Fun Canal System Statistics

The entire New York State Canal System is 524 miles long and is operated and maintained by the New York State Canal Corporation.

The Canal opened on October 26, 1825 when Governor Clinton set out from Buffalo in a Canal boat called the "Seneca Chief."

There are four Canals including the Erie, Oswego, Champlain and Cayuga-Seneca. Also a part of the Canal System are two river junctions in Waterford and Tonawanda.

It takes approximately five to seven days to cruise by powerboat from Albany to Buffalo. (The Erie Canal begins at the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers at Waterford, just north of Albany, and meets the Niagara River at Tonawanda/North Tonawanda, just north of Buffalo.)

It took the muscle power of men and horses, eight years to build the Erie Canal. Although it is considered the engineering marvel of its time, not one professional engineer was involved.

The current Erie Canal is 338 miles long; the average depth is 12-14 feet. The Champlain is 60 miles long and has an average depth of 12 feet. The Cayuga-Seneca is 12 miles long and has an average depth of 12 feet. The Oswego is 24 miles long and has an average depth of 14 feet.

The New York State Canal System is 524 miles long, with an average width of 125 feet and a depth of 14 feet.

There are 57 locks and 17 lift bridges along the Canal System. Each lock is 328 feet long and 45 feet wide.

Locks and lift bridges operate daily from early May to mid November. Depending on the time of year, most locks operated from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and in the summer from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Speed limit is 10 mph on the Canal System unless otherwise posted.

Thomas Allen wrote the Erie Canal’s official song, "Low Bridge, Everybody Down," in 1905.

The Canalway Trail features more than 260 miles of scenic hiking and biking trails.

There are more than 40 towns along the New York State Canal System.

The Canal spans 16 counties throughout New York State.

There are more than 25 tour boat companies that run service along the Canal.

There are over 200 marinas and launch sites along the Canal System.

There are more than 20 Canal-related museums along the Canal, such as the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse, Canastota Canal Town Museum and Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum.

The City of Oswego was the first freshwater port in the United States in 1799.

Every major city in New York falls upon the Canal System and its adjacent waterways.

Fun Canal Terms

• Flying Light- Boat traveling empty.
• Hoggee- Young boy driving the mules.
• Hoodledasher- Train of boats formed by tying empty boats to full boats.
• Mud-Larked- When boats get stuck in mud.
• Muleskinner- A mule driver.
• Snubbing Post- Post for tying up Canal boats.
• Towpath- Path where mules walk when pulling Canal boats.
• Whiffletree- Bar that linked mules with the boats.