Emergency Biohazard Cleanup Services in Forest City, IA

Forest City is the county seat of Winnebago County in north-central Iowa, and the city also extends into neighboring Hancock County.

Forest City was founded in 1855 by surveyor Robert Clark, who laid out a town literally carved out of the native forest; the settlement was first nicknamed 'Puckerbrush,' was platted in 1856, and was incorporated on June 14, 1878.

Forest City had 4,285 residents at the 2020 census, living in 1,714 households.

Swedish and Norwegian immigrants drove Forest City's early growth after a rail line between Minneapolis and St. Louis arrived in 1879, and the town still celebrates its Scandinavian heritage.

Forest City is home to Waldorf University, a private four-year liberal arts university that began in 1903 in one of the town's grand hotels.

Winnebago Industries grew out of a community effort in Forest City: in late 1957 local residents bought stock in $100 increments, raising $50,000 from 208 contributors to start the travel trailer factory that began production in January 1958.

Winnebago built its first motor home in 1966, and the name Winnebago became synonymous with 'motor home' in American English.

Winnebago Industries moved its corporate headquarters to Eden Prairie, Minnesota in December 2021, but its main manufacturing plant remains in Forest City and is still one of the largest employers in north Iowa.

The Winnebago County Courthouse in the center of Forest City was built in 1896 and still stands today.

In 1924, Forest City citizens stepped forward to preserve remnants of the Wisconsin glacial drift landscape, land now enjoyed as Pilot Knob State Park.