Canaan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Shelby Township, Jefferson County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 90.

Canaan is located in northeastern Jefferson County at 38°52′00″N 85°17′45″W / 38.86667°N 85.29583°W / 38.86667; -85.29583, in the center of Shelby Township. State Roads 62 and 250 pass through the community together, along the eastern and southern sides. State Road 62 leads northeast 21 miles (34 km) to Dillsboro and southwest 11 miles (18 km) to the northern outskirts of Madison, the Jefferson county seat. State Road 250 leads east 7 miles (11 km) to Pleasant and southwest 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 421, which leads south 7 miles (11 km) to the middle of Madison.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Canaan CDP has a total area of 0.31 square miles (0.80 km), of which 0.5 acres (2,074 m²), or 0.26%, are water. The middle of the community drains north via Canaan Branch into the valley of Indian Kentuck Creek, which flows south to the Ohio River at Brooksburg. The western edge of the Canaan CDP drains west to Toddys Branch, which flows to the West Fork of Indian Kentuck Creek.

Canaan began growing slowly subsequently the launch of John Warfield’s farm in 1812. The first known use of the name “Canaan” is obsolescent November 15, 1832, when Edwards Ayres advertised that he had opened the Bee Hive, a public house, 14 miles from Canaan and 12 miles from Madison. On May 6, 1833, a road petition mentions Canaan in renaming a road to Versailles start at Canaan. It is generally attributed that Amos Simpers founded Canaan by virtue of the fact that he sold seven lots laid out along the road that is now State Road 62. On March 15, 1836, Canaan’s indigenous plat was filed in a Jefferson County deed book.