Fort Drum, New York
Fort Drum is a community of 16,065 people in Jefferson County, New York, founded in 1908.
Why visit Fort Drum
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 3 parks and trails, 15 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Black River Drive-In, LeRay Mansion, LeRay Hotel and Felts Mills Day Use Area.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 116 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Fort Drum
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Drum
Fort Drum is a U.S. Army military reservation and a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, near the western border of northern New York, United States. The population of the CDP portion of the base was 12,955 at the 2010 census. It is home to the 10th Mountain Division.
From the Wikipedia article Fort Drum (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks6
LeRay Mansion
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in New York, United States
LeRay Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Hotel in New York, United States of America
10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Monument
Monument and historic site · 0.5 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds3
Felts Mills Day Use Area
Park · 2.8 mi
Multi-use trail system provided by Jefferson County. Authorized uses include walking, non-motorized, hunting, and fishing. Website...
Cemetery Road, Rutland
Restaurants and cafes15
Buster's Brew Pub
Restaurant · Regional, Pizza, Burger, Sandwich, Beer · 0.4 mi
Euphrates River Valley Rd, Fort Drum
Papa John's
Fast food · Pizza · 2.5 mi
26000 US 11, Evans Mills
Mo-We 10:00-23:00; Th 10:00-24:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-01:00; Su 10:00-24:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 2.4 mi
26370 United States Route 11, Evans Mills
3 more on the map.
History
This section of the article incorporates text taken from a public-domain document prepared by the United States military.
A portion of the present Fort Drum was first used as a military training site in 1908 when it was named Pine Camp; the following year land was purchased to develop the camp as an installation. The army had an earlier presence in the North Country from the early 19th century, prior to the War of 1812.
In 1809 the United States stationed a company of infantry soldiers at what was then called Sackett's Harbor to enforce the Embargo Act and control smuggling between northern New York and Canada, particularly Kingston, Ontario. Following the outbreak of the War of 1812, Sacketts Harbor became the center of United States naval and military activity for the Upper St. Lawrence River valley and Lake Ontario. A major shipyard was developed there and twelve warships were completed. The town was rapidly flooded with troops and some 3,000 skilled workers for the navy shipyard, most of whom came from New York City.
During the 1830s and 1840s, the Lower Canada Rebellion in Canada prompted a new round of military preparations. The United States purchased land in Sackets Harbor (as it is now spelled), where it developed Madison Barracks, a base for artillery units.
From the History section of Fort Drum on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Quality Inn & Suites Watertown Fort Drum
Motel and hotel · 2.8 mi
26479 State Route 342, Calcium
Churches and places of worship3
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 2.6 mi
28345 State Route 342, Black River
Islamic Center of Northern New York
Place of worship · 3.3 mi
25918 State Route 342, Calcium
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Fort Drum
47 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29°F | 11°F | 3.6 in | 34.0 in |
| Feb | 31°F | 12°F | 2.9 in | 29.6 in |
| Mar | 40°F | 22°F | 2.8 in | 13.6 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 34°F | 3.5 in | 2.7 in |
| May | 67°F | 47°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 57°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 62°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 60°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 52°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 41°F | 5.0 in | 0.5 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 30°F | 4.2 in | 9.1 in |
| Dec | 35°F | 20°F | 3.9 in | 26.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Watertown Hcn (6 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
Jefferson County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2024-09-24: Remnants Of Tropical Storm Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-11-20: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Winter Storm)
- 2020-03-20: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-12-19: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2017-11-14: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Watertown International Airport (ART) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 12 miles away.
- Black River 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Felts Mills 2 mi south, about 4 min by car
- Calcium 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Evans Mills 3 mi north, about 5 min by car
- Great Bend 5 mi southeast, about 8 min by car
- Deferiet 5 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Pamelia Center 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Watertown 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Philadelphia 8 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- West Carthage 10 mi southeast, about 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
- Rifle range fort drum, new york, Staff Sgt. Raymond Drumsta, Public domain
- LeRay Mansion, Ft. Drum, NY, Ahodges7, CC BY-SA 4.0
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