Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Winston-Salem
City
Nicknames: 
The Twin City, Winston, W-S,
The Dash City, The 336, Camel City
Motto: 
Urbs Condita Adiuvando (Latin)
("A city founded on cooperation")
Interactive map of Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem
Coordinates: 36°06′10″N 80°15′39″W / 36.10278°N 80.26083°W / 36.10278; -80.26083
Country United States
State North Carolina
CountyForsyth
Founded1766 (Salem),
1849 (Winston)
Consolidated1913 (Winston-Salem)
Named afterJoseph Winston and "Shalom" (Hebrew meaning "Peace")
Government
 • MayorAllen Joines (D)
 • City ManagerWilliam “Pat” Pate
Area
 • Total
134.74 sq mi (348.98 km2)
 • Land133.53 sq mi (345.84 km2)
 • Water1.21 sq mi (3.14 km2)  0.90%
Elevation
791 ft (241 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
249,545
 • Estimate 
(2023)
252,975
 • Rank5th in North Carolina
91st in United States
 • Density1,868.8/sq mi (721.55/km2)
 • Urban
420,924 (US: 98th)
 • Urban density1,354/sq mi (522.9/km2)
 • Metro
705,187 (US: 86th)
Demonym(s)Winston-Salemite, Winstonian
GDP
 • Metro$40.939 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes
27023, 27040, 27045, 27101-27110, 27113-27117, 27120, 27127, 27130, 27150, 27152, 27155, 27157, 27198-27199, 27284
Area codes336, 743
FIPS code37-75000
GNIS ID2405771
Websitewww.cityofws.org

Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and 91st-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 249,545 at the 2020 census. The Winston-Salem metropolitan area has an estimated 705,000 residents, making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area based in North Carolina. It is the second-most-populous city in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region, home to about 1.7 million residents.

Winston-Salem is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage, and the "Camel City" as a reference to the city's historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally based R. J. Reynolds' Camel cigarettes. Many North Carolinians refer to the city as "Winston" in informal speech. Winston-Salem is also home to six colleges and institutions, most notably Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.