Fort Lewis, Washington
Fort Lewis is a community of 15,167 people in Pierce County, Washington, founded in 1917.
Why visit Fort Lewis
Townapedia lists 66 museums and landmarks, 12 parks and trails, 38 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 39 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Lewis Army Museum and DuPont Village Historic District.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; December lows average 36°F.
Weather in Fort Lewis
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Fort Lewis
Fort Lewis is a United States Army base located 9.1 miles (14.6 km) south-southwest of Tacoma, Washington. Fort Lewis was merged with McChord Air Force Base on February 1, 2010, to form Joint Base Lewis–McChord.
From the Wikipedia article Fort Lewis (Washington) (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do39
27 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks66
DuPont Village Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic district in DuPont, Washington state, USA
Lewis Army Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Military museum in Washington, U.S.
McChord Field Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.3 mi
Historic district in Washington, United States
Rhodesleigh
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.7 mi
Building in Washington, United States
Thornewood
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Building in Washington, United States
91st Division Monument
Monument and historic site · 0.7 mi
Monument in Washington, United States of America
McChord Air Museum
Museum · 3.9 mi
Military aviation museum in Lakewood, Washington
54 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds12
Restaurants and cafes38
Texas Roadhouse (JBLM Access Required)
Restaurant · Steak House · 1.1 mi
23700 North 14th Street, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
26 more on the map.
History
Fort Lewis was originally established in 1917 with the passage of a Pierce County bond measure to purchase 70,000 acres (280 km2) of land to donate to the federal government for permanent use as a military installation. A portion of the initial land was taken from the Nisqually tribe's reservation. (The Nisqually people would later petition unsuccessfully for the return of this land.) In 1927, Pierce County passed another bond measure to establish a military airfield just north of Fort Lewis. The airfield, called Tacoma Field, opened in 1930 and was renamed McChord Field in 1940. McChord Field separated from Fort Lewis when the U.S. Air Force was created in 1947 and was subsequently renamed McChord Air Force Base. The two bases operated independently of one another for more than 60 years before merging in 2010.
From the History section of Fort Lewis (Washington) on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship6
Shopping6
Lewis Commissary
Grocery · 1.3 mi
5275 North 14th Street, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Gas and EV charging8
Schools, colleges and libraries38
Central Washington University - JBLM-Lewis
School · 0.4 mi
6242 Colorado Avenue, Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Tillicum Pierce County Library
Library · 2.0 mi
14916 Washington Ave SW, Lakewood
Carter Lake Elementary School
School · 3.2 mi
3420 Lincoln Blvd Sw, Jblm Mcchord Field
Healthcare6
Map of Fort Lewis
223 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46°F | 36°F | 6.1 in |
| Feb | 48°F | 36°F | 4.1 in |
| Mar | 53°F | 38°F | 4.6 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 41°F | 3.4 in |
| May | 64°F | 46°F | 2.1 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 51°F | 1.4 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 54°F | 0.7 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 54°F | 0.9 in |
| Sep | 70°F | 51°F | 1.5 in |
| Oct | 59°F | 46°F | 4.3 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 40°F | 7.2 in |
| Dec | 46°F | 36°F | 5.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Tacoma Narrows Ap (12 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
Pierce County has had 13 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2026-04-07: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2025-12-12: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-09-09: Sumner Grade Fire (Fire)
- 2020-03-22: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2012-03-05: Severe Winter Storm, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gray Army Airfield (GRF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 1 miles away.
- Frederickson 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Elk Plain 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Tacoma 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Artondale 15 mi north, about 24 min by car
- Edgewood 16 mi northeast, about 26 min by car
- Federal Way 18 mi northeast, about 30 min by car
- Bonney Lake 20 mi east, about 33 min by car
- Auburn 22 mi northeast, about 36 min by car
- Des Moines 23 mi northeast, about 38 min by car
- Kent 26 mi northeast, about 42 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
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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
- Four Chinooks at Fort Lewis, Squelle, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thornewood 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fort Lewis Military Museum 01, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rhodesleigh, Ben Cody, Public domain
- Dupont, WA 04, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dupont, WA historical museum, Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.