Forest Hills, around 45.9-acre Forest Hills Park, is a National Register district in ZIP code 27707, zoned for C.E. Jordan High.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Sources: the City of Durham’s planning GIS data, Durham Public Schools’ 2026-27 attendance zones, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, NCDOT’s highway exit data, OpenStreetMap and Zillow Research.

Forest Hills is the neighborhood southwest of downtown built around Forest Hills Park, on University Drive. The Forest Hills Historic District, an “early 20th c. residential district” of about 392 acres, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, according to the city’s historic district data, and OpenStreetMap names Forest Hills as a neighborhood. All of it is in ZIP code 27707.

What this means for you

  • Zoned high school: C.E. Jordan High, 57.9% of state tests at grade level in 2025-26. Check an address with the city’s school locator.
  • Home value: $406,475 in ZIP code 27707 in August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index.
  • Nearest freeway exit: Durham Freeway (N.C. 147) Exit 12, Mangum and Roxboro streets, about 1 mile by road.

Part of our Durham neighborhoods guide.

Where it is

In the city’s data the district runs about 0.85 mile north to south, with Forest Hills Park and University Drive at its center, Lyon Park at its edge and the Morehead Hill neighborhood to the north, toward downtown. The American Tobacco Trail runs along its east side, according to OpenStreetMap. The city’s Place Type Map marks most of the homes as Established Residential and the park as Recreation and Open Space. It is a National Register district, not a local historic district, in the city’s data.

Schools

Forest Hills is in Durham Public Schools. We checked 398 points across the district against the 2026-27 attendance zones. All were zoned for C.E. Jordan High, but the lower grades split almost in half: about 52% of the area is zoned for Morehead Elementary and Lakewood Middle, both Montessori schools, and 48% for C.C. Spaulding Elementary and Githens Middle. Check the exact address in the school locator.

Level School At grade level Growth
Elementary Morehead Montessori, 909 Cobb St. 72.2% Not met
Elementary C.C. Spaulding Elementary, 1531 S. Roxboro St. 48.7% Exceeded
Middle Lakewood Montessori Middle, 2119 Chapel Hill Road 73.6% Exceeded
Middle Githens Middle, 4800 Old Chapel Hill Road 52.4% Met
High C.E. Jordan High, 6806 Garrett Road 57.9% Met

“At grade level” is the share of state tests at grade level or above in 2025-26, from the state’s accountability data; the district figure was 53.2%. Questions go to the Office of Student Assignment, 919-560-2059. More in our schools guide.

Home values

Zillow publishes no figure for Forest Hills alone. The Zillow Home Value Index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price.

Area August 2026 August 2025 Change
ZIP code 27707 $406,475 $419,519 -3.1%
City of Durham, for comparison $389,634 $403,339 -3.4%

Trends are on our home prices page.

Parks and trails

From the city’s park data and Durham Parks and Recreation:

  • Forest Hills Park, 1639 University Drive, 45.9 acres with a trail, a playground, a gazebo and pickleball, inside the district.
  • Lyon Park, 1200 W. Lakewood Ave., 12.6 acres, at the edge of the district.
  • White Oak Park, 2504 Dallas St., and Rockwood Park, 2310 Whitley Drive, 12.3 acres, each within about a quarter mile.
  • Orchard Park, 1000 S. Duke St., to the north.
  • The American Tobacco Trail runs along the district’s east side, according to OpenStreetMap.

More in our parks and trails guide and walking and biking trails guide.

Getting around

  • Durham Freeway (N.C. 147): Exit 12 (U.S. 15 and U.S. 501 Business, Mangum and Roxboro streets) is about 1 mile by road from the middle of the district, and Exit 11 (N.C. 55, Alston Avenue) about 1.4 miles. Exit names are NCDOT’s.
  • City Hall (101 City Hall Plaza): about 1.4 miles by road.
  • Raleigh-Durham International Airport: about 14.8 miles by road.
  • Buses: GoDurham Route 7, which the agency names “Forest Hills,” stops on Roxboro Street at Masondale Avenue and at Normandy Street, and Route 8 runs on South Roxboro Street, according to the city’s bus stop data. See GoDurham.

Distances were measured with the OSRM routing engine on OpenStreetMap roads from a point in the middle of the area. They are distances, not drive times. More in our getting around guide.

Groceries and everyday stores

OpenStreetMap lists these within about a mile:

  • Supermarket: Compare Foods, 1233 University Drive.
  • Pharmacy: Walgreens, 710 Fayetteville St.
  • Shopping: Forest Hills Shopping Center, about 0.4 mile from the middle of the district.
  • Library: the Stanford L. Warren Branch Library, 1201 Fayetteville St.

How we built this page

The area is the National Register’s Forest Hills Historic District as mapped in the city’s planning data; OpenStreetMap also names the neighborhood. School zones come from the district’s 2026-27 attendance zones, checked at 398 points; a home near a zone line can differ. We found no city or county registry of homeowners associations for Forest Hills, so this page does not describe them.

Frequently asked questions

What high school is Forest Hills in Durham zoned for?

All of the Forest Hills historic district is zoned for C.E. Jordan High in Durham Public Schools’ 2026-27 attendance zones. Its elementary and middle school zones are split about evenly.

What ZIP code is Forest Hills in Durham?

Forest Hills is in ZIP code 27707. Zillow’s Home Value Index for 27707 was $406,475 in August 2026, down 3.1% from August 2025.

How big is Forest Hills Park?

Forest Hills Park, 1639 University Drive, covers 45.9 acres with a trail, a playground, a gazebo and pickleball, according to the city’s park data.

Is Forest Hills a historic district?

The Forest Hills Historic District, an early 20th century residential district of about 392 acres, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.