thumb|USA canals circa 1825
The following is a list of canals in the United States:
Transportation canals in operation
This list includes active canals and artificial waterways that are maintained for use by boats. Although some abandoned canals and drainage canals have stretches that can be paddled in a small craft, such as a canoe, they are not included in this list.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !! Place !! State !! data-sort-type="number"|Navigable length !! class=unsortable|Notes
|-
|rowspan=2| Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal
| Chesapeake
| VA
|
|rowspan=2| Two canals apart in two states
|-
| Currituck County
| NC
|
|-
| Alligator–Pungo Canal
| Hyde County, Tyrell County
| NC
|
|
|-
| Assawoman Canal
| Sussex County
| DE
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
| East Coast
|
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Augusta Canal
| Augusta; Columbia County
| GA
|
| Not navigable to other waterways
|-
| Bricktown Canal
| Bricktown
| OK
|
| Has water taxi service. Not navigable to other waterways
|-
| Barkley Canal
| Lyon County
| KY
|
|
|-
| Cal-Sag Channel
| Cook County
| IL
|
| Part of the Illinois Waterway
|-
| Calcasieu Ship Channel
| Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish
| LA
|
|
|-
| Canaveral Barge Canal
| Merritt Island
| FL
|
|
|-
| Cape Cod Canal
| Barnstable County
| MA
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Cape May Canal
| Cape May County
| NJ
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Cayuga–Seneca Canal
| Seneca County
| NY
|
|
|-
| Chain of Rocks Canal
| Madison County
| IL
|
| The most downstream lock on the Upper Mississippi River
|-
| Champlain Canal
| Upstate New York
| NY
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2|Chesapeake & Delaware Canal
| Cecil County
| MD
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| New Castle County
| DE
|-
| Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
| Cook County, Will County
| IL
|
| Part of the Illinois Waterway
|-
| Clam Lake Canal
| Cadillac
| MI
|
|
|-
| Corpus Christi Ship Channel
| Corpus Christi
| TX
|
|
|-
| Cumberland and Oxford Canal
| Naples
| ME
|
| Only the Songo Lock is still in use
|-
| Delcambre Canal
| Iberia Parish
| LA
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2| Dismal Swamp Canal
| Chesapeake
| VA
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Camden County
| NC
|-
| Duluth Ship Canal
| Duluth
| MN
|
|
|-
| Erie Canal
| Upstate New York
| NY
|
|
|-
| Galveston and Brazos Canal
| Brazoria County
| TX
|
|
|-
| Gowanus Canal
| Brooklyn
| NY
|
|
|-
| Great Lakes Waterway
| Great Lakes region
|
|
| Has many branches. Reaches into Canada
|-
| Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
| Gulf Coast
|
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Harlem River Ship Canal
| New York
| NY
|
| Now indistinguishable from the Harlem River
|-
| Haulover Canal
| Brevard County
| FL
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Houston Ship Channel
| Houston
| TX
|
|
|-
| Illinois Waterway
| Northern and Central Illinois
| IL
|
|
|-
| Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal
| East Chicago
| IN
|
| Has two branches
|-
| Industrial Canal (Inner Harbor Navigation Canal)
| New Orleans
| LA
|
|
|-
| Intracoastal Waterway
|
|
|
| Consists of many canals and natural waterbodies
|-
| Keweenaw Waterway
| Houghton County
| MI
|
|
|-
| Lake Washington Ship Canal
| Seattle
| WA
|
|
|-
| Lauritzen Canal
| Richmond
| CA
|
|
|-
| Lechmere Canal
| East Cambridge
| MA
|
|
|-
| Lewes and Rehoboth Canal
| Sussex County
| DE
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Louisville and Portland Canal
| Louisville
| KY
|
|
|-
| Matagorda Ship Channel
| Matagorda County
| TX
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2| McClellan–Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System
|
| AR
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|-
| Eastern Oklahoma
| OK
