Drayton, North Dakota was founded in 1878 by a group of people who had migrated from Drayton, Ontario Canada. The current city of Drayton was named after the settler’s Canadian hometown. Drayton is located along Interstate 29, about 30 miles south of the Canadian border and 45 miles north of Grand Forks, ND. It also sits on North Dakota Highway 66, which connects to Minnesota Highway 11.

In its early years, Drayton became an important river boat landing on the Red River, because it is located on the highest point between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Today, Drayton is known for cat fishing and the annual Drayton River Fest on the banks of the Red River. The Ox Cart Trail Society celebrates the community’s rich history. The city has been named the real life setting of Blessings, North Dakota, a fictional city created by author Lauraine Snelling’s series of books about life in a North Dakota frontier community.
 

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 913 people living in Drayton at that time. The median household income was $37,344. The median value of a house in Drayton at that time was $51,500. The largest employer in Drayton is the American Crystal Sugar processing facility, which processes sugar beets from agricultural producers in the Northern Red River Valley.

Drayton has many amenities available for its visitors including, gas stations, a convenience store, ATM, a restaurant, bars that serve food, hotels a grocery store and a clinic. Drayton is the city nearest to the Canadian border (on the United States side) along Interstate 29 offering a hotel.

For more information about the city of Drayton, please visit their website at http://www.draytonnd.com/.