Layton, Utah, United States

🇺🇸 Layton is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden-Clearfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. Layton is the most populous city in Davis County and the tenth most populous in Utah.

Layton has direct access to Salt Lake City, Ogden, Salt Lake City International Airport, Antelope Island, and the FrontRunner commuter rail. Layton City is a leader in economic development for the region, with immediate adjacency to Hill Air Force Base, a large hospitality district (1,000+ hotel beds) and conference centre, the Layton Hills Mall, multiple nationally recognised retail and food chains, the East Gate Business Park, and the Weber State University-Davis campus.

In 2014, Layton contributed $1.34 billion worth of retail sales activity, the second largest market north of Salt Lake City and seventh largest in Utah.

History Layton was settled in the 1850s as an outgrowth of Kaysville and is named after Christopher Layton, a Latter-day Saint settler and leader. It was included in the boundaries when Kaysville was incorporated as a city in 1868, but by the 1880s, many Layton residents wanted to separate from the city. They challenged Kaysville's authority to tax their property, claiming they received no municipal services. This dispute reached the United States Supreme Court in 1894 as the case of Linford v. Ellison, which was decided in favor of the Layton property owners. The separatist movement finally succeeded in 1902, when Layton became an independent unincorporated area. After further growth, it was made an incorporated town in 1920.

Expansion The town's population increased slowly; up until 1940, it was about 600. The creation of Hill Air Force Base to the north in 1940, followed shortly by the United States' entry into World War II, led to a dramatic population increase. War workers streamed into the area; the 1950 census counted 3,456 people. Layton became a city, transformed from a farming town to a residential community. Growth slowed after the war, but Layton continued to develop as a suburban bedroom community, as those not employed at the Air Force base began commuting to the Salt Lake City or Ogden areas. The city continued to expand geographically, annexing surrounding parcels of land, including the adjacent town of Laytona and the city of East Layton. In 1985, Layton passed Bountiful to become the most populous city in Davis County.

Geography Layton is located in the northern portion of the Wasatch Front, approximately 25 miles (40 km) north of Salt Lake City and 15 miles (24 km) south of Ogden. It is bordered by Clearfield to the north-west, Hill Air Force Base to the north, South Weber to the north-east, the Wasatch Mountains to the east, Kaysville to the south, Great Salt Lake wetlands to the south-west and Syracuse to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Layton has a total area of 22.2 square miles (57.4 km²), of which 22.0 square miles (57.0 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 0.78%, is water.

Government Layton City has a council/manager form of government with 290 full-time employees. The Layton City Council is composed of five members and a mayor. All members are elected by the residents of the City during a municipal election held every two years. Each seat consists of a four-year term. Council member terms are staggered. Two members and a mayor are elected at one time, and two years later, the other three members are elected. The Mayor and Council are responsible for setting city policy, and the City Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations.

Education Layton has an extended branch of Weber State University and is part of Davis School District. The city has three high schools, five junior high schools, and fourteen elementary schools.

High schools • Layton High School (est. 1966) - Davis School District • Northridge High School (est. 1992) - Davis School District • NUAMES—Northern Utah Academy of Math, Engineering & Science (est 2004) - an early college charter high school that works in partnership with Weber State University.

Junior high schools • Central Davis Junior High • Legacy Junior High • North Davis Preparatory Academy Junior High • North Layton Junior High • Shoreline Junior high

Elementary schools • Sarah Jane Adams Elementary • Crestview Elementary • Ellison Park Elementary • East Layton Elementary • Heritage Elementary • E.G. King Elementary • Layton Elementary • Lincoln Elementary • Mountain View Elementary • North Davis Preparatory Academy Elementary • Sand Springs Elementary • Sunburst Elementary • Vae View Elementary • E. M. Whitesides Elementary.

Transport I-15 runs north–south through the centre of town and serves Layton with three interchanges - (from north to south) Antelope Drive, Hillfield Road, and Layton Parkway. U.S. 89 runs north–south along the eastern edge of Layton, adjacent to the western slope of the Wasatch Mountains, and provides access to Weber Canyon via I-84 to the north in South Weber, then merges with I-15 and Legacy Parkway to the south in Farmington, near Lagoon Amusement Park. Utah State Route 193 runs east–west through northern Layton, past the south gate of Hill Air Force Base, connecting U.S. 89 to I-15 in Clearfield.

Utah Transit Authority (UTA) provides bus service and FrontRunner commuter rail. FrontRunner's Layton Station is located at the site of the former Union Pacific Layton Depot.

Points of interest Layton's major retail district includes the Layton Hills Mall, Cinemark and AMC movie theaters, Davis Conference Center, and "Restaurant Row", nicknamed such due to the large number of national chain restaurants located along its one-mile stretch.

Layton's City Center includes the city offices, police station, and courthouse. Located nearby are Layton Commons Park, Davis Arts Council, Davis County Library Central Branch, Edward A Kenley Centennial Amphitheater, Heritage Museum of Layton, Layton Surf 'N Swim, and Layton High School.

Adams Canyon, a popular hiking destination, is located east of Highway 89. Gambel Oak, Douglas Fir, and Fern Bush are a few plant species found along the trail. Chipmunks and various types of birds can also be found. The trailhead is located at N Eastside Dr, East Layton, UT 84040. The total length is approximately 3.7 miles (6.0 km) out and back.

On April 1, 2018, Russell M. Nelson, president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, announced the church's intention to build a temple in Layton. At the time of its announcement, the Layton Utah Temple would become the 19th in Utah. The temple site is located at 1400 E Oak Hills Dr, Layton, UT 84040. All construction is projected to complete in 2023.

Parks and trails • Andy Adams Park 1713 E 1000 N • Bamberger Trail • Camelot Park 1400 W 2000 N • Chapel Park 152 S 900 E • Chelsie Meadows Park 1401 N 2575 W • D&RG Trail • Ellison Park - Splash Pad & Skate Park 700 N 2200 W • Grey Hawk Park, 3500 Redtail Way • Kays Creek Parkway Multiple Trail Heads • Layton Commons Park 437 N Wasatch Dr • Legacy Park 469 N 3200 W • Oak Forest Park 2250 E 2400 N • Sandridge Park 2555 N Church St • Vae View Park 1600 N Main • Veterans Park 175 W Gentile St • Woodward Park 1505 N 25 E.