Editing Afton, Minnesota

{{short description|City in Minnesota, United States}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Afton, Minnesota
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
|image_skyline            = Residential street, Afton, Minnesota.jpg
|image_caption            = Downtown Afton
|image_map                = Washington_County_Minnesota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Afton_Highlighted.svg
|map_caption              = Location of the city of Afton<br>within Washington County, Minnesota
|pushpin_map = Minnesota#USA#North America
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Minnesota]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Minnesota|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Washington County, Minnesota|Washington]]
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|established_title        = 
|established_date         = 1837 (settled)<br>1855 (platted)
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_27.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 68.59
|area_land_km2            = 64.99
|area_water_km2           = 3.60
|area_total_sq_mi         = 26.48
|area_land_sq_mi          = 25.09
|area_water_sq_mi         = 1.39
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_total         = 2955
|population_density_sq_mi = 117.77
|population_density_km2   = 45.47
|timezone                 = Central
|utc_offset               = −6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = −5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 974
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|54|10|N|92|47|0|W|region:US-MN|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]
|postal_code              = 55001
|area_code                = [[Area code 651|651]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 27-00316<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212221153/http://factfinder.census.gov/main.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 February 2020|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=31 January 2008|title=American FactFinder}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 2393887<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2393887}}</ref>
|website                  = [http://www.ci.afton.mn.us/ ci.afton.mn.us]
|pop_est_footnotes = 
|population_footnotes = 
}}
[[Image:StCroixAboveAfton.jpg|thumb|View of St. Croix Valley above Afton]]

'''Afton''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|f|t|ə|n}} {{respell|AF|tən}})<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |title=Minnesota Pronunciation Guide |website=[[Associated Press]] |access-date=July 4, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722194213/http://www.ap.org/minnesota/prono.html |archive-date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref> is a city in [[Washington County, Minnesota|Washington County]], [[Minnesota]], United States. The population was 2,886 at the [[2010 United States census]].<ref>{{cite web|title=2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=DEC_10_PL_GCTPL2.ST13&prodType=table|work=American FactFinder|publisher=US Census Bureau|accessdate=23 April 2011}}{{dead link|bot=medic|date=April 2020}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> It lies on a small bay where [[Valley Creek (Minnesota)|Valley Creek]] empties into the [[St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota)|St. Croix River]], several miles north of its confluence with the [[Mississippi River]].

Afton is well known for [[Afton Alps]], the largest ski and snowboard area in the [[Minneapolis-St. Paul|Twin Cities]] [[metropolitan area]]. It is home to [[Afton State Park]] on the St. Croix River. Due to these two destinations and its quaint small-town appearance in a major metropolitan area, Afton receives a fair amount of local tourism in the form of day trips. The 2018 US Winter Olympic Gold Medalist cross-country skier [[Jessie Diggins]] is from Afton.

==History==
The first settlers in the area arrived in 1837. The settlement of Afton was [[plat]]ted in 1855, with the name chosen from a poem ([[Sweet Afton]]) by [[Robert Burns]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n585 568]}}</ref> A post office has been in operation at Afton since 1857.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MN&county=Washington|title=Washington County|publisher=Jim Forte Postal History|accessdate=13 August 2015}}</ref> The city contains three properties listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]: the 1856 [[Erastus Bolles House]], the 1864 [[Newington Gilbert House]], and the 1867 [[Cushing Hotel]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Minnesota National Register Properties Database|url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|year=2009|accessdate=31 December 2017}}</ref>

==Geography==
The city has a total area of {{convert|26.42|sqmi|sqkm|2}}; {{convert|25.05|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|1.37|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref>{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=US Census Bureau|accessdate=13 November 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112090031/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archivedate=12 January 2012}}</ref> Main routes include Hudson Road, County Roads 18, 21, and 71; and [[Minnesota State Highway 95|Minnesota Highway 95]]. Afton borders Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland, and St. Mary's Point to the east. It also borders West Lakeland Township to the north, Denmark Township to the south, and Woodbury to the west.

