The commune is named after the existence of three fortified castles during the Middle Ages; indeed, château fort means "fortified castle" in French.
On August 19, 1913, ahead of the Châteaufortaerodrome, the French aviator Adolphe Pégoud became the first man to jump from a plane using a parachute. The jump was made from a Blériot plane 200 m above the ground.