Neighborhood guide · Fresno County

Fort Washington a county island in north Fresno

Fort Washington is a built-out pocket of 108 homes in unincorporated Fresno County, with the City of Fresno on every side. In everyday use the name also covers the streets around the private Fort Washington Golf & Country Club, less than 2 miles from Woodward Park and the San Joaquin River.

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Street plan of Fort Washington with the area this guide covers outlined in gold
Fort Washington, drawn from OpenStreetMap and Census street data. The gold line marks the area this guide covers.
At a glance
Where
North Fresno, between Shepherd and Copper avenues, from about N Millbrook Ave east to N Cedar Ave
City or county
The Census area is unincorporated Fresno County; homes outside it are in the City of Fresno
ZIP codes
93720 for the Census area; some nearby addresses, including the club, use 93730
Size
About 80 acres, with 108 homes in the 2020 Census
HOA
Not documented; check each listing
School district
Clovis Unified. Confirm attendance boundaries with the district.
Today

Fort Washington today

Fort Washington is a census-designated place, first drawn in 2010, covering about 80 acres with the City of Fresno on every side. That makes it a county island: homes inside the line are under Fresno County, while a house a block away can be inside the city.

In listings, "Fort Washington" usually reaches past the Census line to the homes around Fort Washington Golf & Country Club. The clubhouse, at 10272 N Millbrook Ave, sits inside the City of Fresno about 0.3 miles north of the county island. The club is private; our club guide covers the course and the homes along it.

With 108 homes on about 80 acres, the county island is built out. The nearest new homes are going up north of Copper Ave in Copper River Ranch, where Granville's Copper River Marketplace held its ribbon-cutting at Maple & Copper in March 2023.

Most of what draws people here sits along the San Joaquin River to the west, starting with Woodward Park. College golf comes through too: Fresno State held its women's Fresno State Classic at the club on March 2–3, 2026.

Census status
Census-designated place since 2010
Land area
About 0.13 sq mi, or 80 acres
Homes
108 (2020 Census)
Freeway
SR 41, exits 134 and 135
Woodward Park
About 1.8 miles west-southwest
Most visited

Woodward Park, 300 acres on the river

Woodward Park is the biggest draw near Fort Washington: 300 acres along the San Joaquin River, next to SR 41 and Shepherd Ave, with Friant Rd on its eastern edge. The park opened in 1968, paid for by the will of Ralph W. Woodward, who died in 1961 and asked that his money create a park and bird refuge.

Inside are the 5-acre Shinzen Friendship Garden, the Rotary Amphitheatre, an 18-hole disc golf course added in 2003, a BMX course, a lake, a dog park, picnic shelters and trails that connect to the Lewis S. Eaton Trail. Organizers expected more than 15,000 people at Boots in the Park in 2024, police estimated 10,000 to 12,000 at a 2025 concert weekend, and the CIF State cross-country championships have historically brought more than 10,000. The Woodward Shakespeare Festival staged shows there for 11 seasons starting in 2005. More in our Woodward Park guide.

Where
7775 N Friant Rd
Opened
1968
Big days
Big concerts; CIF State cross-country, the Saturday after Thanksgiving
Also in October
Clovis XC Invitational
Around the neighborhood

Where people go nearby

  • Shinzen Friendship Garden

    114 W Audubon Dr, inside Woodward Park

    A 5-acre garden that keeps its own hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Fort Washington Golf & Country Club

    10272 N Millbrook Ave

    The private club that shares the neighborhood's name, open since 1923. Members, college tournaments, weddings and banquets bring people through. See our club guide.

  • River Park

    Blackstone & Nees, about 2.5 miles

    The shopping center hosts a Tuesday farmers market that was set to welcome its 7 millionth customer in 2025.

  • Lewis S. Eaton Trail

    Access at Fort Washington Rd and N Friant Rd

    About 4 miles of river trail from Woodward Park to the Coke Hallowell Center for River Studies, whose grounds are open daily from 8 to 5.

  • Copper River Marketplace

    Maple & Copper, about 1.5 miles northeast

    Granville's center held its ribbon-cutting in March 2023, and more tenants have opened since.

  • Ball Ranch

    Friant Rd, north of Willow

    358 acres of land along the river, open to the public since 2024.

Homes

What the homes are like

Inside the county island

108 homes on about 80 acres (2020 Census). County rules apply inside the line and city rules outside it, so check which side a parcel is on before you buy.

Around the club

Homes.com names a gated subdivision, "Country Club at the Fort," near the course, and the club's own course guide points out estate homes along the right side of the 9th hole. Most of these streets are inside the city.

Age, lots and builders

Not documented in the sources we found, and they vary by tract. Check each listing.

New homes nearby

The closest new construction is north of Copper Ave in Copper River Ranch. Trumark announced its Ariette and Madison collections there in January 2024, 272 homes in 1- and 2-story plans with modern, farmhouse and Spanish styles, and Granville builds the gated Villa Palazzo.

HOA and taxes

Gates, HOA dues and Mello-Roos are not documented for Fort Washington. Check each listing and the tax bill.

Location

Getting around, and schools

Freeways

SR 41 is the closest freeway. Exit 135 (Friant Rd/Blackstone Ave) is signed for Millerton Lake, and exit 134 (Herndon Ave) connects to SR 99. Friant Rd and Fort Washington Rd link the neighborhood to SR 41, and SR 41 north leads to Oakhurst and Yosemite's south entrance.

