Foothill Area Guide · Butte County

Forbestown, California

An 1850 gold camp on the Butte–Yuba county line, gateway to Feather River country

Forbestown Lodge No. 50, F. & A.M., chartered May 3, 1854. Image: Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0

By Aaron Rose, Realtor®, eXp Realty of California · Updated October 2026

Where is Forbestown, California?

Forbestown is a census-designated place (CDP) in southeastern Butte County, on the ridge between the South Fork of the Feather River and the Yuba River, about 15½ miles (straight-line) east of Oroville at roughly 2,750 feet. The 2020 Census counted 396 residents and 188 housing units on about 6.3 square miles. Forbestown Road and New York Flat Road meet near town.

County and ZIP split: The CDP lies entirely in Butte County, but Yuba County is close by. The 1882 county history placed the town "within a few hundred yards of the Yuba county-line." The Forbestown ZIP, 95941, crosses that line: about 85% of its land is in Butte County and 15% in Yuba County, with 480 residents in 2020. Census ZIP areas also put a small part of the CDP's western edge in 95966 (Oroville). Check the county for any parcel, because it determines taxes, services and permitting.

What is the history of Forbestown?

Per the 1882 History of Butte County, B. F. Forbes settled the site on September 1, 1850 and opened a small store. D. W. C. Gaskill and a partner opened a rival supply depot across the creek. After a storm drove miners out of the high country that month, about 500 were camped around the place, which took the name Forbestown. The same history says the first important quartz mill in what is now Butte County was built at Forbestown in 1851. The state Division of Mines adds that the Gold Bank mine ran on a major scale from 1888 to 1904.

The town's Masonic lodge, Forbestown Lodge No. 50, F. & A.M., was chartered May 3, 1854, per its marker. It later absorbed lodges from St. Louis, Gibsonville and other mountain camps. The pioneer cemetery nearby holds graves from the 1800s.

What is there to do in and around Forbestown?

The Yuba Feather Museum and Gold Trader Flat (19096 New York Flat Rd) is an indoor-outdoor museum of eastern Butte and northern Yuba and Plumas county history. Exhibits cover the Maidu people, Chinese immigrants, gold mining, timber, and early skis and snowshoes. Per the Feather River Recreation & Park District, admission is free and hours vary.

The state Division of Mines' Forbestown district includes the Feather Falls area. The U.S. Forest Service calls Feather Falls, in Plumas National Forest's Feather River Ranger District, the sixth-highest waterfall in the nation, reached by a trail loop of about 8.5 miles (upper 4.5 mi, lower 3.5 mi, plus 0.5 mi to the overlook). Check Plumas National Forest for current trail status.

What schools serve Forbestown?

Even though Forbestown is in Butte County, every point we sampled in the Forbestown CDP falls in Marysville Joint Unified School District under Census/NCES EDGE boundaries. MJUSD is based in Yuba County. NCES lists MJUSD's Yuba Feather Elementary at 18008 Oregon Hill Rd in nearby Challenge. Other parts of ZIP 95941 to the west fall in Oroville City Elementary and Oroville Union High School District, so address-level confirmation matters. District lines don't follow ZIP codes or community names, so buyers should confirm the district and school assignment for a specific address with the Butte County Office of Education, the Yuba County Office of Education or the district office.

How far is Forbestown from Oroville?

Forbestown is about 15½ miles (straight-line) east of Oroville via Forbestown Road; county roads also lead south through Challenge and Brownsville toward Marysville.

Forbestown Road runs west toward Oroville, about 15½ miles straight-line, while county roads lead south through Challenge and Brownsville toward Marysville. This is a mountain commute, and drive times vary by address and season, so ask Aaron for a route check from a specific property.

What are homes like in Forbestown?

The Forbestown CDP had 188 housing units in the 2020 Census, and ZIP 95941 had 247. Expect rural homes on wooded acreage and land. Wildfire history and insurance availability are important due-diligence items in this area. For current pricing and recent sales, contact Aaron; this guide doesn't publish market statistics that haven't been verified.

Questions about Forbestown? Call Aaron Rose at 530-755-8479 or see current Forbestown listings.

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