Forsyth County, North Carolina facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forsyth County
U.S. county
Forsyth County Courthouse in Winston-Salem
Flag Seal Logo
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	North Carolina
Founded	1849
Named for	Benjamin Forsyth
Seat	Winston-Salem
Largest community	Winston-Salem
Area
• Total	412.35 sq mi (1,068.0 km2)
• Land	407.85 sq mi (1,056.3 km2)
• Water	4.50 sq mi (11.7 km2)  1.09%
Population  (2020)
• Total	382,590
• Estimate  (2023)	392,921
• Density	937.7/sq mi (362.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	5th, 6th

Forsyth County (/foʊrˈsaɪθ/ FOHR-syth) is a county located in the northwest Piedmont of the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,590, making it the fourth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its county seat is Winston-Salem. Forsyth County is part of the Winston-Salem, NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Greensboro–Winston-Salem–High Point, NC, Combined Statistical Area. Portions of Forsyth County are in the Yadkin Valley wine region.

History

The county was formed in 1849 from Stokes County. It was named for Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, who was killed in the War of 1812.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county is in the outer Appalachian Mountains, and has a total area of 412.35 square miles (1,068.0 km²), of which 407.85 square miles (1,056.3 km²) is land and 4.50 square miles (11.7 km²) (1.09%) is water.

The northeast section of Forsyth County, including Belews Creek and parts of Rural Hall, Walkertown, and Kernersville, is drained by tributaries of the Dan River. A small portion of Kernersville is in the Cape Fear River basin. Most of the county is drained by tributaries of the Yadkin River, which forms the western boundary of the county. The lowest elevation in the county is 660 feet, on the Yadkin River at the southwest corner of the county. The highest is 1100 feet, at a point just off Jefferson Church Road on the outskirts of King, immediately south of the county line.

State and local protected areas/sites

• Cascades Preserve (part)
• Emily Allen Wildflower Preserve
• Historic Bethabara Park
• Kaleideum
• Old Salem Museums & Gardens
• Shell-Shaped Shell Station
• Tanglewood Park

Major water bodies

• Abbotts Creek
• Belews Creek
• Belews Lake
• Beaver Dam Creek
• Brushy Creek
• Blanket Creek
• Buffalo Creek
• Crooked Run Creek
• Lick Creek
• Little Creek
• Little Yadkin River
• Mill Creek
• Muddy Creek
• Old Field Creek
• Reedy Fork
• Salem Creek
• Silas Creek
• South Fork Muddy Creek
• Yadkin River

Adjacent counties

• Stokes County – north
• Rockingham County – northeast
• Guilford County – east
• Davidson County – south
• Davie County – southwest
• Yadkin County – west
• Surry County – northwest

Major highways

• I-40
• 
  I-74 / Future I-74 (designated section from I-40 to county line with Guilford County)
• 
  Future I-274 (future loop around Winston-Salem)
• I-285
• 
  Future I-685
• US 52
• US 158
• US 311
• US 421
• NC 8
• NC 65
• NC 66
• NC 67
• NC 74 (temporary highway designation for I-74)
• NC 109
• NC 150
• NC 192 (future designation between I-40 and I-74)
• NC 452 (future temporary highway designation for I-274)

Major infrastructure

• Amtrak Thruway (Winston-Salem)
• Smith Reynolds Airport

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 382,590 people, 148,151 households, and 90,837 families residing in the county.

Education

Forsyth County is served by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools School district.

Communities

Map of Forsyth County with municipal and township labels

Cities

• Winston-Salem (county seat and largest community)
• High Point (mostly in Guilford County; also in Randolph County and Davidson County)
• King (mostly in Stokes County)

Towns

• Bethania
• Kernersville (partially in Guilford County)
• Lewisville
• Rural Hall
• Stokesdale (mostly in Guilford County)
• Walkertown

Villages

• Clemmons
• Tobaccoville (also in Stokes County)

Townships

Former township

• Middle Fork Township was split into Middle Fork I Township and Middle Fork II Township in 2003.

Census-designated place

• Germanton

Unincorporated communities

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Forsyth (Carolina del Norte) para niños