Fort Ross
Fort Ross is a former Russian establishment on the west coast of North America in what is now Sonoma County, California, United States. It lies 2 mi southeast of Timber Cove. 1812 is when its story starts.
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An ancient site, 2 mi southeast of Timber Cove
One of the most looked-up attractions in the U.S.
About 85K people a year read its Wikipedia article, more than for 96% of the 7,799 attractions we track.
Timber Cove is the nearest base
Timber Cove is 2 miles northwest, with 7 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from San Francisco
San Francisco is about 68 miles southeast and Sacramento is about 96 miles east (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1812
Fort Ross dates from 1812. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 63–70°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
The months below show the weather around Fort Ross.
Fort Ross
Fort Ross is a former Russian establishment on the west coast of North America in what is now Sonoma County, California, United States. It was the first multi-ethnic community north of the Spanish missions in what is now the U.S. state of California. Owned and operated by the Russian-American Company, it was the hub of the southernmost Russian settlements in North America from 1812 to 1841. Notably cosmopolitan, different ethnic groups settled in and around the fort: Native Californians, Native Alaskans, Russians, Finns, Swedes. It has been the subject of archaeological investigation and is a California Historical Landmark, a National Historic Landmark, and on the National Register of Historic Places. It is part of California's Fort Ross State Historic Park.
- Type
- Ancient site
- Established
- 1812
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark (1961) · National Register of Historic Places (1966) · California Historical Landmark (1932)
- Wikipedia readers
- 85K a year
Rooms near Fort Ross
Places to stay start in Guerneville (35) and Timber Cove (7).
Guerneville
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
4,100 people · 25% vacation homes
14 mi east of Fort Ross
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fort Ross | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guerneville 25% vacation homes | 14 mi east | 20 min | 35 13 hotels · 3 inns & B&Bs · 5 lodges & cabins · 13 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 4,100 | $601K | — |
| Timber Cove 48% vacation homes | 2 mi northwest | 5 min | 7 2 hotels · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 199 | $986K | — |
| Monte Rio 30% vacation homes | 12 mi east | 20 min | 16 8 hotels · 4 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 campground | 876 | $652K | — |
| Cazadero 27% vacation homes | 7 mi east | 10 min | 6 2 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 campgrounds | 483 | $520K | — |
| Healdsburg | 22 mi east | 35 min | 30 19 hotels · 1 motel · 9 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 11,172 | $950K | C+ |
| Bodega Bay 42% vacation homes | 17 mi southeast | 25 min | 12 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 2 lodges & cabins · 5 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 1,139 | $1,295K | — |
| Santa Rosa | 30 mi east | 45 min | 42 28 hotels · 3 motels · 7 inns & B&Bs · 3 lodges & cabins · 1 RV park | 179,437 | $714K | C |
| Occidental | 19 mi southeast | 30 min | 7 1 hotel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 2 campgrounds | 1,225 | $1,168K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Fort Ross
All of these are within 70 miles.
Big draw65 mi MuseumAlcatraz Federal Penitentiary
Big draw69 mi Stadium & arenaChase Center
Big draw65 mi GardenPresidio of San Francisco
Big draw67 mi LandmarkLombard Street
Big draw69 mi Stadium & arenaOracle Park
56 mi National MonumentMuir Woods National Monument757K visitors a year
55 mi LakeLake Berryessa
44 mi LakeClear LakePhoto credits
Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary: druchoy, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Chase Center: Gregory Varnum, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Presidio of San Francisco: Robert Campbell, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lombard Street: The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain · Oracle Park: User Coasttocoast on en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Muir Woods National Monument: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Berryessa: Unknown, Public domain · Clear Lake: Unknown, Public domain
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Visiting Fort Ross: the answers
What town is Fort Ross near?
Timber Cove, CA, about 2 miles northwest.
When is the best time to visit Fort Ross?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 63–70°.
How far is Fort Ross from San Francisco and Oakland?
About 68 miles southeast of San Francisco and about 76 miles southeast of Oakland, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Fort Ross?
Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County (STS), about 23 miles away. The nearest big hub is San Francisco (SFO), about 78 miles.
Where should I stay near Fort Ross?
Guerneville (14 mi, 35 places to stay), Timber Cove (2 mi, 7 places to stay) and Monte Rio (12 mi, 16 places to stay).
Advice from Timber Cove
Start the conversation in Timber Cove’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.