Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort, first built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois.
A landmark inside Chicago
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 18°. When to go ↓
You can stay in Chicago
Fort Dearborn is inside Chicago, which has 382 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
Established in 1803
Fort Dearborn dates from 1803. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–84°. When to go ↓
An airport 10 miles away
Chicago Midway (MDW) has airline service, about 10 miles from Fort Dearborn.
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Weather, month by month
Typical highs and lows in Chicago. Green months are the mild ones.
Fort Dearborn
Fort Dearborn was a United States fort, first built in 1803 beside the Chicago River, in what is now Chicago, Illinois. It was constructed by U.S. troops under Captain John Whistler and named in honor of Henry Dearborn, then United States Secretary of War. The original fort was destroyed following the Battle of Fort Dearborn during the War of 1812, and a replacement Fort Dearborn was constructed on the same site in 1816 and decommissioned by 1837.
Parts of the fort were lost to the widening of the Chicago River in 1855, and a fire in 1857. The last vestiges of Fort Dearborn were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The site of the fort is now a Chicago Landmark, located in the Michigan–Wacker Historic District, at the southern end of the DuSable Michigan Avenue Bridge.
- Type
- Landmark
- Established
- 1803
- Elevation
- 584 ft
- Listed
- Chicago Landmark
- Wikipedia readers
- 27K a year
Where to stay near Fort Dearborn
The closest towns with hotels, motels or campgrounds are Chicago (382) and Leyden Township (36).
- 1Soldier Field
- 2Wrigley Field
- 3Art Institute of Chicago
- 4Barack Obama Presidential Center
- 5Rate Field
- 6United Center
- 7Field Museum of Natural History
- 8Hull House
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fort Dearborn | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | in town | — | 382 320 hotels · 20 motels · 20 inns & B&Bs · 9 lodges & cabins · 8 hostels · 3 campgrounds · 2 RV parks | 2,731,585 | $334K | D |
| Leyden Township | 13 mi west | 20 min | 36 29 hotels · 7 motels | 90,402 | $288K | — |
| York Township | 18 mi west | 25 min | 52 45 hotels · 2 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 128,137 | $397K | — |
| Thornton Township | 20 mi south | 30 min | 46 32 hotels · 9 motels · 3 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds | 152,667 | $157K | — |
| Rosemont | 15 mi northwest | 20 min | 22 22 hotels | 3,815 | $345K | D− |
| Maine Township | 16 mi northwest | 25 min | 24 20 hotels · 1 motel · 1 inn or B&B · 2 campgrounds | 136,611 | $375K | — |
| Niles Township | 12 mi northwest | 20 min | 14 12 hotels · 2 motels | 109,978 | $392K | — |
| Stickney Township | 11 mi southwest | 15 min | 12 11 hotels · 1 motel | 40,266 | $269K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Fort Dearborn
Other well-known places within 8 miles. Numbered ones are on the map above.
Big draw12 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaWrigley Field
Big draw3in town MuseumArt Institute of Chicago1.5M visitors a year
Big draw47 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
Big draw54 mi Stadium & arenaRate Field
Big draw63 mi Stadium & arenaUnited Center
72 mi MuseumField Museum of Natural History1.4M visitors a year
82 mi MuseumHull HousePhoto credits
Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wrigley Field: Ryan Dickey, CC BY 2.0 · Art Institute of Chicago: ajay_suresh, CC BY 2.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Rate Field: User Enoch Lai on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · United Center: User:JeremyA, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Field Museum of Natural History: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hull House: User talk:Hied5, Public domain
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Visiting Fort Dearborn
Is Fort Dearborn in Chicago?
Yes. It’s inside Chicago, IL.
When is the best time to visit Fort Dearborn?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 63–84°.
What is the closest airport to Fort Dearborn?
Chicago Midway (MDW), about 10 miles away.
Where should I stay near Fort Dearborn?
Chicago (in town, 382 places to stay), Leyden Township (13 mi, 36 places to stay) and York Township (18 mi, 52 places to stay).
Tips from people in Chicago
No tips yet. Ask, or answer, in Chicago’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.