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Forest Park, Georgia

Coordinates: 33°37′11″N 84°21′57″W / 33.61972°N 84.36583°W / 33.61972; -84.36583
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Forest Park, Georgia
City
Forest Park city hall
Forest Park city hall
Flag of Forest Park, Georgia
Flag
Official seal of Forest Park, Georgia
Seal
Map
Interactive map of Forest Park, Georgia
Coordinates: 33°37′11″N 84°21′57″W / 33.61972°N 84.36583°W / 33.61972; -84.36583
CountryUnited States
StateGeorgia
CountyClayton
Government
 • TypeCouncil-Manager
 • MayorAngelyne Butler, MPA
 • City ManagerRicky L. Clark, Jr.
Area
[1]
 • Total
9.37 sq mi (24.27 km2)
 • Land9.31 sq mi (24.11 km2)
 • Water0.062 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Elevation
988 ft (301 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
19,932
 • Density2,141.0/sq mi (826.65/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
30297-30298
Area codes404/678/470
FIPS code13-30536[2]
GNIS feature ID0331743[3]
Websitehttps://www.forestparkga.gov/

Forest Park is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, United States. It is located approximately nine miles (14 km) south of Atlanta[4] and is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 19,932.

In the 1800s, Forest Park was named Stump Town, due to the large number of stumps left behind from trees being cut for fuel for the trains passing to and from Atlanta. After being charted and incorporated in 1908, it became known as several names, such as Quick Station, Aster, and Forrest Station. Until the 1950s, Forest Park was spelled with two "R's" instead of just one.[5]

History

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Forest Park has its origins as a "wood and water stop" for the nation's burgeoning railroad system in the early to mid-1800s. Originally the third stop from Atlanta on the Macon and Western Railroad, the city was incorporated in 1908. The community was named for the parklike setting of the original town site.[6] The 1,465-acre (5.93 km2) Fort Gillem was founded nearby in 1941 and was annexed into the city in 1973.

Geography

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Forest Park is located at 33°37′11″N 84°21′57″W / 33.619659°N 84.365782°W / 33.619659; -84.365782.[7]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.4 square miles (24 km2), of which 9.4 square miles (24 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2) (0.43%) is water.

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1910173—
192030878.0%
193038826.0%
194057748.7%
19502,653359.8%
196014,201435.3%
197019,99440.8%
198018,782−6.1%
199016,925−9.9%
200021,44726.7%
201018,468−13.9%
202019,9327.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

Racial and ethnic composition

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Forest Park city, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop. 2000[9] Pop. 2010[10] Pop. 2020[11] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 7,557 3,555 2,467 35.24% 19.25% 12.38%
Black or African American alone (NH) 7,883 6,808 9,268 36.76% 36.86% 46.50%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 56 23 47 0.26% 0.12% 0.24%
Asian alone (NH) 1,268 1,448 1,375 5.91% 7.84% 6.90%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 3 7 9 0.01% 0.04% 0.05%
Some other race alone (NH) 26 34 102 0.12% 0.18% 0.51%
Mixed race or multi-racial (NH) 332 250 467 1.55% 1.35% 2.34%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4,322 6,343 6,197 20.15% 34.35% 31.09%
Total 21,447 18,468 19,932 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, Forest Park had a population of 19,932. The median age was 33.5 years. 27.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 10.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.0 males age 18 and over.[12][13]

There were 6,773 households and 4,038 families in Forest Park, of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 28.7% were married-couple households, 23.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 38.8% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[12]

There were 7,429 housing units, of which 8.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.1%.[12]

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.[14]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[13]
Race Number Percent
White 3,255 16.3%
Black or African American 9,427 47.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 283 1.4%
Asian 1,385 6.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 22 0.1%
Some other race 3,939 19.8%
Two or more races 1,621 8.1%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 6,197 31.1%

Education

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Public education in the city of Forest Park is provided by Clayton County Public Schools. Schools in the Forest Park area include four elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

Elementary schools

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  • Hendrix Drive Elementary
  • Fountain Elementary
  • Edmonds Elementary
  • Huie Elementary

Middle schools

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  • Babb Middle School
  • Forest Park Middle School

High school

[edit]

Transportation

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Air

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Highways

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Transit systems

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MARTA serves the city.

There is commuter rail service in the planning stages along the Norfolk Southern line, with proposed stations in Forest Park, Morrow, Jonesboro, and initially ending at Lovejoy.

Notable people

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
  2. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ^ "Forest Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  4. ^ "Location". City of Forest Park, Georgia. July 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 4, 2010. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
  5. ^ Staff (November 26, 2007). "Forest Park celebrates 100 years of history". Clayton News. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  6. ^ Krakow, Kenneth K. (1975). Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins (PDF). Macon, GA: Winship Press. p. 80. ISBN 0-915430-00-2.
  7. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  8. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  9. ^ "P004 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Forest Park city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  10. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Forest Park city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  11. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Forest Park city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  13. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
  14. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2026.
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