Welcome to Dayton, Ohio

Welcome to Dayton, Ohio, birthplace of Aviation, home to Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the University of Dayton, Wright State University, and more. Visit: www.cityofdayton.org

With a population near 160,000, Dayton is located in southwestern Ohio and is at the top of the largest 90-minute land/air markets in the United States. This means that the people of Dayton can reach over 137 million people, 75% of U.S. workers or 50% of the Canadian population within a 90-minute travel time and/or within 600 miles making Dayton an ideal location for businesses and families.

Known as the Cradle of Invention, Dayton innovators came up with the airplane, airplane engine, automobile self-starter, cash register, gasoline, micro encapsulation, motion picture projection and motion picture theater, pop-top tab and pull-top tab, Freon, step ladder, Teflon and more.

The Arts play an important role in the Dayton community. With the Victoria Theatre, the Schuster Center and the Loft Theatre, Dayton proudly hosts performances by the Dayton Ballet, Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, the Human Race and numerous other traveling productions. Outdoor summer performances are enjoyed at the Fraze Pavilion.

There are a copious amount of museums in the area, including The Dayton Art Institute, Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, Sun Watch Indian Village/Archaeological Park, Carillon Historical Park and Patterson Homestead. Beautiful local gardens include Wagerzen Gardens together with the Children's Discovery Garden, Aullwood Educational Center and Farm, Cox Arboretum and Smith Garden in Oakwood.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail spans 60 miles starting in Milford, Ohio and ending in Yellow Springs. This paved pathway offers year-round activity for area residents to bike, hike, ride horses and even enjoy by wheelchair.

Shopping is abundant in the Miami Valley with three major shopping malls: the Mall at Fairfield Commons, the Dayton Mall and the Greene. The first 2 are both anchored by popular department stores like Macy's, Sears, Elder-Beerman and JC Penney. On top of those, both offer shopping on a smaller scale as well at popular emporiums such as Ann Taylor, the Disney Store, the Gap and Old Navy. Both malls offer over 120 stores and eateries serving the shopping and entertainment needs of Dayton residents. For more information including directories, visit www.mallatfairfieldcommons.com and www.daytonmall.net.

The Greene opened in August 2006 with over 50 shops, restaurants and entertainment venues including the Cheesecake Factory, Books & Co., Brio's Tuscany Grill and Cinema de Lux. Phase II of the Greene is scheduled to break ground in April, 2007, and will include Von Maur, a high-end department store. For more information visit www.thegreene.com.

With education being the foundation of a strong community, Dayton is home to the University of Dayton, Wright State University, Sinclair Community College and is within a one hour commute or less of Miami University, University of Cincinnati, Ohio State University, Cedarville University, Wittenberg University, Kettering Medical College of the Arts, Wilburforce College, Air Force Institute of Technology, Antioch University McGregor, Central State University, Urbana University, Wilmington College and more. Other Community Colleges include Clark State, Edison State and Southern State Community College.

Due to the destructive flood of 1913, Dayton created the Miami Conservancy District. This protection society thereby sparked the installation of five major dams that now protect Dayton from future flooding, and continue to promote correct water usage and preservation on a daily basis. The dam structures have served as models to numerous communities throughout the country for flood protection. The five dams are Englewood, Taylorsville, Huffman, Germantown and Lockington and were built between 1918 and 1922.

Five Rivers MetroParks manage eight parks which are Carriage Hill, Cox Arboretum, Englewood, Germantown, Huffman, Possum Creek, Sugarcreek and Taylorsville. Collectively, these areas provide the Miami Valley residents with ample opportunities for education, recreation, conservation and nature programs of all types.

Healthcare in Dayton can be found at any of these seven local hospitals: Miami Valley Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Kettering Medical Center, Children's Medical Center of Dayton, the Dayton Heart Hospital, Grandview Hospital and Southview Hospital.

Sports in the Dayton area are plentiful and include the AAA baseball team, the Dayton Dragons, the Dayton Bombers hockey team, the Wright State University Raiders and the University of Dayton Fliers. Within an hour of Dayton, enjoy the Cincinnati Reds, the Cincinnati Bengals, the Ohio State University Buckeyes, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and within a two-hour drive, the 2007 Super Bowl Champions, the Indianapolis Colts.