Tualatin Academy · National Register of Historic Places
Forest Grove’s story
186 years in pictures
6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 16 places on the National Register.
- 1840Forest Grove is settled
Forest GroveOR
A town of 26,529, settled in 1840. Home to 16 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: M.O. Stevens · Public domain
Population
26,529
+24.4% since 2010
Typical home
$520K
−1.3% in a year
Household income
$88K
median
Median age
34.0
years
Jobs based here
8,048
A commuter town
What makes Forest Grove stand out
The 3 things Forest Grove does most differently from other towns.
Tualatin AcademyHistory
Settled in 1840
16 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 186 years.
$520Ktypical home
Housing
$520K typical home
5% above the OR typical home
Down 1.3% in a year.
Outdoors
#32 most conserved land in OR
7.4 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves
12.1% of the town is conserved land.
A growing town
Forest Grove has grown 24.4% since 2010
21,083 people in 2010; 26,529 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Forest Grove’s report card
Housing$520K5% above the OR typical homeOutdoors7 mi#48 for trails in ORSchoolsB−Beats 45% of OR districtsHealthBHealthier than 57% of U.S. townsCommute13 miHalf of commuters travel lessHazards74/100High risk of storm & flood damageSafetyCLess crime than 32% of U.S. townsClimate82°/34°Summer high · winter low · 5″ snow
Now in Forest Grove
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Forest Grove is #137 of 147 in OR for “Shortest commute”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Forest Grove’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Local news
All →- Gresham vs Forest Grove - Boys Varsity Soccer 09/28/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 28
- A C Nelson vs Forest Grove - Boys Varsity Soccer 09/10/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 10
- Che Muñoz Cooper - Forest Grove Vikings Baseball (Forest Grove, OR)Sports Illustrated · Sep 6
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Forest Grove. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Forest Grove home is worth about $520K
The typical Forest Grove home is worth about $520,000, down 1.3% in a year, close to the Oregon typical home.
$520KZillow home value
Typical home value
Forest Grove$520K
Oregon$496K
Market temperature
62
days on market
100.5%
sale-to-list price
−1.3%
value change, 1 year
30
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
12.1% of Forest Grove is conserved land
7.4 miles of trails across 13 parks and preserves.
#48for trails in OR
12.1%
conserved · 473 of 3,898 acres
7.4 mi
of trails · 1.2 per sq mi
#32
most conserved land in OR
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fernhill Wetlands | 3.6 mi | 163 |
| 2. Stites Park | 0.5 mi | 10 |
| 3. Rogers Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Forest Grove’s public schools outperform 45% of Oregon districts
The public schools Forest Grove’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 55% of Oregon’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Clarke Elementary School | K–4 | 390 | D− |
| Joseph Gale Elementary School | PK–4 | 388 | D− |
| Fern Hill Elementary School | PK–4 | 249 | Not graded |
| Forest Grove Community School | 1–8 | 202 | B |
| Early Learning Community at Pacific University Private | PK–4 | 96 | |
| Forest Grove Montessori Private | PK–K | 18 |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduationAll 10 schools →
Health
Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns
Forest Grove beats the Oregon average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
BHealth Grade
26 measures vs. Oregon
3 better19 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Forest Grove | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.7% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 23.9% | 27.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 10.5% | 8.5% |
Hillsboro Medical Center
6.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
59th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in six working residents works right in Forest Grove
Most working residents leave Forest Grove for work: only 16% work in town. The top destinations are Hillsboro (22%), Portland (15%) and Beaverton (7%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
16%work in town
Where working residents work
In Forest Grove16%
Hillsboro22%
Portland15%
Beaverton7%
Cornelius3%
13 mi
median commute distance
8,048
jobs based in Forest Grove
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Natural hazards
High risk, with earthquakes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 74% of U.S. communities.
74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
5
paid flood claims since 1996
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 32% of U.S. towns
Forest Grove reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 68% report less.
CSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Forest Grove3.8
Oregon3.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Forest Grove10.4
Oregon21.8
U.S.15.5
32nd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
44th
percentile among OR towns
105
violent crimes reported in 2025
284
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Forest Grove has mild winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–48°
Spring41–62°
Summer52–79°
Fall44–64°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 16
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
College town
Pacific University calls Forest Grove home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Landmarks
16 places in Forest Grove on the National Register of Historic Places.
Famous people from Forest Grove
10 notable people were born in Forest Grove.
R
Richard VanGrunsvenAmerican aerospace engineer · born 1939
T
Travis BaptistAmerican baseball player · born 1971
M
Mike ClockAmerican wrestling coach · 1935–2026N
Norman RalstonPilot and businessman · 1916–2007About Forest Grove
City in Oregon, United States
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, 25 miles (40 km) west of Portland, within the Tualatin Valley. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a commuter town in the Portland metro area. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850, then incorporated in 1872, making it the first city in Washington County. The population was 26,225 at the 2020 census, an increase of 8% over 2010 figure (21,083). Pacific University is located here. Old College Hall on campus, and nine other sites in the city, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1840
- Population
- 26,225
- Area
- 6.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 197 ft
- ZIP code
- 97116
- Area code
- 503, 971
Forest Grove’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Forest Grove.
CorneliusForest Grove
More about Forest Grove
Still missing for Forest Grove:upcoming events