|-
| Ogden Slip
| Chicago
| IL
|
|
|-
| Okeechobee Waterway
| South Florida
| FL
|
|
|-
| Oswego Canal
| Oswego County
| NY
|
|
|-
| Point Pleasant Canal
| Point Pleasant
| NJ
|
| Part of the Intracoastal Waterway
|-
| Port Townsend Ship Canal
| Jefferson County
| WA
|
|
|-
| Portage Lake Canal
| Houghton County
| MI
|
| Part of Keweenaw Waterway
|-
|rowspan=2| Sabine–Neches Waterway
| Southeast Texas
| TX
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|-
| Calcasieu Parish
| LA
|-
| Sacramento Deep Water Ship Channel
| Solano County, Yolo County
| CA
|
|
|-
| Smith Canal
| Stockton
| CA
|
|
|-
| St. Clair Flats Canal
| Clay Township
| MI
|
|
|-
| St. Lawrence Seaway
| Jefferson County, St. Lawrence County
| NY
|
| Spans into Canada
|-
| St. Lucie Canal (C-44)
| Martin County
| FL
|
| Part of the Okeechobee Waterway
|-
| Stockton Channel
| Stockton
| CA
|
|
|-
| Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel
| San Joaquin County, Contra Costa County
| CA
|
|
|-
| Shinnecock Canal
| Hampton Bays
| NY
|
|
|-
| St. Marys Falls Canal (Soo Locks)
| Sault Ste. Marie
| MI
|
| Part of the Great Lakes Waterway
|-
| Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal
| Door County
| WI
|
|
|-
|rowspan=2| Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway
| Northeast Mississippi
| MS
|rowspan=2|
|rowspan=2|
|-
| Southwest Alabama
| AL
|-
|Victoria Barge Canal
|Victoria County, Calhoun County
|TX
|35 mi (56 km)
|
|-
| West Neebish Channel
| Chippewa County
| MI
|
| Part of the Great Lakes Waterway
|-
| Wiley-Dondero Canal
| St. Lawrence County
| NY
|
| Part of the St. Lawrence Seaway
|}
The United States also built the Panama Canal on territory it controlled.
Abandoned transportation canals
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Name !! State !! Opened !! Closed !! data-sort-type="number"| Length !!class=unsortable|Notes
|-
| Alexandria Canal
| VA
| 1843
| 1886
|
|
|-
| Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation
| PA
| 1837
| 1865
|
|
|-
| Baillie-Grohman Canal
| WA
| 1889
| 1902?
|
|
|-
| Bank's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Beardstown and Sangamon Canal
| IL
|
|
|
|
|-
| Beaver and Erie Canal
| PA
| 1844
| 1872
|
| Part of the Pennsylvania Canal
|-
| Bellows Falls Canal
| VT
| 1802
| 1858
|
|
|-
| Black River Canal
| NY
| 1855
| 1925
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Blackstone Canal
| RI
| rowspan=2| 1828
| rowspan=2| 1848
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| MA
|-
| Brunswick–Altamaha Canal
| GA
| 1854
| 1860
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2|Cascade Locks and Canal
| OR
| rowspan=2| 1896
| rowspan=2| 1938
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| WA
|-
| rowspan=2|Celilo Canal
| OR
| rowspan=2| 1915
| rowspan=2| 1957
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| WA
|-
| Chemung Canal
| NY
| 1833
| 1878
|
|
|-
| Chenango Canal
| NY
| 1836
| 1878
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2|Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
| MD
| rowspan=2| 1830
| rowspan=2| 1924
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| DC
|-
| Clinton–Kalamazoo Canal
| MI
| 1843
|
|
| Partially completed
|-
| Codorus Navigation
| PA
| 1832
| 1850
|
|
|-
| Colbert Shoals Canal
| AL
|
|
|
| Flooded by Pickwick Lake
|-
| Columbia Canal
| SC
| 1824
|
|
| Now used for hydroelectic power
|-
| Conestoga Navigation
| PA
| 1826
|
|
|
|-
| Conewago Canal
| PA
| 1797
|
|
|
|-
| Cross Florida Barge Canal
| FL
|
|
|
| Partially completed
|-
| Culpeper Gold Mine Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Cumberland and Oxford Canal
| ME
| 1832
| 1873
|
| Songo Lock remains open
|-
| Deep Run Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Delaware and Hudson Canal
| PA
| rowspan=2| 1828
| rowspan=2| 1917
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| NY
|-
| Delaware and Raritan Canal
| NJ
| 1834
| 1932
|
|
|-
| Delaware Canal
| PA
| 1832
| 1931
|
