Didn’t forget Løgten today? Otherwise, you might have to get off in Mørke. This little saying plays on words. “Løgten” sounds like “lygten,” meaning “the light” in Danish. “Mørke” means “darkness.”
Løgten. It is a town in Aarhus Municipality. Løgten’s history is closely linked to its neighbor, Skødstrup. Both belonged to Skødstrup Sognekommune from 1842. But each town had its own development.
The railway between Aarhus and Ryomgård connected both in 1877. There was also a connection to Grenaa in 1879. Skødstrup became a hub for cooperative movements. It gained a poorhouse in 1879. The poorhouse had room for 34 residents. A meeting house followed in 1893. A dairy opened in 1909. Yet, Skødstrup benefited less from the railway than other towns.
Ny Løgten, today’s Løgten, grew differently. It was near Vosnæs Avlsgård. This included its loading place and inn named Gammel Løgten. The town was positioned by a new road. This road ran from Aarhus to Grenaa. It shifted inland from the coast. The road went from Skødstrup to Rønde.
Mogens Jørgensen Blach was a key figure. In 1853, he combined smaller farms into Ny Løgtengård. He established a market, an inn in 1855 and a general store. He also donated land for the train station built in 1877. After his death in 1901, his son divided the farm. From 1916, buildings grew along the main road.
Løgten became a typical roadside town. It stretched along the main road from Aarhus to Grenaa. In 1921, the population was 222. By 1950, it had grown to 389. Houses, workshops, and small industries lined the main road. Villa areas were developed in the 1960s. These included Egevej and Berberisvej. This created two distinct neighborhoods. Skødstrup also saw similar changes. However, it kept its village feel longer.
Around 1970, Skødstrup and Løgten merged into one continuous settlement. The busy main road shaped the town’s environment. Newer residential areas developed with cul-de-sacs. These were mainly west of the main road. The dairy in Skødstrup closed between 1970 and 1980. The mill and bakery also closed. Later, the silo was also shut down.
Train services to Løgten stopped in 1968. Aarhus Nærbane restarted them in 1979. The Løgten station building was replaced. It became an unmanned stop. In 2006, the population reached 5,394. In 2024, Løgten had a population of 8,624. Løgten is known for its proximity to Aarhus. It offers a blend of suburban life and accessibility to the city. It has good transport links. These include the Djursland motorway and the Aarhus Letbane.