==Demographics==

{{Hidden begin|titlestyle=background:#ccccff|title=Presidential election results}}
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ Precinct General Election Results<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/election-results/|title=Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State - Election Results}}</ref>
|- bgcolor=lightgrey
! Year
! [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
! [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
! [[Third Party (United States)|Third parties]]
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2020 United States presidential election|2020]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.0% ''946''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''55.4%''' ''1,218''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.6% ''35''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2016 United States presidential election|2016]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|43.9% ''878''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.2%''' ''984''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;|6.9% ''137''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''49.7%''' ''1,021''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|48.6% ''998''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.7% ''35''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2008 United States presidential election|2008]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.3% ''950''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.2%''' ''1,071''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.5% ''30''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2004 United States presidential election|2004]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.6% ''938''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''52.0%''' ''1,047''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.4% ''27''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[2000 United States presidential election|2000]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''46.9%''' ''844''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.2% ''813''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.9% ''142''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.7% ''653''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''46.7''' ''789''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|14.6% ''246''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1992 United States presidential election|1992]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|28.8% ''520''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''41.0%''' ''742''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|30.2% ''545''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1988 United States presidential election|1988]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''52.3%''' ''788''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|44.9% ''676''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.8% ''42''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1984 United States presidential election|1984]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''55.6%''' ''785''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|42.6% ''602''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.8% ''25''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1980 United States presidential election|1980]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''48.4%''' ''672''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|37.3% ''517''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|14.3% ''198''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1976 United States presidential election|1976]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''50.7%''' ''650''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|45.3% ''580''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.0% ''51''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1968 United States presidential election|1968]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''55.6%''' ''431''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|39.5% ''306''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|4.9% ''38''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[1964 United States presidential election|1964]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|46.9% ''305''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''51.0%''' ''332''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.1% ''14''
|-
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''[[1960 United States presidential election|1960]]'''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Republican}}|'''61.6%''' ''352''
|  style="text-align:center;" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|35.9% ''205''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.5% ''14''
|}

{{Hidden end}}

{{US Census population
|1880= 130
|1920= 183
|1930= 148
|1940= 132
|1950= 142
|1960= 158
|1970= 248
|1980= 2550
|1990= 2645
|2000= 2839
|2010= 2886
|2020= 2955
|footnote=US Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426102944/http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|archivedate=April 26, 2015}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census]], there were 2,886 people, 1,081 households, and 863 families in the city. The [[population density]] was 115/sqmi (44.4/km{{sup|2}}). There were 1,143 housing units at an average density of 45.6/sqmi (17.6/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 93.3% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.7% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 4.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.6% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 0.7% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.7% of the population.

There were 1,081 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.2% were non-families. 15.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 2.98.

The median age in the city was 48.2 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.1% were from 25 to 44; 42.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[2000 United States census]], there were 2,839 people, 996 households, and 833 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 113/sqmi (43.7/km{{sup|2}}). There were 1,027 housing units at an average density of 40.9/sqmi (15.8/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup of the city was 96.65% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.25% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.02% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.39% from [[Race (United States census)|other races]], and 1.69% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There were 996 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.3% were non-families. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.11.

The city population contained 26.8% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 35.5% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $89,095, and the median income for a family was $96,087. Males had a median income of $64,135 versus $37,300 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $36,338.  None of the families and 0.6% of the population were living below the [[poverty line]], including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

== Notable people ==

* [[Jacob Fahlström|Jacob Fahlstöm]], first Swedish settler in Minnesota and Methodist [[lay preacher]]
* [[Margaret Bonga Fahlstrom]], Black-Ojibwe woman, instrumental in Jacob Fahlstöm's fur trading<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-02 |title=Women of the Mississippi: Marguerite Bonga Fahlstrom |url=https://parkconnection.org/blog/2021/2/2/wom-marguerite-bonga |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=Mississippi Park Connection |language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Jessie Diggins]], Olympian cross-country skiier

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikivoyage|Afton}}
* [http://ci.afton.mn.us City of Afton – Official Website]

{{Washington County, Minnesota}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington County, Minnesota]]
[[Category:St. Croix River (Wisconsin–Minnesota)]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1855]]
[[Category:1855 establishments in Minnesota Territory]]