2007 · Forreston, IL Fire Dept 01 · Wikimedia Commons
Forreston’s story
172 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives.
- 1854Forreston is settled
- 2007Forreston, IL Fire Dept 01
- 2012Lazarus Blk Built 1940
ForrestonIL
A town of 1,907, settled in 1854. A typical home worth about $168K.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Jacobson (Kranar Drogin) · CC BY 2.5
Population
1,907
−3.6% since 2010
Typical home
$168K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$72K
median
Median age
39.5
years
Jobs based here
459
A commuter town
What makes Forreston stand out
The 3 things Forreston does most differently from other towns.
$168Ktypical home
Housing
$168K typical home
43% below the IL typical home
Up 5.9% in a year.
A−School Grade
Schools
Better than 79%
of IL districts
School Grade A−.
2007 · Forreston, IL Fire Dept 01History
Settled in 1854
6 archive photos, postcards and papers
Archive photos and papers going back 172 years.
A commuter town
91% of working residents leave Forreston for work
Where Forreston’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
459jobs based in Forreston
9%of working residents work in town
20 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Forreston’s report card
Now in Forreston
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Forreston? Is an A− for its schools right?
Your answer becomes a post in Forreston’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →48°
Clear
H 63° · L 41°
Local news
All →- Forreston vs Oregon - Boys Middle School Basketball 12/01/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- Forreston vs Pecatonica - Girls Sophomore Basketball 02/09/2027 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 21
- Freeport vs Hononegah Comm. - Girls Freshman Volleyball 09/22/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 19
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Forreston. Another town gets a different order.
Natural hazards
Very low risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 11% of U.S. communities.
11risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Housing
A typical Forreston home is worth about $168K
The typical Forreston home is worth about $168,000, up 5.9% in a year, 43% below the Illinois typical home.
$168KZillow home value
Typical home value
Forreston$168K
Illinois$298K
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Forreston’s public schools outperform 79% of Illinois districts
The public schools Forreston’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 79% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the top.
A−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forreston Grade School | 1–5 | 238 | B+ |
| Forreston Jr/Sr High Sch | 6–12 | 406 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IL on state tests and graduationAll 2 schools →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Forreston
Most working residents leave Forreston for work: only 9% work in town. The top destinations are Freeport (18%), Rockford (9%) and Forreston (9%). Half commute less than 20 miles.
9%work in town
Where working residents work
In Forreston9%
Freeport18%
Rockford9%
Forreston9%
Chicago5%
20 mi
median commute distance
459
jobs based in Forreston
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Forreston has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 35 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
35″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring38–59°
Summer60–81°
Fall40–61°
Oct 13
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
Healthier than 41% of U.S. towns
Forreston beats the Illinois average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8.
C+Health Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
3 better21 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Forreston | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.2% | 13.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.8% | 6.3% |
Fhn Memorial Hospital
9.1 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
29th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
0% of Forreston is conserved land
1.0 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 23,135 acres
1.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
About Forreston
Village in Illinois, United States
Forreston is a village in Ogle County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Forreston had a population of 1,435.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1854
- Population
- 1,435
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 938 ft
- ZIP code
- 61030
Forreston’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Forreston.
MarylandCherry Grove-ShannonForrestonForreston
More about Forreston
Still missing for Forreston:upcoming events