Canton is considered one of Baltimore's trendiest and vibrant neighborhoods, known for its family-friendly community, urban lifestyle and hot spot for the social scene.

[4] For several hundred years before 1608, the land including Canton is likely in the geographic sphere of influence of the ancestors of the contemporary Piscataway Peoples.

[7] In 1785, Irish merchant and slave owner John O'Donnell settled in Baltimore after arriving on the ship "Pallas" from Calcutta and the Chinese port of Guangzhou, then called Canton by English speakers.

In the beginning of the 19th century, O'Donnell's land was sold off by his son Columbus O’Donnell, William Patterson and Peter Cooper, and was developed by the Canton Company for the waterfront industry and blue-collar housing.

[19] By 1960, in hopes of making irreversible progress toward that goal, Baltimore City demolishes 215 houses between Boston and Elliott Streets and Linwood and Lakewood Avenues.

Gloria Aull and Barbara Mikulski starts the Southeast Council Against the Road (SCAR) to protest construction of the East-West Expressway through Canton, Fells Point, Federal Hill, and other communities.

[21] And later that year, the statue of John O'Donnell that was later removed was installed, after Baltimore City paid local artist Tilden Streett $20,000 for the commission.

In 1990, Canton Waterfront Park and the Korean War Memorial are dedicated,[23] replacing a railroad yard and cargo pier, closed many years prior, of which a car float is the only remaining structure.

The Korean War Memorial incorrectly shows the border of North and South Korea at the 38th parallel instead of the DMZ, but the designer of the map, Dr. Randall Beirne of UMB, declines to correct the error.

Two high-frequency MTA bus lines (Gold and Navy) service Canton for direct access to the central business district and Penn Station.

O'Donnell Square is home to a number of lively bars and restaurants, gift shops, salons and other small businesses, as well as residences.

In the 2000s, developments have added focus areas to the neighborhood, including the Canton Waterfront Park and Maryland Korean War Memorial, the rehabilitated American Can Company building, the Du Burns Soccer Arena, two marinas, a public boat launch, and new bars and restaurants.