Distances

Measured in a straight line from the center of the county island (driving is longer): Clovis city center about 4.9 miles, Fresno Yosemite International Airport about 7.5 miles, downtown Fresno about 10 miles and Yosemite Valley about 58.5 miles.

Shopping

Copper River Marketplace (about 1.5 miles) and River Park (about 2.5 miles).

Schools

Fort Washington is in Clovis Unified. A 2021–22 district boundary map, as summarized by Wikipedia, assigns the Census area to Liberty Elementary (1250 E Liberty Hill Rd), Kastner Intermediate (7676 N First St, grades 7–8) and Clovis West High (1070 E Teague Ave). Homes around the club may fall in other zones. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district on the CUSD boundary map.

Map of Fort Washington, California, outlining the area this guide covers Fort Washington Friant Rd Fort Washington Rd 1Fort Washington Golf & Country Club
  1. 1Fort Washington Golf & Country Club
Gold outline: Fort Washington's Census boundary. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors; boundary and local streets from the U.S. Census Bureau. Open in Google Maps
History

A river crossing, a golf club and a county island

The name goes back to 1850. The Fresno County Library's index of historical sites lists a Fort Washington site near Copper Ave and Fort Washington Rd, set up that year near the San Joaquin River and used as a ferry base until the 1852 flood washed it away. Some later accounts call it a cavalry fort; we follow the library. The area's documented Army post, Fort Miller, stood upriver from 1851 to 1864, on ground now under Millerton Lake.

The name stuck to the land. In 1923 a golf club formed on 126 acres near the Fort Washington schoolhouse, with 9 holes, dirt fairways and sand greens laid out by William Watson. The club took its current name in 1970. When the Census Bureau drew its first Fort Washington boundary in 2010, it covered only the small county pocket south of the club.

  1. 1850A Fort Washington site is set up near the river and used as a ferry base.
  2. 1852A flood washes the site away.
  3. 1923The golf club's first ball is hit on June 17, on a 9-hole course with sand greens.
  4. 1937–1942Friant Dam is built upriver, creating Millerton Lake.
  5. 1968Woodward Park opens.
  6. 1970The club is renamed Fort Washington Golf and Country Club.
  7. 1976Clovis West High School opens on E Teague Ave.
  8. 2010Fort Washington is counted as a census-designated place for the first time.
  9. 2023Copper River Marketplace holds its ribbon-cutting on March 3, and the club turns 100.
  10. 2026The club hosts the Fresno State Classic on March 2–3.
Census and county records

Fort Washington, by the numbers

80acres, roughly, inside the Census boundary
108homes counted in the 2020 Census
1850year the original Fort Washington site was set up
300acres in nearby Woodward Park
Worth knowing

Stories from the neighborhood

  • A fort that washed away

    The original Fort Washington lasted about 2 years. It was set up near the river in 1850, served as a ferry base and was gone after the 1852 flood. A county historical-site listing places it near Copper Ave and Fort Washington Rd.

  • Streets from the Revolution

    Drive the neighborhood and you'll pass E Ticonderoga Dr, E Revere Rd, E Brandywine Ln, N Tea Party Ln, N Yorktown Dr, N Bunkerhill Dr and E Plymouth Way.

  • An island inside the city

    Census maps put City of Fresno land on all 4 sides of the boundary, leaving about 80 acres of county land with the city wrapped around it.

  • The namesake school isn't the zoned school

    Fort Washington Elementary sits on E Teague Ave, close by, but the 2021–22 boundary map cited by Wikipedia assigns the Census area to Liberty Elementary instead. It's a good example of why every address should be checked with the district.

FAQ

Fort Washington questions

Is Fort Washington in the City of Fresno?

The Census area is not. The Fort Washington census-designated place is about 80 acres of unincorporated Fresno County, surrounded by the City of Fresno. Homes around it, including most streets near the golf club, are inside the city, so check by address.

Why is it called Fort Washington?

The Fresno County Library's index of historical sites records a Fort Washington site near Copper Ave and Fort Washington Rd. It was set up in 1850 near the San Joaquin River, used as a ferry base and washed away in the 1852 flood.

What ZIP code is Fort Washington?

The Census area falls in ZIP code 93720. Some nearby addresses use 93730, including the golf club's mailing address, so check each address.

What school district serves Fort Washington?

Clovis Unified. A 2021–22 district map lists Liberty Elementary, Kastner Intermediate and Clovis West High for the Census area. Boundaries change, so confirm any address with the district.

Is Fort Washington Golf & Country Club open to the public?

It is a private club. Wikipedia and GolfN both list it as private, and its website does not offer public tee times. It does offer memberships and hosts private events such as weddings, banquets and corporate outings.

Are new homes being built in Fort Washington?

Not inside the county island, which is built out. The nearest new construction is north of Copper Ave in Copper River Ranch.

Buying or selling here

Thinking about Fort Washington?

Baylen and Chris can tell you whether a home sits in the county island or the city, pull recent sales on your street, and help you price and sell a home near the club.

See homes for sale in Fort WashingtonSee sold homes in Fort WashingtonWhat's my home worth?Call or text 559-213-7734

Trafton Home Team, brokered by Real (DRE #02022092). Baylen Trafton, DRE #02026482.

Sources and photo credits