Dayton is a city in Hennepin and

Wright Wright is an occupational surname originating in England and Scotland. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a ...

counties in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

. The population was 7,262 at the 2020 census. According to 2023 census estimates, the city is estimated to have a population of 10,157. Dayton is mainly located within Hennepin County, but a part of the city extends into Wright County as well. It is the northernmost city in Hennepin County and is a suburb of the Minneapolis–St. Paul "Twin Cities" metropolitan area. The city of Dayton, platted in 1855, is named for city founder, Lyman Dayton. Through his energy and finances, Lyman Dayton was instrumental in bringing the railroad into Minnesota and development of the Lake Superior and Mississippi Railroad, of which he was president until 1865. The line is now part of the

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that provide ...

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. On January 15, 2003, the city's most recent geographical expanse extended its boundaries. Fernbrook Lane (County 121); North Diamond Lake Road (County 144); South Diamond Lake Road; and Dayton River Road (County 12) are four of the main routes in Dayton.

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

and County Road 81 pass briefly through the southwest corner of Dayton. Brockton Lane (County 13) runs north-south along Dayton's western boundary line with adjacent city of Rogers. The neighboring cities are Champlin, Rogers, Maple Grove, Anoka, Ramsey, Elk River, and Otsego. Corcoran is nearby, but does not border Dayton. Dayton is located at the confluence of the

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

and

Crow A crow is a bird of the genus ''Corvus'', or more broadly, a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not linked scientifically to any certain trait but is rathe ...

Rivers.

Economy

Dayton is a small town in regard to the economy scale with few retail outlets. Dayton's economy comes from mostly small business operations such as its' golf course, various car repair shops, famous local manor, and custom home builders. Its one mall, Raintree Plaza, has Marathon gas station and convenience store as well as several other small businesses.

City government

In 2011, the city was forced to lay off several staff members and reduce services due to budget cuts.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 7,262 people, 2,458 households, 2,035 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 2,605 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 80.7%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.3%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.5% Native American, 3.0% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 5.9% from some other races and 6.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.7% of the population.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 4,671 people, 1,638 households, and 1,319 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,699 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.7%

, 0.5%

, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.1%

, 1.8% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% of the population. There were 1,638 households, of which 35.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.8% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 19.5% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.12. The median age in the city was 41.7 years. 24.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.5% were from 25 to 44; 35.7% were from 45 to 64; and 9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.2% male and 47.8% female.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 4,699 people, 1,550 households, and 1,292 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 1,566 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.28%

, 0.64%

, 0.64% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 1.87% from other races, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.75% of the population. 31.6% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 13.5% Swedish, 11.0% Norwegian and 7.9% Irish ancestry. There were 1,550 households, out of which 45.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were

living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.6% were non-families. 11.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.03 and the average family size was 3.29. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 4.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $66,875, and the median income for a family was $71,356. Males had a median income of $41,476 versus $30,386 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $27,756. About 1.0% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Politics

From 1960 to 1996, Dayton was a Democratic stronghold, having voted Democrat in every election except for 1984 when it voted narrowly for then-incumbent Ronald Reagan, who won in a landslide over Minnesota Senator Walter Mondale. Between 2000 and 2020, Dayton would reliably vote Republican. However, in 2024, partially due to its increase in suburban development, Dayton returned to its Democratic roots when Kamala Harris won the city in 2024.

Points of interest

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, constructed in 1904, can be seen for miles and from four different counties.

References

External links

City of Dayton – Official Website
{{Coord, 45, 14, 38, N, 93, 30, 54, W, type:city_region:US-MN, display=title Cities in Hennepin County, Minnesota Cities in Wright County, Minnesota Cities in Minnesota Minnesota populated places on the Mississippi River Populated places established in 1855 1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory