Dayton, established in 1867, began as a humble settlement when Joseph Chadwick and his family made their home on Five Mile Creek. This early settler built a log cabin that included a small store, providing supplies to other settlers and freighters in the region. Subsequent settlers included Peter Poole, Robert Taylor, Stephen Callan, George Mendenhall, and Richard Wickham, along with their families. The area went by several names, starting as Franklin Meadows, followed by Five Mile Creek, and Chadville, before finally being named Card in 1890. The city received its current name, Dayton, from William B. Preston in 1906. The first presiding Mormon Elder in the region was Fred Jenson.
By 1930, the city’s population had grown to 271 residents. Positioned on Cache Valley’s western side, Dayton nestles against the Bannock Mountains, extending along Five Mile Creek. The United States Census Bureau reports that Dayton has a total area of 6.56 square miles (16.99 km2), with 6.52 square miles (16.89 km2) of land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) of water.
The climate in Dayton is characterized by substantial seasonal temperature variations. Summers are often warm to hot and humid, while winters can range from cold to extremely cold. As per the Köppen Climate Classification system, Dayton experiences a humid continental climate, denoted as “Dfb” on climate maps.