Roman Forest is a small city in southeastern Montgomery County, Texas, located east of U.S. Highway 59/Interstate 69 and near the East Fork of the San Jacinto River, about 32 miles northeast of Houston and 23 miles southeast of Conroe. The 2020 census counted 1,781 residents. The community began as a residential subdivision whose developers named it for the area's wooded terrain. In the mid-1970s, residents voted to incorporate, and Roman Forest became a city in 1975. From a population under a thousand in 1980, it has grown steadily into a small but established municipality within the Houston metropolitan area, retaining its own police force and local civic institutions. Roman Forest is essentially a commuter community. Most residents travel to Houston for work, taking advantage of the city's position near U.S. Highway 59/Interstate 69, Farm-to-Market Road 1485, and the Grand Parkway, which together provide access to downtown Houston and major employment centers such as the ExxonMobil campus in the northern suburbs. Public education is provided by the New Caney Independent School District, a growing system based in nearby New Caney that serves Roman Forest and several other southeastern Montgomery County communities. Shopping, dining, and services are concentrated in New Caney and the wider Houston area. The city's defining qualities are its wooded, low-density setting and its small scale. Homes sit on tree-shaded lots, and the surrounding countryside keeps the area quieter than many parts of the Houston metro. For those seeking a compact, forested residential community with regional freeway access, Roman Forest offers a distinct alternative within Montgomery County.