| Part of the Pennsylvania Canal
|-
| Des Moines Rapids Canal
| IA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Enfield Falls Canal
| CT
| 1829
|
|
|
|-
| Farmington Canal (New Haven and Northampton Canal)
| CT
| 1828
| 1847
|
| Continued into Massachusetts as the Hampshire and Hampden Canal
|-
| Ficklin's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Fox–Wisconsin Waterway
| WI
|
|
|
| Partially restored
|-
| Franklin Line
| PA
| 1833
| 1837
|
| Part of the Pennsylvania Canal
|-
| Fredericksburg Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Genesee Valley Canal
| NY
| 1840
| 1878
|
|
|-
| Hampshire and Hampden Canal
| MA
|
| 1847
|
| Continued into Connecticut as the Farmington Canal
|-
| Hennepin Canal
| IL
| 1907
|
|
|
|-
| Hocking Canal
| OH
| 1841
| 1890
|
|
|-
| Illinois and Michigan Canal
| IL
| 1848
| 1933
|
|
|-
| Indiana Central Canal
| IN
|
|
|
| Partially completed
|-
| James River and Kanawha Canal
| VA
|
|
|
| Only Virginia portion completed
|-
| rowspan=2| Junction Canal
| PA
| rowspan=2| 1854
| rowspan=2| 1871
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| NY
|-
| Landsford Canal
| SC
| 1823
|
|
|
|-
| Lehigh Canal
| PA
| 1821
| 1942
|
| A mule-drawn tourist barge operates at the National Canal Museum
|-
| Leiper Canal
| PA
| 1829
| 1852
|
|
|-
| Love Canal
| NY
|
|
|
|
|-
| Main Line of Public Works
| PA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Miami Canal
| FL
|
|
|
|
|-
| Miami and Erie Canal
| OH
| 1844
| 1913
|
|
|-
| Middlesex Canal
| MA
| 1803
| 1851
|
|
|-
| Milan Canal
| OH
| 1839
| 1868
|
|
|-
| Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet Canal
| LA
| 1968
| 2009
|
|
|-
| Morris Canal
| NJ
| 1829
| 1924
|
|
|-
| Muscle Shoals Canal
| AL
|
|
|
| Drowned under Wilson Lake?
|-
| Ohio and Erie Canal
| OH
| 1827
| 1913
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Patowmack Canal (Potomac Canal)
| MD
| rowspan=2| 1795
| rowspan=2| 1828
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2| Consists of the Little Falls Canal, Great Falls Canal, Seneca Falls Canal, Payne's Falls Canal, and House Falls Canal
|-
| VA
|-
| Pawtucket Canal
| MA
| 1796
|
|
|
|-
| Pennsylvania Canal
| PA
|
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal
| PA
| rowspan=2| 1840
| rowspan=2| 1877
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| OH
|-
| Portage Canal
| WI
| 1876
| 1951
|
|
|-
| Powell's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Rapidan Dam Canal of the Rappahannock Navigation
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Sandy and Beaver Canal
| PA
| rowspan=2| 1848
| rowspan=2| 1852
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| OH
|-
| Santee Canal
| SC
| 1800
| 1865
|
|
|-
| Savannah Ogeechee Canal
| GA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Schuylkill Navigation
| PA
| 1825
| 1931
|
|
|-
| Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company
| PA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Delaware and Schuylkill Navigation Company
| PA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Skinker's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Snake Castle Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| South Hadley Canal
| MA
| 1795
|
|
|
|-
| Spring Valley Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Susquehanna Canal
| MD
| 1802
| 1840
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2| Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal
| PA
| rowspan=2| 1840
| rowspan=2| 1894
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| MD
|-
| Suwannee Canal
| GA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Taylor's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Union Canal
| PA
| 1828
| 1885
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2|Wabash and Erie Canal
| OH
| rowspan=2| 1843
| rowspan=2| 1874
| rowspan=2|
| rowspan=2|
|-
| IN
|-
| Walhonding Canal
| OH
| 1842
| 1896
|
|
|-
| Warren County Canal
| OH
| 1840
| 1848
|
|
|-
| Washington City Canal
