Dayton married actor Dean Harens in 1947. The marriage lasted until her death in 1994.

Dayton's Broadway credits include The Ivy Green (1949), Tenting Tonight (1947) and Lovely Me (1946).

She worked in summer stock theater for several years, and in 1951, she toured in Australia with a production of The Moon Is Blue.

Dayton appeared in as a guest star on episodes of Studio One, Robert Montgomery Presents, Kraft Theatre, The Fugitive, The F.B.I., Barnaby Jones, and Quincy, M.E.. She made five guest appearances on Perry Mason, twice as the defendant: in 1957 she played Myrna Davenport in "The Case of the Runaway Corpse," and in 1958 she played Sue Hardisty in "The Case of the Buried Clock." Mrs. Dayton was also in an episode of Dennis the Menace. It was the episode entitled, “The Party Line.” She played Catherine Driscoll. She had a memorable role in The Twilight Zone episode "A Penny for Your Thoughts", which featured Dick York. She was cast as Virginia Farragut in the 1965 episode "The Battle of San Francisco Bay" in the syndicated series Death Valley Days, with series host Ronald W. Reagan as Admiral David Farragut. Her film appearances included roles in Twilight of Honor (1963), One Man's Way (1963), Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), Something for Joey (1977), Deadman's Curve (1978) and The Other Side of the Mountain Part 2 (1978). Was in an episode of the Dick Van Dyke Show about an ex army buddy who Rob thought is a jewel thief.