Carlton is a city in Yamhill County, Oregon, United States.

An ex-county commissioner claims that the name was derived from Wilson Carl, whereas A. E. Bones, postmaster at Carlton, stated in a 1925 letter that it was named for John Carl Sr., at the request of R. R. Thompson.

[7] Prior to the post office inside the city of Carlton, Wilson Carl owned the original post office, stagecoach stop, and blacksmith shop for the area, about 7 miles (11 km) west of Carlton, and his home was known as Mountain House.

Wilson Carl negotiated with the railroad in Portland, Oregon, to build closer to his property.

Wilson Carl began as a pioneer carpenter/builder and shoemaker who became a wealthy land owner, who built a portion of what is now Linfield College, in McMinnville, and was founder of the Republican Party in McMinnville, County Commissioner, and, at one time owned the property that the Yamhill County Courthouse presently sits on.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.88 square miles (2.28 km2), all of it land.