City Town Info

Canton, IL


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Canton, Illinois

Introduction to Canton, Illinois

Canton, Illinois, in Fulton county, is 25 miles W of Peoria, Illinois and 134 miles N of St. Louis, Missouri. The city has a population of 15,288.

Canton History

Settler Isaac Swan founded the city of Canton in 1825. He mistook it as being the antipodal location of Canton, China. The area was earlier known by the name of “Barnes' Prairie” and “Swan's Catch-All.” Canton was turned into a factory town because of its proximity to the Illinois River, the availability of coal and labor and the close proximity to railroads. A large manufacturing factory called International Harvester existed in this city until 1983. It was destroyed by an arson fire in 1997. The city has faced major damages by two tornadoes, one in June 1835, and the other one on July 23, 1975.

Canton and nearby Attractions

  • Parlin Ingersoll Library
  • Canton Industrial Park
  • South Park United Methodist Church
  • Rainbow Lake
  • Lake Drive Shopping Center
  • Kellogg Park

Things To Do In Canton

The city has a number of stunning lakes and reservoirs, the banks of which are popular tourist haunts. Among these are the Strode Lake, the Rainbow Lake, the Fitch Lake, the Bond Lake and the Veterans Lake. The Canton Park District manages nearly 1,400 acres of open space, where a host of recreational opportunities are available to visitors. The Banner Marsh State Fish & Wildlife Area and the Rice Lake State Fish and Wildlife Area are also nearby. The annual Canton Friendship Festival also draws huge crowds from neighboring areas.

Canton Transportation

Greater Peoria Regional Airport is nearby.

Canton Higher Education

Residents of Canton can enroll at the local Spoon River College or the Graham Hospital School of Nursing. Other institutes of higher education in the area are Illinois Central College and Bradley University.

High Points

Canton strengths, compared to Peers (similar size places nationally) or State (other places in Illinois):

CategoryTrophy
Affordability of Rents
(vs. Peers)		Top 16%Canton Affordability of Rents

Comparative Profile of Canton, IL

Comparing Canton to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Illinois (State):

Ratings range from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).


The People

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Male Share of the Population1010
Senior Citizens98
Racial Diversity78
Age of the Population66
Well-Paid Single Men66
Children Under 5 Years Old32
Female Share of the Population11

Families

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Portion of People Married43
Average Household Size22

Wealth

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
People in Middle Class or Better43
People Above Poverty42
Median Family Income33
College Educated Adults25

Commute & Sprawl

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Walking and Biking to Work78
Short Commute Times57
Working at Home44
Public Transportation Use35

Housing

CharacteristicCompared
to Peers		Compared
to State
Affordability of Rents98
People Living Alone89
Affordability of Property Taxes78
Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals79
Seasonal and Vacation Housing35
Housing Recently Built23

Detailed pages on related topics: Canton colleges • Canton travel • Canton mortgage and property.

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Additional Details

Canton CollegesCanton Colleges
Canton colleges and trade schools.
Canton Hotels & TravelCanton Hotels & Travel
Canton hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation.
Canton MortgageCanton Mortgage
Canton property, mortgage, and real estate.

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