Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,775 at the 2000 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Boston.

History
Canton was officially incorporated in 1797 from the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Some stories suggest that the name'Canton'comes from the early belief that Guangzhou was on the complete opposite side of the earth, however the opposite side of the earth from Canton lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Australia. Paul Revere built the nation's first Copper Rolling Mill] there in 1801 and wrote the poem entitled...

Canton is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,775 at the 2000 census. Canton is part of Greater Boston, about 15 miles (24 kilometers) southwest of downtown Boston.

History
Canton was officially incorporated in 1797 from the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Some stories suggest that the name'Canton'comes from the early belief that Guangzhou was on the complete opposite side of the earth, however the opposite side of the earth from Canton lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of Australia. Paul Revere built the nation's first Copper Rolling Mill] there in 1801 and wrote the poem entitled Canton Dale] about his affection for the town. Canton is also the birthplace of the Rising Sun Stove Polish Company founded by Elijah Morse, a welthy merchant, creator of the pot-belly stove.

Commerce
Canton is the headquarters of Reebok, Dunkin Donuts, Computershare (North American HQ), Organogenesis, Inc., Interpolymer Corporation, and Tweeter (store) are located in Canton.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.6 square miles (50.7 km²), of which, 18.9 square miles (49.0 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.7 km²) of it (3.27%) is water.

Canton lies at the foot of Great Blue Hill. The Canton River flows through the center of the town, linking a chain of small lakes including Bolivar and Forge Ponds and flowing into the Neponset River. The Neponset River forms the boundary between Canton and its western neighbors: Norwood, Massachusetts, Westwood, Massachusetts, and Dedham, Massachusetts. In addition to wooded land, the area includes wetlands, particularly in the eastern part along Route 138 near the Randolph and Stoughton, and in the western part along Route 95.