Canaan, CT

Canaan is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,868 at the 2010 census. Canaan is located in the western part of the state, about 20 miles (32 km) west of Hartford and 50 miles (80 km) northwest of New York City.

The town was first settled by Europeans in 1686 as part of the Connecticut Colony. It was named after Canaan, one of the twelve sons of Israelites who were led out of Egypt by Moses. The town's early economy was based on agriculture and textile manufacturing. In 1875, Canaan became home to one of America's first commercial gas plants. Today, it is a center for health care and education with a growing technology sector.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Canaan has a total area of , all land.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 2,912 people, 1,099 households, and 706 families residing in the town. The population density was 109.4 people per square mile (42.5/km²). There were 1,164 housing units at an average density of 44.7 per square mile (17.1/km²). The racial makeup