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Dayton
Montana›Lake County

DaytonMT

88 people live in this town, settled in 1893.

Dayton State Bank · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo of Dayton

Dayton, MT · Dayton State Bank · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0

Is Dayton a good place to live?

Dayton’s average commute is 41 minutes, above both the Montana town median (17 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 43 Montana towns we compare, none has a higher midpoint age than Dayton. Dayton State Bank is on the National Register of Historic Places. Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

88 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Dayton State Bank
Dayton State Bank · National Register of Historic Places
Dayton’s story

133 years in pictures

The archive holds 2 maps from 1964 on.

1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.

  • 1893Dayton is settled
Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Dayton: who provides what

Dayton is unincorporated, so Lake County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerNorthWestern Energy14.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterDayton Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers6% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLake CountyLake County provides services here
SchoolsUpper West Shore Elementary School DistrictPolson High School District2 districts serve Dayton; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteIn personMontana has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.gov
Who runs elections hereLake County Election AdministratorLake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code5991459914 100%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Dayton.

Natural hazards

Dayton has a high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from avalanches

Only 3 of the 42 Montana towns we compare have a higher FEMA hazard score than Dayton. FEMA puts 42% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 25% to inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 78% of U.S. communities.

78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
78High riskLowerHigher
AvalanchesInland floodingEarthquakes

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Schools

The schools Dayton’s kids attend

Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Upper West Shore Elementary District.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Dayton SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6Grades PK–646C−

NCES · EDFacts

Climate

Dayton has four seasons and pleasant summers

A winter brings about 34 inches of snow, with January nights at 20° and July afternoons at 83°.

34″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter21–34°
Spring33–56°
Summer50–80°
Fall34–56°
Sep 28
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

Dayton stands out in Montana and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure

Of the 42 Montana towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Dayton. Among adults here, 16% have diabetes. The town does better than the Montana average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 10.

DaytonMontana townsU.S. towns
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)12%20%16%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)48%32%35%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)83%72%79%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)13%18%17%
32 measures vs. Montana
9 better13 too close to call10 worse
What stands outDaytonMT
Fewer binge drinkers12.1%20.3%
Fewer adults facing housing insecurity6.2%9.1%
More adults with heart disease12.2%6.6%
Providence St. Joseph Medical Center
13.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Dayton

16pages on Dayton
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Dayton; the nearest are

About Dayton

Census-designated place in Montana, United States

Dayton (Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille: iʔɫixʷ, Ktunaxa: aki¢qa) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lake County, Montana, United States. As of the 2020 census, Dayton had a population of 104.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.6 sq mi
Elevation
2,910 ft
ZIP code
59914

Questions about Dayton

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Dayton, MT a good place to live?

Dayton has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.