Forsyth County ( )Talk Like a Tarheel
, from the North Carolina Collection website at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. Retrieved August 16, 2023. is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the northwest

Piedmont Piedmont ( ; ; ) is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the northwest Italy, Northwest of the country. It borders the Liguria region to the south, the Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna regions to the east, and the Aosta Valley region to the ...

of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 382,590, making it the fourth-most populous county in North Carolina. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Winston-Salem Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and the 91st-most populous city in the Uni ...

. Forsyth County is part of the Winston-Salem, NC, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the

Greensboro Greensboro (; ) is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 census, its population was 299,035; it was estimated to be 307,381 in 2024. It is the third-most populous city in North Carolina, af ...

–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 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county is in the outer

Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a mountain range in eastern to northeastern North America. The term "Appalachian" refers to several different regions associated with the mountain range, and its surrounding terrain ...

, and has a total area of , of which is land and (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 A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...

of the Dan River. A small portion of Kernersville is in the

Cape Fear River The Cape Fear River is a blackwater river in east-central North Carolina. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Cape Fear, from which it takes its name. The river is formed at the confluence of the Haw River and the Deep River in the town of ...

basin.Haw River, North Carolina
American Rivers, Washington, DC. Retrieved December 22, 2021. Most of the county is drained by tributaries of the

Yadkin River The Yadkin River is one of the longest rivers in the US state of North Carolina, flowing . It rises in the northwestern portion of the state near the Blue Ridge Parkway, Blue Ridge Parkway's Thunder Hill Overlook. Several parts of the river a ...

, 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.Clemmons Topo Map in Forsyth County, NC
TopoZone, Locality, LLC. Retrieved December 22, 2021. 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 and 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 *

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

* * (designated section from I-40 to county line with Guilford County) * (future loop around Winston-Salem) * * * * * * * * * * * (temporary highway designation for I-74) * * * (future designation between I-40 and I-74) * (future temporary highway designation for I-274)

Major infrastructure

Amtrak Thruway Amtrak Thruway is a system of through-ticketed transportation services to connect passengers with areas not served by Amtrak trains. In most cases these are dedicated motorcoach routes, but can also be non-dedicated intercity bus services, transi ...

(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.

2000 census

At the 2000 census, there were 306,067 people, 123,851 households, and 81,741 families residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 133,093 housing units, at an average density of . The racial makeup was 68.47%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 25.61%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.30% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 3.25% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. 6.40% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. There were 123,851 households, out of which 30.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.90% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 13.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.00% were non-families. 28.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39, and the average family size was 2.94. Forsyth nc tracts 2020

The median age was 36 years, with 23.90% under the age of 18, 9.60% from 18 to 24, 31.10% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64, and 12.60% who were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.40 males. The median household income was $42,097, and the median family income was $52,032. Males had a median income of $36,158, versus $27,319 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $23,023. About 7.90% of families and 11.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 15.10% of those under age 18 and 9.70% of those age 65 or over.

Law and government

The Forsyth County Government Center is located at 201 North Chestnut Street in Downtown Winston-Salem. Forsyth County is a member of the regional Northwest Piedmont Council of Governments. The Forsyth County Public Library, founded in 1906, is free for residents of Forsyth and surrounding counties, while all others must pay a small yearly fee for a library card. The library runs Adult, Children's, and Hispanic Outreach programs. Its main "Central Library" is in downtown

, with branches all across the county. Forsyth County Public Library is part of NC Cardinal, a consortium of many other library systems in North Carolina. The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is located at 799 North Highland Avenue near downtown Winston-Salem.

Politics

Forsyth County typically favors Democratic candidates in national elections, though Republicans remain competitive in local races.

Education

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

Communities

Map of Forsyth County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Cities

(county seat and largest community) * High Point (mostly in Guilford County; also in Randolph County and Davidson County) *

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

(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

* Abbots Creek * Belews Creek * Bethania * Broadbay * Clemmonsville * Kernersville * Lewisville * Middle Fork I * Middle Fork II * Old Richmond *

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins. In some cases, newer developments on t ...

* Salem Chapel * South Fork *

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

* Winston

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

* Belews Creek * Bethabara *

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...

* Donnaha * Dozier * Horneytown * Pfafftown * Seward * Stanleyville * Union Cross *

References

External links

* *
Digital Forsyth
collaborative digitization project of historic images
NCGenWeb Forsyth County
genealogy resources for the county
Forsyth County Genealogical Society
{{Authority control 1849 establishments in North Carolina Populated places established in 1849