Dayton
Introduction
Dayton is the seat of Montgomery County in southwestern Ohio, set in the Miami Valley region roughly 40 miles north of Cincinnati and 55 miles southwest of Columbus. It anchors a metropolitan area that ranks among the largest in the state, making it a substantial urban base for exploring this part of Ohio.
Before you go
Dayton sits in the Miami-Scioto basins of southwest Ohio and anchors a metro area that stretches out toward Springfield and Sidney. The city sees four very distinct seasons, so what you pack depends heavily on when you plan to arrive. Winters are cold, and while snowfall isn't particularly heavy, it can come down fast enough to snarl traffic. Spring is often cool, mixing cold and mild days, and storms in this period can produce tornadoes. Summer is characteristically hot and humid — the thermometer may read one number while it feels considerably hotter — so light, breathable clothing serves you well. Autumn is usually cool, though summer-like days can linger, and storms tend to increase as temperatures swing, with the potential for dangerous weather and tornadoes late into the year.
Before you set out, it's worth contacting Destination Dayton, the local tourist information service, which also operates a toll-free line for visitor enquiries.
Getting there
Dayton sits at the junction of two major cross-country interstates, so driving is straightforward from most directions. I-75 runs north–south through downtown, putting Cincinnati less than an hour away and Toledo about two and a half hours off. I-70 crosses the northern part of the metro area, with Indianapolis roughly two hours west and Columbus about an hour east. I-675 acts as an eastern bypass linking I-70 at its north end with I-75 at its south end, and U.S. 35 is another important expressway serving the east and southeast, improved as a limited-access freeway as far as Chillicothe.
By air, James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY) serves the northern part of the metropolitan area, with nonstop service from a long list of cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The airport offers free Wi-Fi, accessible under the network name "public." The local transit authority, the RTA, runs Route 43 to the airport three times daily; taxis from downtown are another option. Greyhound provides a few long-distance buses, but the Dayton Trotwood bus station sits far out in the suburbs with limited local bus connections.
Getting around
Having a car gives you the most flexibility for exploring both downtown and the surrounding county, and travel in the region is easy by car — you can move from the urban city to the rural county in minutes. Several major highways converge on the area: Interstates 70 and 75 meet just north of Dayton near the airport, I-75 runs north to south through downtown, I-70 crosses the northern part of the area, I-675 forms an eastern bypass, and U.S. 35 provides access from the east and southeast. If you are staying central and sticking to the city, walking is a reasonable way to cover downtown and its central districts, where attractions and services are clustered; for anything beyond the core — the airport, suburban shopping areas, or the surrounding county — you will want a car, a bus, or a taxi.
The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (RTA) operates bus routes within Montgomery County, including electric trolley bus service, and this bus network is the mode to rely on if you are not driving — Dayton has no rail, metro, or tram network for visitors. Boarding is no longer as simple as dropping cash into a slot: before boarding, you must either install the RTA app on your phone or go to a transit center to buy a reusable card, so sort out your fare method before you head to a stop. Taxis are available, and ride-hailing fills the gaps, especially for airport transfers and evenings. From James M. Cox Dayton International Airport in the north of the metropolitan area, your options are the RTA's Route 43 bus, which runs a limited schedule you should check in advance, a taxi or ride-hailing pickup, or a rental car. Greyhound operates a few long-distance buses to Dayton, but the bus station is far out in the suburbs with limited local bus connections, so plan how you will cover the final leg into the city.
Where to stay
Dayton's accommodation spreads from the airport corridor north of the city down through Miamisburg to the south, so your choice of base depends largely on how you're arriving and what you plan to see. Budget travellers have a couple of straightforward options: a Comfort Inn & Suites on North Main Street with a heated indoor pool and continental breakfast, and a Super 8 in Miamisburg just off I-75 with clean, quiet rooms, new beds and a free continental breakfast.
- Mid-range: the Red Lion Inn & Suites near Dayton Airport offers an outdoor pool and a breakfast buffet; Hawthorn Suites Dayton North and SpringHill Suites Dayton South/Miamisburg provide further mid-range bases.
- Splurge: the Dayton Marriott on South Patterson Boulevard, the Drury Inn in Butler Township, and the Golden Lamb Inn in nearby Lebanon — Ohio's oldest operating hotel.
Food & drink
Dayton's signature eat is the square-cut pizza, a local tradition for generations: Marion's Piazza serves the style in a fast-food setting where you queue separately for food and drinks, while Milano's near the University of Dayton campus does pizza and baked subs to a mixed daytime crowd before turning into a college bar later in the evening. For a classic steakhouse meal, The Pine Club off the UD campus keeps a menu largely unchanged since the 1940s, with large steaks and mid-century holdovers like sardines on rye and liver and onions; it takes cash and personal checks only and does not accept reservations. Coco's Bistro sets a high standard for a business lunch, a drink at the small bar, or dinner with friends.
