One of the town's first settlers, Drury Smith Stayton built a sawmill there in 1870. Apparently, he wanted to name the town after his daughter, Florence, but the name was already taken (for post office reasons) by a town on the coast. The town was named after him instead. The town was incorporated in 1891 with a population of about 300. Stayton currently has a population of about 7500.


Stayton is an agricultural town and houses one of the main plants for Norpac Foods. Stayton initially was a manufacturing town that benefitted from the timber industry in the Santiam Canyon, but has become a more diverse community since the 1980's. Stayton has a revitalization project for the downtown underway. With the new growth and new construction occurring in the area, many areas that had been neglected during an economic downturn are getting needed attention.

Located about 15 miles east of Salem, Stayton residents often commute to Salem or other areas for work while maintaining a more rural lifestyle. Stayton has 6 parks, a community center, and has plans to create two more parks. Affordable homes and acreage, make Stayton appealing for many homeowners. New developments have expanded Stayton in recent years, while still keeping the housing market affordable.