Fort Ross historic fort, California, United States Actions Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Ross Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Fort-Ross Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Last Updated: Sep 5, 2024 • Article History Table of Contents Fort Ross, Russian settlement established on the northern California coast by the Russian-American Company in 1812. The Fort Ross outpost was built about 90 miles (145 km) north of present-day San Francisco and lies about 11 miles (18 km) north of the town of Jenner in Sonoma county. It was one of several Russian forts on the West Coast that allowed the trading company to control the Russian fur trade and Russian colonies—mainly in Alaska and California—in North America. The main purpose of the Russian-American Company (organized in 1781 as the Northeastern Company) was to establish colonies on the North ...(100 of 552 words)

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