Drayton is located on the Red River of the North, 30 miles south of the Canadian border and 45 miles north of Grand Forks ND. It’s located on Interstate 29, a direct trade route between Canada and Mexico, and ND State Hwy 66/MN State Hwy 11. This makes Drayton an important crossroads for freight transportation and tourists.

Drayton is one of the oldest communities in North Dakota, being organized in 1878. Early settlers named the city after their hometown of Drayton, Ontario, Canada. During the 1870s and 1880s, Drayton evolved into an important steamboat stop for barges transporting goods and new settlers. The early steam boat commerce grew and prospered until the railroad came to town in 1887.

Dacotah Steamboat 1873: 
State Historical Society of North Dakota C0871
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ELECTRICITY: Otter Tail Power Company 405 8th Ave PO Box 789 Langdon ND 58249-0789 Drayton customer service:    454-6450    or 1-800-547-0576	CABLE TV: Midcontinent Communications 405 South 3rd Avenue PO Box 5040 Sioux Falls SD 57117-5040 1-800-456-0564
TELEPHONE: Polar Communications 110 4th Street East PO Box 270 Park River ND 58270-0270 1-800-284-7222	WATER & SEWER: City of Drayton PO Box 280 Drayton ND 58225-0280 Office 454-3590 Water plant 454-6370
GARBAGE:   City of Drayton PO Box 280 Drayton ND 58225 454-3590 service provided by Valley Landfill Inc	NEWSPAPERS: Weekly:  Valley News & Views 104 North Main St. PO Box 309 Drayton ND 58225 Phone & Fax# 454-6333            www.valleynv.com   Daily:  Grand Forks Herald 375 2nd Avenue North Grand Forks ND 58203 1-800-477-6572              http://www.gfherald.com/