The city ofCanton is thecounty seat ofMadison County, Mississippi, United States,^[5] and is situated in the northern part of themetropolitan area surrounding the state capital,Jackson. The population of Canton was 10,948 at the2020 census,^[4] down from 13,189 in2010.

Canton, Mississippi
City
Madison County Courthouse in Canton
Flag Logo
Nickname:  Movie Capitol of Mississippi
Motto:  One People/One Voice/One Goal
Location in Madison County and the state of Mississippi
Canton, Mississippi Location in the United States
Coordinates:32°36′43″N90°01′24″W / 32.61194°N 90.02333°W /32.61194; -90.02333
Country	United States
State	Mississippi
County	Madison
Government
• Mayor	Dr. William Truly, Jr. (D)[1]
Area [2]
• Total	21.57 sq mi (55.9 km2)
• Land	21.28 sq mi (55.1 km2)
• Water	0.30 sq mi (0.8 km2)
Elevation [3]	223 ft (68 m)
Population  (2020)[4]
• Total	10,948
• Density	514.59/sq mi (198.68/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP code	39046
Area code	601
FIPS code	28-11100
GNIS feature ID	2403988[3]
Website	cityofcantonms.com

The city is adjacent to a large auto manufacturing facility owned byNissan.

Although not a major battle site during theCivil War, Canton was important as a rail and logistics center. Many wounded soldiers were treated in or transported through the city, and as a consequence it has a largeConfederate cemetery.

Much of Canton is on theNational Register of Historic Places. The courthouse square is a historic shopping district and host to the Canton Flea Market. The picturesqueGeorgian courthouse is particularly notable and often appears in photographic exhibits of the South. The east side of town is a large part of the historic district with many homes.

Canton is in central Madison County 24 miles (39 km) northeast of Jackson. Canton is bordered to the south by the city ofGluckstadt.

U.S. Route 51 passes through the center of the city as Liberty Street and Union Street, leading southwest to Jackson and north-northeast 19 miles (31 km) toPickens.Mississippi Highway 16 passes through the city center on East Peace Street and North Liberty Street, leading east 31 miles (50 km) toCarthage and northwest 30 miles (48 km) toYazoo City.MS 22 has its eastern terminus in the center of Canton and leads west 18 miles (29 km) toFlora.MS 43 passes through the east side of Canton, leading northeast 47 miles (76 km) toKosciusko and southeast 30 miles (48 km) toPelahatchie.Interstate 55 passes through the west side of the city, with access from Exits 118 (Nissan Parkway) and Exit 119 (MS 22). I-55 leads southwest to Jackson and north 85 miles (137 km) toGrenada.

According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the city of Canton has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56 km²), of which 21.3 square miles (55 km²) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km²), or 1.38%, are water.^[2] Batchelor Creek flows westward through the city just north of downtown, and Bear Creek flows to the northwest through the southern part of the city. The city is in the watershed of theBig Black River.

According to theKöppen Climate Classification system, Canton has ahumid subtropical climate, abbreviated "" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Canton was 108 °F (42.2 °C) on September 7, 1925, while the coldest temperature recorded was −11 °F (−23.9 °C) on January 27, 1940.^[6]

As of the2020 United States census, there were 10,948 people, 4,774 households, and 2,953 families residing in the city.

As of thecensus^[10] of 2010, there were 13,189 people and 4,494 households in the city with an average household size of 2.99. The population density was 621.1 inhabitants per square mile (239.8/km²). There were 4,933 housing units. Theracial makeup of the city was 19.5% White, 74.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.5% of the population.

The age distribution was 27.5% under the age of 18 and 10.8% 65 or older. 50.8% of the population were female.

The median household income was $33,350. The per capita income for the city was $15,192. About 31.4% of the population were below thepoverty line.

At the2000 census, there were 12,911 people in 4,093 households, including 2,991 families, in the city. The population density was 694.1 inhabitants per square mile (268.0/km²). There were 4,333 housing units at an average density of 232.9 per square mile (89.9/km²). Theracial makeup of the city was 18.64% White, 80.30% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

Of the 4,093 households 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.4% were married couples living together, 34.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 23.8% of households were one person and 10.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.99 and the average family size was 3.55.

