Benton was founded by the western Indians who came to make use of its hot springs.

As the nearby towns of Bodie and Aurora grew in size and population, Benton soon became a checkpoint for southbound travelers in 1852.

The Nevada state line is about 6 miles (10 km) northeast of Benton.

US Route 6 crosses this border, then climbs over 7,150-foot (2,180 m) Montgomery Pass at the northern end of the White Mountains.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers an area of 28.5 square miles (74 km2), 99.93% of it land, and 0.07% of it water.

Benton has a cold-semi arid climate that has notably extremely high temperature variations within any given day of the year.

Every September, the White Mountain Fire Protection district hosts the benton music festival as a way to raise funds for the fire department[11] The 2010 United States Census[13] reported that Benton had a population of 280.

The hot springs are one of the major attractions in Benton, as well as fine bed and breakfast rooms and overnight soaking tubs.

[15] There are several old mines in the surrounding hills that have been a source of interest to tourists, as well as the hiking and mountain biking trails in the area.

[8] Many of the original buildings from the old mine town still exist and are open to exploration, including the cemetery.

[4] Benton is a departure point for hiking to Nevada high point Boundary Peak via a (rough) 2WD road to Queen Mine at 9,200 ft (2,800 m) or a 4WD extension to Kennedy Saddle at 9,900 ft (3,000 m).