Layton Map
Layton is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after Christopher Layton, a Mormon colonizer and leader. The population was 67,311 at the 2010 census.
Layton was settled in the 1850s as an outgrowth of Kaysville. 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 questioned 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.
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 outbreak of World War II, changed the face of Layton forever. The population exploded as war workers streamed into the area; the 1950 census counted 3456 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, those not employed at the Air Force base 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 city of East Layton. In 1985, Layton passed Bountiful to become the most populous city in Davis County.
Nearby cities include Hooper, Centerville, West Haven, Ogden, West Bountiful.