Fort Christina
Fort Christina, also called Fort Altena, was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. This is one of the sights of Wilmington. Its origins go back to 1638.
A landmark inside Wilmington
You can stay in Wilmington
Fort Christina is inside Wilmington, which has 16 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Baltimore
Baltimore is about 65 miles southwest and Washington is about 98 miles southwest (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1638
Fort Christina dates from 1638. About ↓
Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Sep and Oct
April, May, June, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 65–83°. When to go ↓
An airport 5 miles away
Wilmington (ILG) has airline service, about 5 miles from Fort Christina.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Choosing a month
Plan a visit to Fort Christina around the weather below.
Fort Christina
Fort Christina, also called Fort Altena, was the first Swedish settlement in North America and the principal settlement of the New Sweden colony. Built in 1638 and named after Christina, Queen of Sweden, it was located approximately 1 mi (1.6 km) east of the present-day downtown Wilmington, Delaware, at the confluence of the Brandywine River and the Christina River, approximately 2 mi (3 km) upstream from the mouth of the Christina on the Delaware River.
- Type
- Landmark
- Established
- 1638
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark (1961) · National Register of Historic Places (1966)
- Wikipedia readers
- 26K a year
Bases for Fort Christina
Hotels, motels or campgrounds are closest in Wilmington (16) and Wilmington Manor (20).
- 1USS New Jersey
- 2Lincoln Financial Field
- 3Xfinity Mobile Arena
- 4Eastern State Penitentiary
- 5Independence Hall
- 6Schuylkill River
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fort Christina | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | in town | — | 16 15 hotels · 1 inn or B&B | 73,512 | $231K | D− |
| Wilmington Manor | 4 mi southwest | 5 min | 20 12 hotels · 6 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 8,214 | $241K | — |
| Philadelphia | 29 mi northeast | 45 min | 168 133 hotels · 2 motels · 17 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 3 hostels · 4 campgrounds | 1,574,281 | $243K | D− |
| Concord Township | 10 mi north | 15 min | 13 12 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 18,477 | $584K | — |
| Newark | 12 mi west | 20 min | 17 14 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 30,359 | $383K | C |
| Carneys Point Township | 6 mi southeast | 10 min | 7 5 hotels · 2 motels | 8,766 | $202K | B |
| Brookside | 10 mi southwest | 15 min | 10 8 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B | 15,115 | $280K | — |
| Claymont | 6 mi northeast | 10 min | 6 4 hotels · 2 motels | 8,786 | $277K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Beyond Fort Christina
You can reach each of these within 42 miles.
Big draw126 mi MuseumUSS New Jersey
Big draw223 mi Stadium & arenaLincoln Financial Field
Big draw323 mi Stadium & arenaXfinity Mobile Arena
Big draw425 mi MuseumEastern State Penitentiary
Big draw525 mi Ancient siteIndependence Hall3.0M visitors a year
Big draw42 mi Park & preservePine Barrens
Big draw31 mi MuseumLynnewood Hall
621 mi Park & preserveSchuylkill RiverPhoto credits
USS New Jersey: Camera Operator: PH3 BRYANT, Public domain · Lincoln Financial Field: The original uploader was Betp at French Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Xfinity Mobile Arena: Jen Smith, CC BY 3.0 · Eastern State Penitentiary: Davidt8, Public domain · Independence Hall: Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pine Barrens: Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lynnewood Hall: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Schuylkill River: Emy111 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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A visit to Fort Christina: questions
Is Fort Christina in Wilmington?
Yes. It’s inside Wilmington, DE.
When is the best time to visit Fort Christina?
April, May, June, September and October, with highs of 65–83°.
How far is Fort Christina from Baltimore and Washington?
About 65 miles southwest of Baltimore and about 98 miles southwest of Washington, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Fort Christina?
Wilmington (ILG), about 5 miles away. The nearest big hub is Philadelphia (PHL), about 18 miles.
Where should I stay near Fort Christina?
Wilmington Manor (4 mi, 20 places to stay), Wilmington (in town, 16 places to stay) and Philadelphia (29 mi, 168 places to stay).
What locals in Wilmington say
Ask a question, or answer one, in Wilmington’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.