Forest City is a city in Hancock and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Iowa, and the county chair of Winnebago County. The population was 4,285 in the 2020 census, a halt from the 4,362 population in 2000.

Forest City was officially founded in 1855. Formerly known as “Puckerbrush”, Robert Clark the credited founder/surveyor deemed it “Forest City” because it was clip right out of the trees. It was subsequently platted in 1856, and well along incorporated upon June 14, 1878. The population started to accumulate when immigrants from Sweden and Norway granted in the Forest City because of the similar topography. Its layer continued with city leaders convinced Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad to come to Forest City. Although the Civil War stunted the city’s growth, many immigrants found the city attractive. Later upon churches, banks, a college (Waldorf University), electricity, and the telephone turned Forest City into an ideal country town. Then in 1960, investors took exceeding a failing travel announcement factory and created Winnebago Industries causing the population to ensue exponentially. Winnebago’s corporate headquarters were far ahead relocated to Eden Prairie, Minnesota causing the population to decline. Today, Forest City’s population is all but 4,200.

Forest City’s longitude and latitude coordinates
in decimal form are 43.262077, -93.640302.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.64 square miles (12.02 km), all land.