Afton, Minnesota
Afton is a city of 2,957 people in Washington County, Minnesota, founded in 1855.
Why visit Afton
Townapedia lists 14 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 9 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Afton Alps, Captain John Oliver House, Charles Spangenberg Farmstead and Afton State Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 6°F.
Weather in Afton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Afton
Afton is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,955 at the 2020 United States census. It lies on a small bay where Valley Creek empties into the St. Croix River, several miles north of its confluence with the Mississippi River.
From the Wikipedia article Afton, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Museums and landmarks14
Captain John Oliver House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.5 mi
Historic house in Lakeland, Minnesota
Charles Spangenberg Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
Human settlement in Woodbury, Minnesota, United States of America
Cordenio Severance House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.4 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Erastus Bolles House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in Afton, Minnesota, United States
John P. Furber House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
House in Cottage Grove, Minnesota
John T. Cyphers House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
Historic house in Lakeland, Minnesota, USA
Lewis-Williams House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.9 mi
House in Hudson, Wisconsin, United States
Mitchell Jackson Farmhouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Newington Gilbert House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Minnesota, United States
Cushing Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
2 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
Troy Burne Golf Club
Golf course · 3.9 mi
295 Lindsay Road, Hudson
Saint Mary's Point City Park
Park · 2.8 mi
2278 Ramada Avenue South, Saint Mary's Point
W. R. Pettitt Park
Park · 2.6 mi
2070 Saint Croix Trail South, Lake Saint Croix Beach
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes9
Beach Bar
Bar and pub · 2.6 mi
2030 Saint Croix Trail South, Lake Saint Croix Beach
La Maria Taqueria
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.9 mi
360 Saint Croix Trail South, Lakeland
History
The first settlers in the area arrived in 1837. The settlement of Afton was platted in 1855, with the name chosen from a poem (Sweet Afton) by Robert Burns. A post office has been in operation at Afton since 1857. 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.
From the History section of Afton, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship8
Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Church · Catholic · 3.4 mi
16770 13th Street South, Lake St. Croix Beach
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging3
Marathon
Gas station · 2.6 mi
2020 Saint Croix Trail South, Lake Saint Croix Beach
Schools, colleges and libraries15
Map of Afton
99 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24°F | 6°F | 0.9 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 9°F | 0.9 in |
| Mar | 41°F | 22°F | 1.8 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 3.1 in |
| May | 69°F | 48°F | 4.3 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 59°F | 4.9 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 63°F | 4.4 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 61°F | 4.2 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 53°F | 3.2 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 40°F | 2.6 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 27°F | 1.7 in |
| Dec | 30°F | 14°F | 1.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Hastings Dam 2 (10 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Washington County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-06-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-05-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2010-03-19: Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Woodbury 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Hudson 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Cottage Grove 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Lake Elmo 8 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- Oakdale 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- River Falls 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- South St. Paul 11 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Stillwater 11 mi north, about 18 min by car
- Hastings 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- North St. Paul 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Residential street, Afton, Minnesota, Iulus Ascanius at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Cyphers House, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Erastus Bolles House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lewis-Williams house, AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles Spangenberg Farmstead, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- John P. Furber House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mitchell Jackson 1, Elkman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Capt. John Oliver House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cedarhurst 1, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Newington Gilbert House, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cushing Hotel, McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Afton Alps, January 2014, Highlands run, Collin Knopp-Schwyn, CC BY 4.0
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