The City of Dayton is a progressive, growing community with an estimated population just under 5000. Dayton is located in the Northwest corner of Hennepin County, snuggled between the shores of the Crow and Mississippi Rivers, only 25 minutes from downtown Minneapolis and 30 minutes from downtown St. Paul.
Early settlers recognized the potential of the two rivers for transportation, logging and water power. They chose Dayton to be their home in the early 1850¹s. During this time Dayton served as an important landing place to the steamboats that traveled the upper Mississippi.
We have a diverse population; because of our proximity to Minneapolis we have both an urban and suburban atmosphere. Our people do everything from running family farms to teaching and engineering.
The City of Dayton has also attracted a number of businesses to our commercial and industrial area, located along the junction of County Highways #81 and #101.
We are proud of these businesses and proud of our commitment to continue to attract economically and environmentally sound commercial development.
Dayton also has many golf courses within the City, namely Daytona Golf, French Lake Golf, Hayden Hills Golf and Sundance Golf and Bowl. The City's "Old town" area is in the northwestern part of the city. Our Post Office, Senior Citizens Center and Fire Station #1 are all located in this area. The gem of the historic village, St. John, the Baptist Catholic Church, built in 1865, is a perfect example of the old small town church, its tall steeple can be seen long before you enter town. Other businesses such as the Dayton Bar & Grill and Levassuer Engineering are located along the main street.
Dayton is part of the Anoka-Hennepin School District #11, the second largest school district in the state. Parts of the city are also located in the Elk River and Osseo School Districts.
The City of Dayton and the Anoka-Hennepin School District jointly sponsor a community school. The school provides all types of educational and recreational activities for pre-school through adult residents. We also have Community Education with the Elk River School District.
Dayton has over 4,100 acres dedicated for public park use, including the 20 acre Central Park located on South Diamond Lake Road. Over 4,000 areas of the 5,400 acre in Elm Creek Regional Park are located within the City of Dayton. This is the largest regional park within the Suburban Hennepin County Park System and provides us with hiking, horseback riding, cross country skiing, biking and snowmobile trails.
The governing body of Dayton consists of a Mayor and four council members.
The City Council meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Dayton City Hall on 12260 S. Diamond Lake Road. We have three advisory commissions that assist the Council in its decision-making process. They are the Planning Commission, Park Commission and the Public Safety Commission.
These commissions meet once a month and consist of residents of Dayton.
Dayton is blessed with rolling hills, green pastures and beautiful vistas overlooking the Mississippi and Crow Rivers. A total of 10 lakes can be found within Dayton's 26 square mile area. We are a city of beautiful farms and careful development.
In an age where everything speeds up at an incredible pace, Dayton has retained its small town atmosphere and serenity.
The "Dayton Communicator" is the City's newsletter. On the third Saturday in September Dayton celebrates a City festival, "Dayton Heritage Days".
Activities scheduled for the festival include a parade, pie and ice cream social, a luncheon served by our seniors, and street dance. The dance is held on Saturday.
Crafters are also welcome to set up in the Dayton Senior Center, 18461 Dayton Street at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
The Dayton City Hall is located at 12260 South Diamond Lake Road. The building was constructed in 1990 next to Fire Station No. 2.
