Welcome to Canaan ...
Canaan is located in Columbia County<1>.
While we don't have a date for the founding of Canaan, you might consider that their post office opened in 1814.
Canaan is 840 feet [256 m] above sea level.<2>.
Time Zone: Canaan lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT) and observes daylight saving time
Area Codes for Canaan: 518 & 838<3>
The ZIP code for Canaan: 12029<4>
Communities Also Named Canaan ...
Using our Gazetteer, we found that there are 31 communities that are also named Canaan - they are located in Alabama (3), Arkansas (2), Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Nova Scotia (3), Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, South Carolina (3), Tennessee (2), Texas (2), Vermont and West Virginia.
For more information, see our Tidbits & Trivia Page for Canaan.
Communities near Canaan ...
We have created a list of 10 communities that are near Canaan.
- Pittsfield
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
- Great Barrington
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
- Dalton
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
- Dalton is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dalton
- Population from the 2020 Census: 6,479 people
- Lee
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
- Lee is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee
- Population from the 2020 Census: 5,629 people
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Lee
- From Canaan to Lee
- Lenox
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Ravena
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the west)
- Cheshire
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Lanesborough
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Lanesborough is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lanesborough
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,925 people
- Coxsackie
(18 miles [29 km] to the west)
- Hinsdale
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the east)
- Hinsdale is located in Berkshire County (MA)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hinsdale
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,902 people
To Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
We have a couple of sections for those tracing their genealogy.
We created a list of cemeteries that are in the area around Canaan. Our list includes the location of those cemeteries and we provide an overhead view. See our Cemetery List for Canaan.
Using the information from an 1895 Atlas, we've created a list of communities that were in the area of Canaan. Our list includes information such as whether the 1895 community had a post office or railroad service. See our List of 1890's Communities around Canaan.
We also have a detailed list of newspapers that have been published in the area around Canaan. See our Newspapers Page for Canaan.
TripAdvisor Tourism Pages for Canaan ...
Looking for more information about Canaan? A wonderful source is the TripAdvisor website. We always start with the TripAdvisor Tourism page, where you can read an overview with links that will help you find lodging, restaurants and attractions.
In addition to the Tourism page for Canaan, there are neighboring communities that also have Tourism pages. More information about those communities can be found on our TripAdvisor Page for Canaan.
Adding Canaan to Our Gazetteer ...
We originally found mention of Canaan in both the FIPS-55 and the GNIS. For more information, see the FIPS and GNIS Codes sections on our Miscellaneous Page.
From our notes, the earliest published mention we've found (so far) for Canaan was in the document titled List of Post Offices from Cameron Blevins and Richard Helbock.<6>
From that list, the Canaan post office opened in 1814.
For more details, see References and Mentions for Canaan.
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If you're interested in how the shape of New York's counties, including Columbia, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <2> | The elevation is an estimate for the area around Canaan - it will be higher in some places and lower in others. |
| <3> | When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 518 code has been Overlayed with the 838 area code. New phone numbers in the Canaan area will be assigned with one of these codes: 518 or 838. As a result, placing a call in the Canaan area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number). |
| <4> | ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Canaan). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Canaan or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS). |
| <5> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <6> | A copy of the Blevins & Helbock Post Office list with background information can be found at:
https://cblevins.github.io/us-post-offices/data-biography/ |