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Canton, Texas

13 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1956 and the latest in 1991. It stands in the Canton census division. It lies in ZIP code area 75103. It lies near Red Hill. The Survey maps it on the Canton quadrangle. 4,229 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 505 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Canton within Van Zandt County

On record in Canton

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Population over time

2 figures

Canton grew from 3,581 to 4,229 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
20103,581
20204,229+648 (+18%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 13 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

215 since 1996

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 215 fires within 5 miles of Canton between 1996 and 2020, burning about 854 acres in total. 3 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning106
Missing data/not specified/undetermined96
Equipment and vehicle use6
Natural3
Smoking2
Recreation and ceremony1
Power generation/transmission/distribution1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2013Missing data/not specified/undetermined20 acresTexas A & M Forest Service2211 VZCR 3501
8 September 2016Debris and open burning3.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceFM 2909
8 September 2016Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceFM 2909
6 September 2016Debris and open burning5.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceCR 2301
4 September 2019Debris and open burning1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceHWY 64
4 September 2011Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresTexas A & M Forest ServiceOAK ST
30 September 2016Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2310
30 September 2016Debris and open burningunder an acreTexas A & M Forest Service2142

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Van Zandt County

Storms near this place

60 of 91 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Canton in 91 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 40 thunderstorm wind, 33 hail, 11 flash flood, 4 tornado. The reports record 8 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2008Tornado (EF1)Canton8 hurt, $300,000A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth found that a tornado touched down at a park near Highway 64 and Old Kaufman Road. Several trees were damaged, a power pole was broken, and fencing was blown down. East of the park, two power poles were broken along Highway 64. A mobile home to the northeast suffered minor roof damage and a shed was damaged. The tornado then moved through the First Monday trade site, heavily damaging several trees and pushing over a trailer in the western portion of the grounds. Several vehicles were damaged by falling trees and limbs. Additional tree damage was noted as the tornado approached Highway 19. The damage swath ended about 200 yards east of Highway 19. This tornado was rated a low EF-1 with maximum sustained winds of 85-90 MPH. Two people were trapped in a van under a fallen tree in the First Monday parking lot. A truck travelling north on Highway 19 was thrown 38 yards. The driver was not injured.
April 1995HailCanton$3,000,000Large hail damaged automobiles, businesses, and homes.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindCanton$1,000,000Significant structural damage to several buildings near the intersection of Highway 19 and Highway 243. A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that this damage was due to a downburst. More than forty homes and 15 businesses were damaged.
May 2019Tornado (EF1)Canton$250,000A tornado developed near Canton High School then moved to the northeast toward downtown Canton. Abundant tree damage occurred in southwest Canton, then the tornado strengthened as it approached downtown Canton. Structural damage to several businesses was found as well as tree trunks snapped closer to Interstate 20. This tornado lifted as it approached Interstate 20. Maximum winds with the tornado were estimated at 100 mph.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindCanton$200,000Seventeen buildings were damaged or destroyed by high winds.
July 2007Flash FloodCanton$150,000FM 1256, FM 1861, and several other roads were flooded and impassable. Numerous roads were closed due to culverts and bridges being washed out, including Highways 19 and 243 south of Canton, and Highway 110 east of Van.
April 2017Tornado (EF0)Canton$60,000This brief tornado occurred in nearly the same area of the larger tornado that came through later. This tornado caused damage to trees and barns just southeast of the city center of Canton. The survey crew found evidence of a separate track than the larger tornado, which moved through the area about one hour later.
June 2001LightningCanton$60,000Houses burned to the ground after being struck by lightning. The houses were located between Canton and Phalba, on Highway 198.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindCanton$50,000Damaging downburst winds affected parts of southern Van Zandt County near the community of Ben Wheeler. Three structures were destroyed or badly damaged. Numerous trees were also blown down near Highway 64. No injuries were reported.
April 1994Thunderstorm WindCanton$50,000A mobile home was rolled, scattered roof damage occurred to nearby houses, and trees were blown down by high winds.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindCanton$45,000Social media pictures showed damaged wooden/metal buildings (side of one collapsed, the other partially collapsed and lifted off of its foundation), a bent metal tower, and a wooden structure housing tractors destroyed.
June 2007FloodCanton$40,000A flooded creek washed out a bridge on CR 2721. A truck was driven into the water and had to be retrieved.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindCanton$30,000Downed trees fell onto houses in Canton. Numerous other downed trees were reported across the county.
