Forbestown, California

Forbestown
Shakespeare Mining & Milling Co, headframe and miners, ca. 1860
Location of Forbestown in Butte County, California.
Forbestown
Location in California
Forbestown
Forbestown (the United States)
Coordinates: 39°31′02″N 121°16′02″W / 39.51722°N 121.26722°W / 39.51722; -121.26722
Country United States
State California
CountyButte County
Area
  Total
6.280 sq mi (16.266 km2)
  Land6.274 sq mi (16.250 km2)
  Water0.006 sq mi (0.015 km2)  0.09%
Elevation
2,772 ft (845 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
396
  Density63/sq mi (24/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
  Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
GNIS feature IDs1656023; 2612480
U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Forbestown, California, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Forbestown, California

Forbestown (formerly, Boles Dry Diggins and Forbes Diggins) is a census-designated place in Butte County, California. It lies at an elevation of 2772 feet (845 m). Its zip code is 95941 and its area code is 530. Forbestown had a population of 396 at the 2020 census.

Forbestown is named for B.F. Forbes, who opened a store there in 1850. The post office was established in 1854, closed in 1925, and re-opened in 1936.

Forbestown's heyday was the last half of the nineteenth century, when it was a large mining center. By the late 1930s, it was nearly a ghost town. The site has foundations and debris from its mining era.