (First Monday Trade Days Main Gate), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Canton October 2017 10 (City Hall), Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0
- John H. Reagan historical marker, Canton, TX IMG 6631, Billy Hathorn, Public domain
- Isaac and Francis Van Zandt Monument, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Vanzandt courthouse 2010, Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0
- Erynnis juvenalis 262948497, Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0
- Erynnis juvenalis 262948505, Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0
- Erynnis juvenalis 262948514, Sam Kieschnick, CC BY 4.0
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