Bayat is a town dating back to fourteenth century.It was named Alagöz as a township
administered by Çorum İskilip in Republican Period. It became a town in 1958.

Geographical Structure

The acreage of the town is 770 km² and the city has an elevation of  325 m.It is in the interseption of Middle Black Sea Region and Middle Anatolia Region. It is in the northern part of Köroğlu Mountains and in the Middle Kızılırmak Region. It is  83 km from Çorum. The average rainfall is 445,2  mm /  year.

The most important river in the town is Bayat Stream which  forms a 45 km valley from the north to south and flows into Kızılırmak. Bayat is also fed by the snow water flowing from Karatepe and Öbek Hill. Karatepe which has the 2013 meter high Öbek Hill also is in the northern town. The altitude decreases in the  north- south direction to 500 meters. For this reason, the northern part of the town has mountanious , undulating and hilly terrain. The Black Sea Region climate is available in the north mountainous and forested part of the town and Terrestrial climate in the south.  The town is in the interception between these two climates. Because of this reason, summers are hot and dry ; winters are cold and snowy in the town. The rainfall is not steady and  its takes the most rainfall in spring. The mountainous area of the town is mostly covered with pine trees and willows. There is moor in the plain part of the town.

Administrative Structure and Population Status

The population is totaly 30.574, 7.381 in the town center and 23.193 in the villages,  in the general census held in 2000. There are 94 villages , three districts in the town and there are 7 quarters in the town center, four in Alaca, two in Büyükhırka District, two in Çopraşık District.

There are two districts (Eskialibey and Kunduzlu) and 37 villages in the town.