The History and Character of Forest Park
President John Adams originally awarded the region now developed as Forest Park to James Hamilton in payment for military services during the Revolutionary War. This acreage was subsequently sold to others and developed into farms, in which state it remained until its acquisition by the Forest Park developers. The Metzger Brothers Company developed Forest Park as a well-planned, self-contained community. In 1961, Forest Park West was the first residential neighborhood in Columbus, and among the first in the nation, to incorporate internal shopping and recreation, making it self-sufficient. The development of Forest Park East followed in 1965.
Present-day Forest Park, encompassing approximately 1.4 square miles, contains nearly 2900 single-family homes, along with duplexes, apartments and condominiums. Altogether, an estimated 7500 people call Forest Park home.
The community’s two internal shopping centers include restaurants, a bowling center, convenience stores, optometry, health and child care, car wash and self-storage facilities, and other light retail and service businesses. It is served by and helps support the East Dublin-Granville (SR-161) and Morse Road retail corridors, as well as the Polaris and Easton retail complexes.
Five schools are located in Forest Park proper (Avalon, Parkmoor and Forest Park Elementary Schools, Northland High School and independent K-12 Marburn Academy), and several other public and private schools are within a one mile radius of the community’s center. A branch of the Columbus Public Library, a recreation facility operated by the YMCA and several churches are located on Karl Road, near the center of the community. The 49 acre Woodward Park and Nature Preserve, which includes a recreation center, athletic fields, tennis courts, picnic areas and a walking trail, forms the southern boundary of Forest Park West, and several smaller (4 to 5 acre) city parks are located within and adjacent to Forest Park East.
Click here for a Fact sheet offering additional information about Forest Park and the FPCA. (Requires the free Adobe Reader or other PDF reader/viewer.)
Location of Forest Park
Forest Park is located in the Northland region of northeast Columbus, Ohio (Franklin County), north of Morse Road, south of State Route 161, east of Interstate 71, and west of Cleveland Avenue. Karl Road separates Forest Park East and West. Forest Park is approximately 8 miles NNE, and 12 miles by highway, from the center of downtown Columbus (Broad & High Streets). Nearby communities include the cities of Westerville (to the northeast) and Worthington (to the northwest) and the village of Minerva Park (to the east). The entire community is within the Columbus city limits, Sharon Historic Township, the Northland planning district, the Columbus Public school district, area code 614 and ZIP code 43229. The approximate geographic center of the community is located at 40.0765 (N) latitude, -82.9705 (W) longitude.
Maps of Forest Park
Interactive Map: Link to an interactive GoogleTM Map of the area, including satellite images (centered at the approximate geographic center of the community).
Street Maps: View or print detailed street maps of Forest Park East and Forest Park West, prepared by Forest Park resident Dick Smith. If you’re a resident and you’re unsure which FPCA Area includes your household, these maps show the boundaries of each Area. (Requires the free Adobe Reader or other PDF reader/viewer. Maps open in a new window.)