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Forest City, Florida

15 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1995. It stands in the Casselberry-Altamonte Springs census division. It lies in ZIP code area 32703. The Survey maps it on the Forest City quadrangle. 14,623 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 95 feet above sea level.

Forest City within Seminole County

Then and now

1955 to 1995

The same ground, surveyed 40 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Forest City, surveyed 1995
Topographic sheet of Forest City, surveyed 1955

Compare 1955 against another survey:

Population over time

3 figures

Forest City grew from 12,612 to 14,623 between 2000 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
200012,612
201013,854+1,242 (+10%)
202014,623+769 (+6%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 15 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

28 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 28 fires within 5 miles of Forest City between 1992 and 2019, burning about 276 acres in total. None started naturally. 9 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Arson/incendiarism9
Railroad operations and maintenance8
Missing data/not specified/undetermined6
Equipment and vehicle use3
Debris and open burning1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
27 September 2012Debris and open burning5.0 acresFlorida Forest ServiceJUNE BUG (48)
12 July 1993Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreFlorida Forest Servicenot named
7 June 2008Arson/incendiarism2.0 acresFlorida Forest ServiceCOLD CAT FISH (04)
26 June 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined35 acresFlorida Forest ServiceMEADOWS (48)
24 June 2007Arson/incendiarismunder an acreFlorida Forest ServiceGUMBALL (04)
29 May 2007Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreFlorida Forest ServiceMEDUSA (04)
28 May 2000Railroad operations and maintenance2.0 acresFlorida Forest Servicenot named
19 May 1993Railroad operations and maintenance20 acresFlorida Forest Servicenot named

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Seminole County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Forest City: 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Diatomite. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Unnamed Diatomite DepositsDiatomiteProspect

Every working recorded in Seminole County

Storms near this place

24 since 1997

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Forest City in 24 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 8 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 3 funnel cloud, 3 lightning. The reports record 1 death and 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
September 2020LightningForest City1 killedA 58 year old man was struck and killed by a lightning strike while grilling outdoors next to a tree.
July 2024LightningForest City1 hurtA 17 year-old male from Altamonte Springs was struck by lightning while outside performing lawn maintenance at his neighbor's home. The victim stated in interviews with local media that rain had just started to fall at the time of the incident. The victim was transported to the hospital and made a full recovery within several days.
March 2025Tornado (EF2)Forest City$3,900,000The circulation touched down at approximately 9:35 AM EDT near the southeastern edge of Wekiwa Springs State Park where it produced mainly vegetative damage in the form of downed oak and pine trees, with peak winds of 80 to 90 mph. The tornado continued on a northeast trajectory where it crossed a wooded area of the state park and into the Wingfield Reserve subdivision of Longwood. Here, more trees were downed in the vicinity of Alvarado Ct and Wingfield Dr due to winds of 80 to 85 mph.||More substantial damage was noted in the Whispering Winds subdivision where a significant number of oak trees were downed and snapped by EF-1 winds of up to 100 mph. Several residential structures within the subdivision near the intersection of Misty |Morn Pl and Blue Iris Pl experienced significant damage, including numerous blown out windows, damage to garage doors, as well as the loss of part of their roofs and awnings. The tornado likely peaked in this area, where a two-story wood framed home on Blue Iris Pl collapsed due to peak winds estimated up to 120 mph (EF-2 intensity).||The circulation weakened some while moving quickly toward the northeast across Markham Wood Rd and then towards Interstate 4, where mainly tree damage was noted. The tornado impacted a local news station on Skyline Dr before dissipating shortly thereafter at approximately 9:41 AM EDT.
June 2010LightningForest City$500,000Lightning associated with a strong thunderstorm struck a large estate home in the Sweetwater Club subdivision of Longwood. The home became fully engulfed in flames and officials declared it a total loss.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindForest City$15,000A SKYWARN spotter reported a balcony on an apartment complex being damaged by downed trees a quarter mile south of city hall in Altamonte Springs. Several other trees were also downed in the area. A photo was obtained.
February 2008Thunderstorm WindForest City$10,000Two greenhouse roofs were blown off at a nursery near Lake Brantley.
May 2025Funnel CloudForest City-Emergency manager reports funnel cloud near State Road 434 and Wekiva Springs Rd. Did not appear to be descending.
September 2023Thunderstorm WindForest City-Florida Department of Emergency Management measured a 50 knot wind gust.
September 2022Flash FloodForest City-Rainfall accumulations of 10 to 12 inches led to rapid water level rises along the Little Wekiva River late on Sep. 28 and early Sep. 29. Emergency Management officials indicated inundation of homes within the Spring Oaks subdivision of Altamonte Springs along Little Wekiva Rd. with nearly 2 to 4 feet of water breaching several properties. Numerous water rescues occurred during the overnight and early morning period as roadways quickly flooded and became impassible. The Little Wekiva reached a record crest of 31.09 ft. on Sep. 29.
June 2020Funnel CloudForest City-A trained spotter reported a funnel cloud in the area of Interstate 4 and State Road 434 in Altamonte Springs.
June 2019Thunderstorm WindForest City-Altamonte Springs Police Department relayed reports of trees down on cars near the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Wymore Road in Altamonte Springs. There were also downed trees across Ballard Street near the street's intersection with Maintland Avenue. In a nearby subdivision, an emergency management official reported a large tree was snapped on Hattaway Drive just south of State Road 436.
April 2017HailForest City-A citizen near the intersection of SR434 and Wekiva Springs Road reported quarter sized hail. A few minutes later, a weather spotter nearby observed hail lasting four minutes with a maximum size of one inch.
June 2015HailForest City-A Skywarn spotter reported nickel to quarter sized hail in Wekiva Springs.
August 2015HailForest City-A citizen observed nickel-sized hail falling in Altamonte Springs.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindForest City-A WeatherFlow station near the intersections of SR-434 and SR-436 in Altamonte Springs recorded a 58 mph wind gust out of the northwest as an isolated severe thunderstorm impacted the site. Additionally, a storm report from the public estimated winds of 60 mph at the same location and time.
April 2012Thunderstorm WindForest City-A trained spotter recorded a 51kt/59mph thunderstorm wind gust on their local anemometer about one mile northwest of Sanlando Springs in Longwood.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindForest City-A storm chaser measured a 62 mph thunderstorm wind gust on their Davis Vantage Pro weather station near Altamonte Springs.
August 2012HailForest City-A spotter reported nickel-sized hail near I-4 and SR 434.
March 2011Thunderstorm WindForest City-A weather spotter reported trees down at North Street and Suniland Street in Altamonte Springs, blocking the roadway.
March 2010Funnel CloudForest City-An Orlando TV Station weather spotter observed a brief funnel cloud near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 434 in Altamonte Springs.
June 2010HailForest City-Public report of penny sized hail at highway 436 and Bear Lake Road.
June 2008HailForest City-The public reported nickel size hail on Clemson Drive.
April 1997HailForest City-Nickel size hail fell at Forest City.
April 1997HailForest City-Nickel size hail fell at Forest City.

Every storm recorded in Seminole County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Weathersfield2.4 miles15
Wekiwa Springs2.4 miles15
Orienta Gardens3.3 miles15
Sanlando Springs3.5 miles15
Altamonte Springs4.1 miles15
Fern Park5.0 miles15
Longwood6.1 miles15
Casselberry6.2 miles15

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Forest CityAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2301375The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 294773. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.