The Town of Carlton lies in the north part of the county, on the shore of Lake Ontario.

On July 27, 1883, Illinois politician Thomas Hoyne died in a railroad accident which took place outside of the hamlet of Carlton Station.

[3] On September 1, 2010, five teenagers were charged with disrupting religious services at the World Sufi Foundation mosque located in Carlton.

The teenagers were accused of discharging a firearm, yelling obscenities, and hitting a mosque attendee with a car.

The Oak Orchard River enters Lake Ontario in the north part of Carlton, as does Johnson Creek.

The Lake Ontario State Parkway begins in the town and ends in Monroe County, New York.