Forest City, North Carolina
Forest City is a town of 7,363 people in Rutherford County, North Carolina, founded in 1877.
Why visit Forest City
Townapedia lists 11 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 46 places to eat, 8 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Retro Cinema 4, Alexander Manufacturing Company Mill Village Historic District and Bostic Charge Parsonage.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 89°F; January lows average 27°F.
Weather in Forest City
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Forest City
Forest City, formerly known as "Burnt Chimney", is a town in Rutherford County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 7,377 as of the 2020 census, making it the most populous municipality in the county.
From the Wikipedia article Forest City, North Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks11
Alexander Manufacturing Company Mill Village Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
United States historic place
Bostic Charge Parsonage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Cliffside Public School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic school building in North Carolina, United States
Cool Springs High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
School building in Forest City, North Carolina
East Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic district in Forest City, North Carolina
James Dexter Ledbetter House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in North Carolina, United States
Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Rutherford County
T. Max Watson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Forest City, North Carolina, listed on the NRHP in North Carolina
West Main Street Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic district in Forest City, North Carolina
Bennett Classics Antique Auto Museum
Museum · 0.7 mi
241 Vance Street, Forest City
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Forest City Municipal Golf Course
Golf course · 0.4 mi
211 Clay Street, Forest City
Restaurants and cafes46
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
786 South Church Street, Forest City
Su-Th 11:00-22:30, Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Big Dave's Family Seafood
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.0 mi
123 Commercial Drive, Forest City
China & Hibachi
Restaurant · Chinese · 0.5 mi
464 West Main Street, Forest City
El Michoacan Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant · Mexican
107 West Main Street, Forest City
Louie's Cafe
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.5 mi
235 South Powell Street, Forest City
Copper Penny Grill
Restaurant · 0.4 mi
146 East Main Street, Forest City
Fat Tracy's BBQ
Restaurant · 1.7 mi
1163 West Main Street, Forest City
Greene's Cafe & Carry Out Services
Restaurant · 1.1 mi
858 West Main Street, Forest City
Owls Nest Sports Lounge
Restaurant
254 West Trade Street, Forest City
Scoop Forest City
Ice cream · 0.5 mi
149 South Broadway Street, Forest City
34 more on the map.
History
The Alexander Manufacturing Company Mill Village Historic District, Cool Springs High School, East Main Street Historic District, Forest City Baptist Church, James Dexter Ledbetter House, Main Street Historic District, T. Max Watson House, and West Main Street Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Forest City lynching took place there in 1900.
From the History section of Forest City, North Carolina on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay8
Churches and places of worship20
Forest City Baptist Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Iglesia Bautista Cristo Vive Forest City
Church · Baptist · 2.8 mi
929 Oakland Road, Forest City
Shopping14
Gas and EV charging7
Schools, colleges and libraries19
Ellenboro Elementary School
School · 5.6 mi
813 Piney Mountain Church Rd, Ellenboro
Forest City-Dunbar Elementary School
School · 1.0 mi
286 Learning Parkway, Forest City
Healthcare3
Map of Forest City
136 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 27°F | 4.3 in |
| Feb | 55°F | 30°F | 3.9 in |
| Mar | 63°F | 35°F | 4.3 in |
| Apr | 72°F | 44°F | 4.4 in |
| May | 79°F | 53°F | 3.9 in |
| Jun | 86°F | 62°F | 5.0 in |
| Jul | 89°F | 67°F | 4.9 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 66°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 82°F | 60°F | 4.5 in |
| Oct | 72°F | 46°F | 3.6 in |
| Nov | 63°F | 34°F | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 54°F | 30°F | 4.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Forest City 8 W (7 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
Rutherford County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-24: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-28: Tropical Storm Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2022-10-01: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
- 2020-08-02: Hurricane Isaias (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport (SPA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 29 miles away.
- Boiling Springs 13 mi southeast, about 21 min by car
- Shelby 19 mi east, about 30 min by car
- Columbus 20 mi west, about 32 min by car
- Boiling Springs 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Gaffney 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Edneyville 26 mi west, about 42 min by car
- Spartanburg 27 mi south, about 43 min by car
- Cherryville 28 mi east, about 45 min by car
- Dana 28 mi west, about 44 min by car
- Morganton 30 mi north, about 48 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
- Forest-City-Main-St-block-nc, Brian Stansberry, CC BY 4.0
- James Ledbetter House, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- McMurry-Bodie House - Built 1928, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Alexander Mills School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cool Springs High School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Forest City Baptist Church, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cliffside School, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- T. Max Watson House, Forest City, NC, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bostic Charge Parsonage, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 317 E. Main Street - Built 1924, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Former National Bank of Forest City, Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 3.0
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