| DC
| 1815
|
|
|
|-
| Wheatley's Canal
| VA
|
|
|
|
|-
| Whitewater Canal
| IN
| 1839
|
|
|
|-
| Wiconisco Canal
| PA
| 1845
| 1889
|
|
|}
Irrigation, industrial, and drainage canals
Alaska
- Davidson Ditch
Arizona
- Central Arizona Project
- Salt River Project Canals
- Arizona Canal
- Yuma Project Canals
California
- All-American Canal
- Back Channel
- Beardsley Canal
- Buena Vista Canal
- California Aqueduct
- Calloway Canal
- Carrier Canal
- Coachella Canal
- Colorado River Aqueduct
- Contra Costa Canal
- Corning Canal
- Delta–Mendota Canal
- Eastside Canal
- Folsom South Canal
- Friant-Kern Canal
- Glenn Colusa Canal
- Inter-California Canal
- Kern Island Canal
- Los Angeles Aqueduct
- Madera Canal
- Orland South Canal
- Orland North Canal
- Pioneer Canal
- Putah South Canal
- Stine Canal
- Tehama Colusa Canal
Florida
- Hillsboro Canal
- Miami Canal
- North New River Canal
- Tamiami Canal
- West Palm Beach Canal
Hawaii
- Ala Wai Canal, Honolulu
- Waiolama Canal, Hilo
Idaho
- New York Canal
Illinois
- North Shore Channel (popular for canoeing and kayaking)
Louisiana
- 17th Street Canal
- Carondelet Canal
- Florida Canal
- London Avenue Canal
- New Orleans Outfall Canals
- Orleans Canal
- Washington-Palmetto Canal
Massachusetts
- Holyoke Canal System
- Lowell Power Canal System
Michigan
- Edison Sault Power Canal
Montana
- Billings Bench Water Association Canal
- Huntley Project
Nebraska
- Loup Canal
New Jersey
- Cape May Canal
- Delaware and Raritan Canal
- Dundee Canal
- Morris Canal
- Point Pleasant Canal
- Raritan Water Power Canal
- Washington Canal
Texas
- American Canal
- Franklin Canal
- Riverside Canal (El Paso)
- Texas Irrigation Canals
Washington
- Banks Lake Feeder Canal
- Centralia Canal
- Tieton Main Canal
- Yelm Ditch (defunct)
Natural inlets called canals
Behm Canal, Duncan Canal, Lynn Canal, and Portland Canal in Alaska, and Hood Canal in Washington are natural inlets that use the name canal.
Canals by state
These are man made canals in each state that have been given a name and may consist of a narrow irrigation or drainage ditch to a large ship, municipal water and/or irrigation canal. States with extensive agricultural acreage may have many hundred to thousands of canals. USGS Topographical map numbers and latitudes and longitudes of each canal, usable as inputs into Google, Bing, etc. maps, are usually given.
{| class="toccolours" align="center" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" align="left" style="margin:0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%"
|-
! colspan=6 bgcolor="#ccccff" align="center"|Canals in each state
|-
!State||Number<br> of canals||Ref.||State||Number<br> of canals||Ref.
|-
|colspan=6|<hr>
|-
!align="left"|Alabama||21||||Montana||858||
|-
!align="left"|Alaska||23||||Nebraska||209||
|-
!align="left"|Arizona||289||||Nevada||263||
|-
!align="left"|Arkansas||6||||New Hampshire||10||
|-
!align="left"|California||2,903||||New Jersey||41||
|-
!align="left"|Colorado||1,888||||New Mexico||69||
|-
!align="left"|Connecticut||8||
|-
!align="left"|Delaware||54||||North Carolina||151||
|-
!align="left"|Florida||245||||North Dakota||69||
|-
!align="left"|Georgia||25||||Ohio||22||
|-
!align="left"|Hawaii||125||||Oklahoma||9||
|-
!align="left"|Idaho||1,540||||Oregon||661||
|-
!align="left"|Illinois||278||||Pennsylvania||11||
|-
!align="left"|Indiana||2,239||||Rhode Island||3||||South Carolina||33||
|-
!align="left"|Kansas||27||||South Dakota||91||
|-
!align="left"|Kentucky||62||||Tennessee||61||
|-
!align="left"|Louisiana||45||||Texas||299||
|-
!align="left"|Maine||7||
|-
!align="left"|Maryland||44||||Vermont||1||
|-
!align="left"|Michigan||1,668||||Washington||237||
|-
!align="left"|Minnesota||1,451||||West Virginia||2||
|-
!align="left"|Mississippi||185||||Wisconsin||89||
|-
!align="left"|Missouri||287||||Wyoming||1085||
|-
! colspan="6" style="text-align:left;"|<HR/>
|-
!align="left"|Total canals||18,241
||||||
|-
|}
See also
- List of canals
- Sheep Creek