April 1995Thunderstorm WindCanton$25,000Some structural damage occurred from high winds.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindCanton$20,000Strong winds blew the windows out of homes.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindCanton$15,000Video on X showed several trees blown down in Canton. News reports indicated several homes and businesses suffered roof damage and booths at Canton Trade Days were also damaged.
June 2004Thunderstorm WindCanton$15,000Trees and power lines were blown down all over town.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindCanton$15,000Utility poles and numerous large trees were blown down by high winds. Some roads were closed due to downed trees.
April 2006Tornado (F0)Canton$10,000A damage survey conducted by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth indicated that a short-lived F0 tornado developed on the south and southeast sides of the city of Canton. Significant tree damage was noted on the south side of the city, and a very large tree was uprooted near the intersection of Jack and Elm Streets. The tornado moved northeast across Highway 19 and dissipated west of Highway 64. Numerous trees were downed in a neighborhood east of Highway 19 and north of Highway 243. The damage path suggested that the tornado dissipated in an area roughly 200 yards northeast of the intersection of Goshen and Pecan Streets in Canton.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindCanton$10,000A porch was blown off of a mobile home in Myrtle Springs.
April 2004HailCanton$10,000Car and mobile home windows were broken.
January 1995HailCanton$10,000Softball-size hail broke windows in Whitton.
January 1995HailCanton$10,000Hail larger than two inches in diameter broke windows.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindCanton$8,000Broadcast media reported a collapsed metal multi-vehicle shed.
May 2008Thunderstorm WindCanton$5,000Several trees were blown down.
March 2005Thunderstorm WindCanton$5,000A roof was blown off a carport and part of a house blown into a road.
August 2000Thunderstorm WindCanton$5,000High thunderstorm winds destroyed a real estate office and blew down some trees.
April 1995HailCanton$5,000Windows were broken by wind driven hail.
November 1994Thunderstorm WindCanton$5,000High winds caused roof damage to a building.
June 1996Thunderstorm WindCanton$2,000no account filed
November 1996Thunderstorm WindCanton$2,000no account filed
May 2000Thunderstorm WindCanton$1,000Power lines were blown down by high thunderstorm wind.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindCanton$1,000Large trees were blown down by high winds.
January 2021Thunderstorm WindCanton$500A public report indicated a wood utility pole snapped in the south part of Canton, TX.
August 2010Thunderstorm WindCanton$500A 60 mph wind gust was estimated at the Van Zandt Sheriff's Office in Canton.
April 1999Thunderstorm WindCanton$100Thunderstorm winds blew down trees.
April 2024Thunderstorm WindCanton-Law enforcement reported a tree down with a 12-inch diameter trunk near the intersection of State Highway 64 and FM 859.
April 2024HailCanton-Law Enforcement reported quarter sized hail near SH 64 at FM 859.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindCanton-A broad swath of damaging thunderstorm straight-line winds, several miles in width, occurred over Van Zandt County early Friday morning. These winds produced substantial tree damage and some light structural damage in the city of Canton, and particularly in areas to the west, south, and southeast of Canton. A National Weather Service Fort Worth team found damage in some locations southeast of Canton consistent with wind speeds of approximately 80 to 85 mph.
April 2020HailCanton-An MPING report indicated quarter sized hail about a mile southwest of the city of Canton, TX.
March 2019Thunderstorm WindCanton-Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported that a back porch was removed by thunderstorm winds approximately 14 miles southwest of the city of Canton, TX.
March 2019Thunderstorm WindCanton-Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported multiple trees down near the intersection of FM 2909 and FM 4113, approximately 7 miles southeast of the city of Canton, TX.
April 2017HailCanton-Reports of slightly larger than quarter sized hail were called into the office.
March 2016FloodCanton-Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department reported that some low water crossings were closed in the city of Canton, TX.
October 2010HailCanton-Penny size hail was reported in Canton.
March 2007Flash FloodCanton-One to two feet of water over Highways 19 and 198.
January 2007Flash FloodCanton-Water over numerous roads across the county.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindCanton-Large limbs broken off trees.
June 2004Flash FloodCanton-FM 2924 under water and barricaded. Additional flooding was occurring on FM 3080.
May 2003HailCanton-Golfball size hail covered the ground.
May 2002Thunderstorm WindCanton-A tree was blown down by high winds.
May 2000Flash FloodCanton-Heavy thunderstorm rain created flooding on Highway 19 and F.M. 858 south of Canton.
January 1998Flash FloodCanton-Several roads were flooded and subsequently closed due to flooding.
January 1998Flash FloodCanton-Many roads across the county were flooded and closed.
November 1998Flash FloodCanton-Thunderstorms produced very heavy rains that flooded County Road 2101. The road had to be closed.
April 1997HailCanton-Golfball size hail was covering the road north of town.
May 1997Thunderstorm WindCanton-Numerous large trees were blown down throughout the county.
April 1995HailCanton-Trees were blown down by high winds.
April 1995Thunderstorm WindCanton-Trees were blown down by high winds.
January 1995Thunderstorm WindCanton-Trees were damaged by high winds in Whitton.

Every storm recorded in Van Zandt County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Wentworth3.3 miles13
Wallace4.1 miles13
High4.8 miles13
Myrtle Springs5.1 miles13
Oakland5.8 miles13
Jackson6.3 miles13
Tundra6.4 miles13
Lawrence Springs7.2 miles11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on CantonAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q281481The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1332115. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.