Fort St. Joseph
Fort Saint Joseph was a fort established on land granted to the Jesuits by King Louis XIV; it was located on what is now the south side of the present-day town of Niles, Michigan. Records date it to 1680. Notre Dame Stadium comes next on our list, 8.1 mi away.
An ancient site inside Niles
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 18°, with about 63" of snow a year. When to go ↓
You can stay in Niles
Fort St. Joseph is inside Niles, which has 8 places to stay, so you won’t need a base farther out. Where to stay ↓
A day trip from Chicago
Chicago is about 73 miles west (straight-line). Where to stay ↓
Established in 1680
Fort St. Joseph dates from 1680. About ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep and Oct
May, June, July, August, September and October are the mild months, with highs of 62–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Picking a season
Below are typical highs and lows near Fort St. Joseph.
Fort St. Joseph
Fort Saint Joseph was a fort established on land granted to the Jesuits by King Louis XIV; it was located on what is now the south side of the present-day town of Niles, Michigan. Père Claude-Jean Allouez established the Mission de Saint-Joseph in the 1680s. Allouez ministered to the local Native Americans, who were primarily Potawatomi and Miami.
- Type
- Ancient site
- Established
- 1680
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1973)
- Wikipedia readers
- 6.2K a year
Hotels and campgrounds near Fort St. Joseph
Rooms are nearest in Niles (8) and Clay Township (35).
Compare 8 towns
| Town | From Fort St. Joseph | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niles | in town | — | 8 7 hotels · 1 motel | 11,665 | $135K | C− |
| Clay Township | 6 mi south | 10 min | 35 33 hotels · 2 motels | 34,221 | $226K | — |
| South Bend | 10 mi south | 15 min | 24 17 hotels · 1 motel · 4 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 103,201 | $140K | D |
| Mishawaka | 11 mi southeast | 15 min | 27 25 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins | 51,226 | $156K | C− |
| Portage Township | 10 mi south | 15 min | 19 12 hotels · 5 inns & B&Bs · 1 campground · 1 RV park | 94,293 | $122K | — |
| Elkhart | 18 mi southeast | 25 min | 39 32 hotels · 4 motels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins | 54,092 | $140K | — |
| Osolo Township | 17 mi east | 25 min | 34 29 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 campground | 29,084 | $207K | — |
| Niles Township | 3 mi north | 5 min | 6 3 hotels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 14,304 | $173K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Also near Fort St. Joseph
Every place here is under 70 miles away.
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaNotre Dame Stadium
Big draw70 mi Stadium & arenaSoldier Field
Big draw68 mi MuseumBarack Obama Presidential Center
70 mi MuseumField Museum of Natural History1.4M visitors a year
45 mi National ParkIndiana Dunes National Park2.6M visitors a year
68 mi MuseumKenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry1.5M visitors a year
28 mi CaveGrotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame
70 mi LandmarkBuckingham FountainPhoto credits
Notre Dame Stadium: Tysto, Public domain · Soldier Field: Photo by Joon Han Contact: [email protected], CC BY-SA 3.0 · Barack Obama Presidential Center: AlphaBeta135, CC0 · Field Museum of Natural History: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Indiana Dunes National Park: J. Crocker, Attribution · Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry: zooey from Chicago, Illinois USA, CC BY 2.0 · Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, Notre Dame: Know1one1, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Buckingham Fountain: not specified, Public domain
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Planning a visit to Fort St. Joseph
Is Fort St. Joseph in Niles?
Yes. It’s inside Niles, MI.
When is the best time to visit Fort St. Joseph?
May, June, July, August, September and October, with highs of 62–83°.
How far is Fort St. Joseph from Chicago?
About 73 miles west of Chicago, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Fort St. Joseph?
South Bend (SBN), about 8 miles away. The nearest big hub is Chicago Midway (MDW), about 77 miles.
Where should I stay near Fort St. Joseph?
Clay Township (6 mi, 35 places to stay), South Bend (10 mi, 24 places to stay) and Mishawaka (11 mi, 27 places to stay).
Local know-how from Niles
People in Niles have not posted tips yet; their Town Square is open.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.