Page 13 - Forest Hill FY21 Annual Budget

Fore�Hill

History

Forest Hill began as a community around 1860. It was called Brambleton Station and Forest Hill Village
before being named Forest Hill. By 1896 the community had its first schools and was established as a
suburb of Fo1i Worth. In 1905 Old Mansfield Road and Forest Hill Drive were the city's two main roads.
In 1912 citizens d1illed a "crooked hole well," the first private water system in the community. By 1925 the
community had 25 residents and two businesses. Forest Hill grained a new source of water in the early
1940's. By 1944 Trentman Company and the Johnson Campbell Company began building homes. The
owners of the p1ivate water system sold it to Texas Water Company. The community incorporated as a
village on March 16, 1946. Ln the late I 940's the city population was approximately 90 people. In 1949 the
city petitioned to be relabeled as a city after reaching 500 citizens. On April 8 of that year the village was
relabeled as a city. By 1954 the volunteer fire department, the police depa1iment, and the Corporation
Couii opened. The city had 1,519 people in the mid-I 950s and by 1967, the city had 3,800 people. The city
grew due to its proximity to Fort Worth. By the early I 970's the city adopted the Forest Hill Home Rule
Charter in order to more easily annex territory and to allow for better governance. The city's population
was I 0,250 in 1976 and 11,482 in 1990. In the 1970s, it elected its first female mayor, Jackie Larson.

I Transportation

Forest Hill is located along one of the busiest freeways in North Texas. Approximately 180,000 vehicles
per day travel along IH-20. Four eastbound and westbound off ramps provide direct access to the City's
arterial roadway network. interstate 20 runs through the heaii of Forest Hill and provides access to
Highway 287, Southeast Loop Interstate 820 and Interstate 35 West. These major thoroughfares intersect to
fonn one of the highest traffic count areas in southern Tarrant County.

Forest Hill has a bus transpo1iation service, which is used by residents to gain access to local businesses.

Residents enjoy easy access to the five area airpo1is -

Dallas Love Field 37 miles
DFW International 23 miles
Alliance Airpo1i 26 miles
Meacham International 15 miles
Fort Wo1ih Spinks Airport I I miles

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