Why visit Fort Benton
Townapedia lists 75 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 10 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Fort Benton Historic Bridge, Fort Benton, Chouteau County Courthouse and Old Fort Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 86°F; January lows average 10°F, and about 38 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Fort Benton
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Benton
Fort Benton is a city in and the county seat of Chouteau County, Montana, United States. Established in 1846, Fort Benton is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Montana. Fort Benton was the most upstream navigable port on the Mississippi River System, and is considered "the world’s innermost port".
From the Wikipedia article Fort Benton, Montana (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Fort Benton Historic Bridge
Bridge · 0.9 mi
Montana's Oldest intact bridge, Originally was half turn-table. The Great Flood of 1908 destroyed that portion, the staionary span in...
24/7
Museums and landmarks75
Chouteau County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Courthouse in Fort Benton, Montana
1308 Franklin Street, Fort Benton
Mo-Fr 08:00-17:00; PH off
Fort Benton Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic district in Montana, USA
Grand Union Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic building in Fort Benton, Montana, United States
704 14th Street, Fort Benton
Fort Benton Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Fort Benton Realty
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
Stairs on the back 15.23 ft sandstone front step is 3 up 3.25
1426 Front Street, Fort Benton
Masonic Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Masonic temple in Fort Benton, Montana
Fort Benton Engine House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.8 mi
Upper Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center
Museum · 1.5 mi
The $15 Admission Fee Includes All Fort Benton Museums, The Fort, and is valid for (2) Days
701 7th Street, Fort Benton
Fort Benton Chamber Of Commerce
Monument and historic site · 1.0 mi
Restroom room height 7.63 ft entrance height 7.74 ft pewter roof
1421 Front Street, Fort Benton
63 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Veterans Memorial Park
Park · 0.7 mi
War Memorial Park featuring many Memorials that are dedicated to our past and present Service Members and the Conflicts they've served in.
5 Veterans Way, Fort Benton
Old Fort Park Tennis Courts
Sports field and stadium · 0.5 mi
2090 River Street, Fort Benton
Restaurants and cafes10
Wake Cup Cafe & Restaurant
Cafe · Pizza, Coffee Shop, Sandwich · 0.9 mi
Tan brick 12.82 ft overhang
1500 Front Street, Fort Benton
Tu-Sa 07:00-14:00
Club House Bar & Grille
Diner · American · 1.0 mi
Front entery 7.85 ft side entry 7.68 ft dining 27 x 41
1411 Main Street, Fort Benton
Th-Tu 10:00-02:00; We off
B Social Club
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
9.43 ft overhang
1314 Front Street, Fort Benton
Tu-Fr 11:00-02:00, Mo,Sa 16:00-02:00; Su off
Pastime Bar
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
1406 Front Street, Fort Benton
Mo-Su 17:00-02:00
Pour House Saloon
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
15.60
808 14th Street, Fort Benton
Mo-Su 13:00-02:00
The Public House
Restaurant · American, Barbecue, Steak House · 0.7 mi
1714 Front Street, Fort Benton
We,Th 16:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-14:00,16:00-21:00; Su 09:00-14:00
Union Grille
Restaurant · International, Regional · 1.0 mi
We-Sa 17:00-21:00; Su 09:00-14:00,17:00-21:00; Mo,Tu off
Casa Del Gringo
Restaurant · International, Mexican · 1.0 mi
1414 Front Street, Fort Benton
Palace Bar - Fort Benton
Bar and pub · 1.0 mi
Orange wood
1416 Front Street, Fort Benton
The Tasty Freeze
Fast food · American · 0.7 mi
7.65 ft overhang
1722 Front Street, Fort Benton
History
Established in 1846 as Fort Lewis and relocated 15 miles downstream in 1847 by Alexander Culbertson, who worked for Auguste Chouteau and Pierre Chouteau, Jr. of St. Louis, the original fort was the last fur trading post on the Upper Missouri River, which soon made it an important economic center. For 30 years, the port attracted steamboats carrying goods, merchants, gold miners and settlers, coming from New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Hannibal, Bismarck, and Kansas City, among other places. As the eastern terminus for the 642-mile-long Mullan Road, completed by the United States Army in 1860, and at the head of navigation of the Missouri River, Fort Benton was part of the overland link between the Missouri and the Columbia River, with its own head of navigation at Fort Walla Walla in Washington. Twenty thousand migrants used the road to travel to the Northwest in its first year. It became an important route for miners from both directions going into the interior of Idaho and north to Canada. Steamboat travel to Fort Benton from St. Louis, Missouri, helped broadly fuel the development of the American West between 1860 and 1890, when it was supplanted by railroad transport. The river was an important route for miners to the newly discovered gold fields of southern Montana at what became Bannack and Virginia City beginning in 1862, and Helena beginning in 1865.
From the History section of Fort Benton, Montana on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay11
Franklin Street Guest House
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
1105 Franklin Street, Fort Benton
Churches and places of worship8
Faith Bible Fellowship
Church · Evangelical · 1.4 mi
906 Chouteau Street, Fort Benton
Fort Benton United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 1.2 mi
1201 Chouteau Street, Fort Benton
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.4 mi
2201 Saint Charles Street, Fort Benton
Shopping7
NAPA Autoparts - TGF Parts Stop
Hardware store · 0.8 mi
1622 Main Street, Fort Benton
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare3
Map of Fort Benton
139 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°F | 10°F | 0.5 in | 7.9 in |
| Feb | 38°F | 13°F | 0.4 in | 6.9 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 20°F | 0.6 in | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 31°F | 1.5 in | 3.0 in |
| May | 68°F | 41°F | 2.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 49°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 86°F | 54°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 86°F | 52°F | 1.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 42°F | 1.2 in | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 60°F | 30°F | 0.9 in | 1.9 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 21°F | 0.6 in | 5.7 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 13°F | 0.5 in | 7.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ft Benton (0 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Chouteau County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-07-18: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-31: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-07-10: Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-06-17: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2010-07-10: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Great Falls International Airport (GTF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 41 miles away.
- Geraldine 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Malmstrom AFB 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Belt 33 mi southwest, about 53 min by car
- Big Sandy 35 mi northeast, about 56 min by car
- Black Eagle 35 mi southwest, about 56 min by car
- Great Falls 37 mi southwest, about 1 h by car
- Sun Prairie 44 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Rocky Boy West 45 mi northeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Vaughn 46 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Ulm 49 mi southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Choteau County Courthouse, J.B. Chandler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- GRAND UNION HOTEL, FT. BENTON, CHOUTEAU COUNTY, MONTANA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Benton on River, Montanabw, CC BY-SA 3.0
- MASONIC BUILDING, FORT BENTON, CHOUTEAU COUNTY, MONTANA, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Benton Bridge, Jet Lowe, Public domain
- FORT BENTON ENGINE HOUSE, CHOUTEAU COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
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