Canton is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Stark County.GR: 6 The municipality is located in northeastern Ohio and is situated on the Nimishillen Creek, approximately 24 miles (38 km) south of Akron and 60 miles (96 km) south of Cleveland.

It was founded in 1805 on the West and Middle Branches of the Nimishillen Creek, and became a manufacturing center owing to its location with numerous railroad lines. After the decline of heavy manufacturing, the city's industry has since diversified into service economy, including retailing, education, financial, and healthcare sectors.

The population was 80,806 at the 2000 census, but according to a 2007 census estimate, the population has declined to 78,319. Despite this decline, the 2007 figure actually had moved Canton up from 9th to 8th place among Ohio cities, as Youngstown, once considerably more populous than Canton, had suffered a larger decline. According to the US Census 2007 estimate, the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area has a total population of 407,180 residents.

Canton is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the McKinley National Memorial, the William McKinley Presidential Library & Museum, and the First Ladies National Historic Site.

History

Bezaleel Wells, the surveyor who divided the land of the town, named it after Canton (an antiquated transliteration for Guangzhou), China. The name was a memorial to a trader named John O'Donnell, whom Wells admired. O'Donnell had named his Maryland plantation after the Chinese city, as he had been the first person to transport goods from there to Baltimore.

Topography

Canton is located at (40.804958, -81.375792)GR: 1, at an elevation of 1060 feet (323 m). Nimishillen Creek and its East, Middle and West Branches flow through the city.

Canton is bordered by Plain Township and North Canton to the north, Meyers Lake and Perry Township to the west, Canton Township to the South, and Nimishillen Township, Osnaburg Township and East Canton to the east. Annexations were approved in December 2006 extending Canton's eastern boundary to East Canton's border.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.3 km²), of which, 20.5 square miles (53.2 km²) of it is land and 0.05% is water.

Climate

Canton has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfa), typical of much of the Midwestern United States, with very warm, humid summers and cold winters. Winters tend to be cold, with average January high temperatures of 33°F (1°C), and average January lows of 17°F (–8°C), with considerable variation in temperatures. During a typical January, high temperatures of over 50°F (10°C) are just as common as low temperatures of below 0°F (–18°C). Snowfall is lighter than the snowbelt areas to the north, but is still somewhat influenced by Lake Erie. Akron-Canton Airport generally averages of snow per winter. Springs are short with rapid transition from hard winter to warm, sometimes humid and muggy summers. Summers tend to be warm, sometimes hot, with average July high temperatures of 82°F (28°C), and average July low of 61°F (16°C). Summer weather is more stable, generally humid with thunderstorms fairly common. Temperatures reach or exceed 90°F (32°C) about 9 times each summer, on average. Fall usually is the dryest season with many clear warm days and cool nights. The all-time record high in the Akron-Canton area of 104°F (40°C) was established on August 6, 1918, and the all-time record low of –25°F (–32°C) was set on January 19, 1994.Monthly Averages for Canton, OH. The Weather Channel. Retrieved on 2008-11-10.