Forney is located in northwestern Kaufman County. U.S. Route 80 passes through the city as a four-lane limited-access highway, leading west 20 miles (32 km) to the center of Dallas and east 11 miles (18 km) to Terrell.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.826 square miles (40.99 km2), of which, 15.804 square miles (40.93 km2) is land and 0.022 square miles (0.06 km2) is water.[1]
Forney is approximately 4 mi (6 km) southeast of Lake Ray Hubbard, which was formerly known as Forney Lake.
On April 3, 2012, an EF-3 tornado struck the city as part of the tornado outbreak of that date. Several homes were completely destroyed, and many others were severely damaged in the Diamond Creek subdivision. The tornado caused significant roof damage to Crosby Elementary School in Forney. A car in the parking lot of the school was tossed about 300 yards and found in a field. Less severe damage was reported in downtown Forney and to a dry cleaning business. Despite the severe damage, no deaths occurred, but seven people sustained injuries from the tornado.[7] No deaths were reported from either the Forney tornado or any other tornado that day.
As of the 2020 census, there were 23,455 people, 7,876 households, and 6,043 families residing in the city.[13] The population density was 1,584.0 inhabitants per square mile (611.6/km2). There were 8,579 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 59.5% White, 18.0% African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 6.6% from some other races and 12.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 20.8% of the population.[14] 27.8% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.5% were under 5 years of age, and 7.0% were 65 and older.
Education
The Forney Independent School District serves Forney, Talty, an annex of Mesquite, and part of the community of Heartland. Forney is served by several elementary schools, three intermediate schools, Jackson Middle School, Warren Middle School, Brown Middle School, Forney High School, and North Forney High School. In 2010, the district received an academic rating of "Exemplary" based on the test results of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. The district also has an eBook program, where students in high school, middle school, and intermediate school are provided with a laptop for schoolwork.
In June 2022, the Forney Independent School District announced a new dress code that bans all "hoodies" and hooded coats and jackets. It also bans dresses, skirts, and skorts for all except kids in prekindergarten through the fourth grade in an effort the district says will “help prepare students for a safe and successful future.”[15]
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