Forest Park is a city in Clayton County, Georgia, positioned about nine miles south of downtown Atlanta along the region's southside transportation corridors. As part of the Atlanta metropolitan area, the city grew up around rail, military, and agriculture-related employment, a history that still shapes its landscape today. The city's development is closely tied to Fort Gillem, a U.S. Army installation founded in 1941 as a satellite of nearby Fort McPherson. For decades the post housed supply and support units, and the residential neighborhoods around its perimeter were built largely to serve military families and civilian workers. After the base closed, portions of the property were redeveloped for logistics, industrial, and mixed uses, giving Forest Park a sizable employment base along its eastern edge. Agriculture also runs through the city's identity. The Atlanta State Farmers Market, operated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture along Forest Parkway, is one of the largest state-owned farmers markets in the country, drawing wholesale and retail buyers from across the metro area. Forest Park is a working-class, ethnically diverse community with a mix of long-established residential streets and newer infill. Its location close to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Interstate 75, and Interstate 285 makes it a practical base for airport, logistics, and warehouse employment. Community life centers on schools, churches, and the parks and events at Starr Park, where the city's amphitheater hosts seasonal gatherings. Residents draw on Clayton County services and recreation facilities, and the city's compact street grid keeps much of the area within a short drive of the airport and interstates.