Beyond that, the choices run global: House of Thai in Beavercreek for traditional pad thai, curries and sushi; Thai 9 at the west end of the Oregon District for Thai specialties and sushi; Tacqueria Mixteca east of downtown for authentic Mexican and good guacamole; Little Saigon in Kettering for inexpensive Vietnamese with plenty of vegetarian options; Agnes Eats on East Third for Caribbean dishes like fish and oxtail; and Butter Cafe on Brown Street for organic, free-range food. For drinks, the Century Bar downtown is a bourbon house with scores of Kentucky whiskeys and knowledgeable staff, the Dublin Pub in the Oregon District serves traditional Irish food, and the Fieldhouse on Brown Street is a classic college bar known for its shareable Fishbowl. Flanagan's draws students, alumni and locals, South Park Tavern pairs craft taps and Pizza Factory pies with an outdoor patio and live music, and the Trolley Stop at the far eastern end of the Oregon District offers relaxed local music and a comfortable patio.
What to see and do
Dayton's identity is bound up with aviation, and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the centrepiece: a vast collection of aircraft from the earliest days of flight to modern prototypes, with highlights including the B-2 stealth bomber, a bomber that dropped the atomic bombs in Japan, former Air Force One presidential aircraft, and Mercury and Apollo space capsules. It is well maintained and interesting even for non-aviation buffs. Nearby, Huffman Prairie Flying Field is where the Wright Brothers perfected their flying skills in 1904–05; it is part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park, which also includes the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, the Wright Cycle Company building, the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial and Carillon Historical Park, home to the original 1905 Wright Flyer III. Because the museum sits on an Air Force base, it may be subject to unannounced closures. Elsewhere in the city, the Wright Cycle Company Complex occupies the Hoover Block and the building where the Wrights ran their bicycle business; Carillon Park is an outdoor historical museum of original historic homes moved to the site, with artifacts from NCR and the Wright Brothers; and SunWatch is an interpretive Indian village and archeological park. The Dayton Art Institute and the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery, a children's science museum, round out the museum offerings, while the Dayton International Peace Museum honours efforts at world peace, including the 1995 accords that ended the war in Bosnia. Two historic churches, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and St. Mary's Catholic Church, are worth a look for their architecture.
For recreation, the Miami Valley Trails network stretches across the region, and the Little Miami Scenic Trail is the most popular of its paths; a bikeway runs through downtown following the river. The Riverscape is landscaped and hosts cultural events weekly in summer, and in winter an outdoor ice rink is set up with skate rental available. Performing arts include the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center, the Dayton Ballet and the Human Race Theatre Company at the Loft Theatre. The Dayton Dragons, a Cincinnati Reds farm team, play Minor League Baseball downtown at Day Air Ballpark, where you can catch a laser light show during the summer months. College sports fans can follow the Dayton Flyers, whose men's basketball team is a frequent NCAA tournament participant and whose UD Arena hosts the "First Four" round, or the Wright State Raiders, whose men's basketball is typically the hot-button sport on campus. Annual events include the Dayton Air Show, the Greek Festival next to the Dayton Art Institute, and the Dayton Celtic Festival, where you can take in the sights, sounds and tastes of Celtic heritage.
When to go
Dayton has a humid continental climate with four distinct seasons, so your experience of the city depends heavily on when you arrive. Winters are cold, and although snowfall isn't particularly heavy overall, snow can sometimes fall fast enough to cause havoc with traffic. Spring is often cool, with cold and mild days sprinkled throughout the period, and storms during this time may produce tornadoes.
Summer is characteristically hot and humid, and it often feels hotter than the thermometer reads because of the humidity. Autumn is usually cool, though summer-like days can extend into the season; storms seem to increase, and temperature swings can produce extremely dangerous storms with the potential for tornadoes late into the year.
Three days in Dayton
Day one: Start in downtown Dayton and get your bearings in the city at the heart of the Miami Valley. Use the day to settle in and explore the centre on foot, saving longer excursions for later. If you arrive by air, James M. Cox Dayton International Airport (DAY) is your gateway, with connections from Atlanta, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Newark, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington.
Day two: Branch out across Montgomery County and the wider region. Cincinnati and Columbus are both within reach, as are Springfield, Sidney and Chillicothe, so you can shape the day around whether you prefer a bigger city or a smaller town. Keep Dayton as your base and return in the evening.
Day three: Give the day to Dayton itself and the surrounding Miami Valley, taking in the seasons as they come — Winters and Spring, Summer and Autumn each give the area a different character. Before you leave, consider how you'd reach the city next time: by road from Toledo, Indianapolis or Cleveland, or by air through DAY.