The age distribution was 32.3% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% 65 or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 85.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.7 males.

The median household income was $24,237 and the median family income was $27,782. Males had a median income of $25,179 versus $20,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $12,643. About 27.7% of families and 34.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 49.8% of those under age 18 and 25.5% of those age 65 or over.

ANissan plant is sited just outside the southwest city limits. In 2011 Canton officials considered annexing it.^[11]

• Edward Blackmon Jr. (1947-), Former Mississippi State Representative and an attorney; Tougaloo College's board of trustees
• SisterThea Bowman (1937–1990), Roman Catholic nun (Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration)^[12]
• Flonzie Brown Wright (born 1942), African-American civil rights activist^[13]
• The Canton Spirituals, gospel recording group
• Homer Casteel (1879-1958), lieutenant governor from 1920 to 1924
• Annie Bell Robinson Devine (1912–2000), civil rights activist
• Earl B. Dickerson (1891–1986),World War I veteran, first black graduate fromUniversity of Chicago Law School, civil rights attorney, arguedHansberry v. Lee before the United States Supreme Court, founding member of theAmerican Legion
• George Doherty (1920–1987),football player,Buffalo Bills
• Scott Field (1847–1931), U.S. congressman fromTexas
• Rowland Garrett (1950-), professional basketball player^[14]
• L. C. Greenwood (1946-2013), NFL player with thePittsburgh Steelers
• Caroline Herring, folk singer
• Elmore James (1918–1963), blues singer, slide guitarist
• Sonny Landreth (1951-), blues guitarist
• Ronnie Lester (1959-), University of Iowa basketball All-American, NBA player forChicago Bulls andLos Angeles Lakers
• Damien Lewis (1997-), NFL player for theCarolina Panthers
• Samuel Mockbee (1944–2001), architect
• Rev.Cleophus Robinson (1932-1998), gospel singer
• John Henry Rogers (1845–1911), congressman fromArkansas and a federal judge; grew up near Madison
• Reed Stringer (1979–), college football coach^[15]
• Arthur Tate (born 1939), Mississippi state senator
• William M. Walton (1832–1915), Texas Attorney General
• Quinndary Weatherspoon (1996-), NBA player

Canton is officially on theMississippi Blues Trail.Elmore James, ablues singer and a familiar figure in Canton, learned electronics by working in a radio repair shop on Hickory Street. Canton is rich in blues history centered on the juke joints of Hickory Street, known to locals as "The Hollow", as well as other places in Canton. A Mississippi Blues Trail historic marker was placed in Canton on Hickory Street to honor the contribution of James to the development of the blues in Mississippi. Other noted blues performers associated with Canton includeGrady Champion,Little Brother Montgomery, William "Do-Boy" Diamond, Boyd Rivers andJohnny Temple. Musicians include studio guitarist Bucky Barrett and the slide guitaristSonny Landreth. Gospel singers include the Canton Spirituals and ReverendCleophus Robinson.^[16]

In his dedication of Hickory Street, Governor Haley Barbour said,

With his innovative contributions to the electric slide guitar style, legendary Elmore James is among the many reasons Mississippi is truly the birthplace of America's music. Like so many others, Elmore's work was greatly influenced by his childhood home in Canton, where he joined the ranks of musicians likeB.B. King andLittle Milton to play the blues on Hickory Street. Today's blues trail marker not only recognizes the achievements of the talented Elmore James but also pays tribute to Canton's colorful blues heritage.^[16]

The city of Canton is served by theCanton Public School District andCanton High School.Canton Academy is asegregation academy in the area.

• 1974Thieves Like Us
• 1988Mississippi Burning
• 1996A Time to Kill
• 1998Walking in Mississippi
• 2000My Dog Skip
• 2000O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• 2001The Ponder Heart
• 2001Biker Zombies from Detroit
• 2008Ballast
• 2013As I Lay Dying
• 2016Saved By Grace
• 2020 "A Time For Mercy", book by John Grisham

• Official website
• Canton Chamber of Commerce
• Confederate cemetery page
• History of Canton's Jewish community (from theInstitute of Southern Jewish Life)