Tonawanda and North Tonawanda are located off the Niagara River at the western terminus of the Erie Canal System about nine miles north of Buffalo and 10 miles southeast of Niagara Falls. Tonawanda is perfectly set up to handle transient boaters traveling the Erie Canal system. In town you will find a maze of walls along the canal where you can tie up for the evening for a small fee. Most of these tie up locations have electricity, pump-out, and water, which explains Tonawanda’s popularity.

Use NOAA Chart 14832.

The entrance to the Toawanda River is partially blocked by Tonawanda Island, which also serves to protect the river entrance from boat wakes and wind-driven waves. From south on the Niagara River, you will want to pick up green can “1 at the south end of Tonawand Island, and then work your way up into the Tonawanda River to starboard.

If you have a sailboat and aregoing to be transiting the Erie Canal, you will want to stop in at one of the local marinas to have your mast removed and placed on deck for the journey. Of all the local marinas, the town on Tonawanda Island are best set up to deal with this. To reach the marinas you must head to the north part of the island to enter Little River, which runs past the two facilities. Approaching from the south is limited by a 14-foot fixed vertical clearance bridge.

There is no anchoring in any of the channels around the Tonawanda area.

Local Notices to Mariners are now exclusively available online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

City of Tonawanda

Tonawanda Chamber of Commerce

Tonawana Calendar of Events