City of Forest Hills

General information

Forest Hills is a small residential city in southwest Davidson County, Tennessee, along the northern border of Williamson County. Incorporated in 1957, the City covers approximately 9.47 square miles.

When the city of Nashville consolidated with Davidson County in 1963, Forest Hills was one of six (now five) existing cities that maintained its identity. Residents do not receive access to all city-county combined services; the City of Forest Hills provides many services such as chipper service, road maintenance, and stormwater management. Residents pay no property taxes to the City of Forest Hills; its funds come primarily from a share of the taxes imposed by the state of Tennessee.
It is bordered on the north by Harding Place, on the south by Old Hickory Boulevard, on the west by Chickering Road, and on the east by Granny White Pike. Hillsboro Pike (State Route 56/U.S. 431) serves as the main north/south corridor within the city limits.
The area was developed as a suburb of Nashville in the wake of the post-World War II population and economic boom. As its name implies, Forest Hills comprises primarily steep wooded hills. These steep-sided hills were covered with forest until the early twentieth century, when residential development extended south from Nashville. The south-central section of the community contains what was originally fertile farmland within the Otter Creek watershed. This area supported numerous small farms during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Nashville has enjoyed prosperity and growth during the past several decades, which is reflected in the development of Forest Hills. Since 1970, hundreds of dwellings have been built in Forest Hills, and the community no longer retains many tracts of open space or farmland.
The City almost exclusively residential with no commercial development. High-density housing is prohibited.