Bayport is a city in Washington County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,024 at the 2020 census.
Bayport is along the St. Croix River, one mile south of Stillwater.
History
The City of Bayport began as three small settlements along the St. Croix River. In 1873, the St. Croix Railway Improvement Company combined the three settlements into South Stillwater, which was incorporated as a village in 1881. Because many people confused South Stillwater with the city of Stillwater, the city changed its name to Bayport in 1922.
Like Stillwater's, Bayport's early economy centered on the lumber industry. From 1852 to 1916, several sawmills operated in the city. The Andersen Corporation is the successor to Bayport's early lumbering firms. The Andersen Corporation (then the Andersen Lumber Company) moved to Bayport in 1913 to take advantage of the city's rail lines, among other reasons. It prospered in Bayport, becoming the world's largest window and patio door manufacturer.
In 1914, the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater moved from Stillwater to Bayport. Experts at the time considered it one of the world's most modern penal institutions. As of 2010, the prison housed about 1600 inmates, who are counted as Bayport residents for census purposes. The maximum-security Minnesota Correctional Facility - Oak Park Heights opened just beyond Bayport's western boundary in 1982.
Due to its location on the St. Croix River, Bayport has long been associated with boating. The Bayport Boat Yard, just south of the Andersen Corporation, built several well-known steamboats. Barge construction and repairs continued at the boatyard through World War II.
Minnesota State Highway 95 serves as a main route in the community.