Forestville, California
Forestville is a community of 3,717 people in Sonoma County, California.
Why visit Forestville
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 6 parks and trails, 15 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Vine Hill, Hinds Hotel and Steelhead Beach Regional Park.
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; December lows average 37°F.
Weather in Forestville
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Forestville
Forestville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sonoma County, California, United States. It was settled during the late 1860s and was originally spelled Forrestville after one of its founders; the spelling was soon standardized with one "r". The population was 3,264 at the 2020 census, down from 3,293 at the 2010 census.
From the Wikipedia article Forestville, California (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks1
Hinds Hotel
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Historic building in Freestone, California, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Steelhead Beach Regional Park
Park · 1.3 mi
Regional park in Forestville, California
Restaurants and cafes15
Hartford Family Winery
Brewery and winery · 1.1 mi
8075 Martinelli Road, Forestville
3 more on the map.
History
Forestville's unofficial motto is "Forestville, The Good Life." This phrase appears on license plate holders sold at the local hardware store. The major road through town is Front Street for the length of the town, a distance of about three blocks, between Covey Road and Mirabel Road. It has been made part of Highway 116. The "downtown" blocks were first developed during the 1870s and 1880s. A fire destroyed many of the older structures, and existing buildings date mostly to the early 20th century. According to Sonoma State University professor Jonah Raskin, Forestville "was a gathering place for bohemians and writers and artists, circa 1900."
Today businesses in the town consist of one gas station, one bar, one hardware store, a grocery store, two convenience markets, a pharmacy, several churches, a number of restaurants, a post office, an assortment of small businesses, a full time fire station operated by Sonoma County Fire District, a volunteer-run Youth Park, and three ATMs. The annual Forestville Youth Park Parade is held each June as a fund-raising event. It is associated with two days of music, bingo, and carnival rides in the Youth Park. Food and handicrafts booths are staffed by local vendors and non-profit organizations.
A number of bed and breakfast inns and wineries have been developed along the Russian River and to the east.
From the History section of Forestville, California on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship2
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries20
Sebastopol Independent Charter
School · 5.4 mi
1111 Gravenstein Hwy. N, Sebastopol
Sonoma County Alternative Education Programs
School · 5.4 mi
5340 Skylane Blvd., Santa Rosa
Map of Forestville
49 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58°F | 37°F | 7.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Feb | 62°F | 39°F | 7.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 41°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 70°F | 42°F | 2.6 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 75°F | 46°F | 1.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 48°F | 0.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 50°F | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 84°F | 50°F | 0.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 84°F | 48°F | 0.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 78°F | 44°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 67°F | 40°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 58°F | 37°F | 8.3 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Graton (4 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
Sonoma County has had 23 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for fires.
- 2023-04-03: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Severe Storm)
- 2023-03-10: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-14: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2023-01-09: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2020-10-16: Wildfires (Fire)
- 2020-09-27: Glass Fire (Fire)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Sonoma County Airport (STS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 4 miles away.
- Windsor 6 mi northeast, about 10 min by car
- Santa Rosa 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Healdsburg 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Bodega Bay 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Rohnert Park 14 mi southeast, about 22 min by car
- Petaluma 22 mi southeast, about 35 min by car
- Eldridge 23 mi southeast, about 37 min by car
- Fetters Hot Springs-Agua Caliente 24 mi southeast, about 39 min by car
- Angwin 25 mi east, about 40 min by car
- Sonoma 27 mi southeast, about 43 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
- ForestvilleEdit2739, Stepheng3 at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Forestview Cemetery entrance, Forestville, California, MikeVdP, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Hinds Hotel, 306 Bohemian Hwy., Freestone, CA 7-5-2010 3-22-41 PM, Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Wine Country on a rainy day, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hysterocarpus traskii pomo 423443562, Mike Heine, CC BY 4.0
- ISS056-E-126705 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-280098 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-288789 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS030-E-288788 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS014-E-20637 - View of California, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS040-E-21587 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS065-E-396988 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Claypool Cellars - September 2022 - Sarah Stierch 03, Missvain, CC0
- Claypool Cellars - July 2022 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - August 2022 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - April 2022 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - April 2022 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - July 2022 - Sarah Stierch 06, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - July 2022 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - July 2022 - Sarah Stierch 05, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - July 2022 - Sarah Stierch 04, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - September 2022 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Claypool Cellars - September 2022 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC BY 4.0
- Bridge in Russian River Valley, CA, Nov2008 - panoramio, Tori Sloane, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gary Farrell Winery, Russian River (52399548774), lamblukas from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Wohler Bridge, Sonoma County-7676, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wohler Bridge, Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gary Farrell Winery Dinner, Russian River (52399687170), lamblukas from San Francisco, United States, CC BY 2.0
- 1942 Forklift - August 2025 - Sarah Stierch, Missvain, CC0
- California poppy - August 2025 - Sarah Stierch 02, Missvain, CC0
- California poppy - August 2025 - Sarah Stierch 01, Missvain, CC0
- Pituophis catenifer catenifer 156704492, mtarsa, CC0
- John-Anthony-Rock-Music-Singer-Songwriter, John Anthony Studios, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Marasmius curreyi Berk. & Broome 686285, This image was created by user George Riner (mycogeo) at Mushroom Observer , a source for mycological images. You can contact this user here ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Participants in Earth Day at Iron Horse Vineyards 2017 - Stierch, Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
- Karen Ross - Stierch, Sarah Stierch, CC BY 4.0
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