Winston-Salem is a
city
A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
in
, United States, and 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 ...
.
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 United States.
The population of the Winston-Salem
metropolitan area
A metropolitan area or metro is a region consisting of a densely populated urban area, urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories which share Industry (economics), industries, commercial areas, Transport infrastructure, transport network ...
was estimated to be 695,630 in 2023.
It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina's
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and ...
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
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
related to locally based
R. J. Reynolds' Camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
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
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
,
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
History
Winston-Salem State University was founded as "Slater Industrial A ...
, and the
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a public art school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants a high school diploma, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina Sc ...
.
History
Siouan
Siouan ( ), also known as Siouan–Catawban ( ), is a language family of North America located primarily in the Great Plains, Ohio and Mississippi valleys and southeastern North America with a few other languages in the east.
Name
Authors who ...
-speaking tribes such as the
Cheraw
The Cheraw people, also known as the Saraw or Saura,Sebeok, Thomas Albert''Native Languages of the Americas, Volume 2.''Plenum Press, 1977: 251. were a Siouan-speaking tribe of Indigenous people of the Southeastern Woodlands,Swanton''The Indians ...
and the
Keyauwee Indians inhabited the area. Followers of the
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church, or the Moravian Brethren ( or ), formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the original ...
had interacted with
Cherokee
The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
s. The city of Winston-Salem is a product of the merging of the two neighboring towns of Winston and Salem in 1913.
History of Salem

The origin of the town of Salem dates to 1753, when Bishop
August Gottlieb Spangenberg
August Gottlieb Spangenberg (15 July 170418 September 1792) was a German theologian, minister, and bishop of the Moravian Church. As successor to Nicolaus Zinzendorf as bishop of the Moravian Church, he helped develop and lead international Mora ...
, on behalf of the
Moravian Church
The Moravian Church, or the Moravian Brethren ( or ), formally the (Latin: "Unity of the Brethren"), is one of the oldest Protestant denominations in Christianity, dating back to the Bohemian Reformation of the 15th century and the original ...
, selected a settlement site in the three forks of
Muddy Creek. He called this area "die Wachau" (
Latin
Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
form
''Wachovia'') after the ancestral estate of
Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf.
The land, just short of , was subsequently purchased from
John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville
John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville, 7th Seigneur of Sark (; 22 April 16902 January 1763), commonly known by his earlier title Lord Carteret, was a British statesman and Lord President of the Council from 1751 to 1763 and worked closely with the ...
.
On November 17, 1753, the first settlers arrived at what would later become the town of
Bethabara. This town, despite its rapid growth, was not designed to be the primary settlement on the tract. Some residents expanded to a nearby settlement, called
Bethania, in 1759. Finally, lots were drawn to select among suitable sites for the location of a new town.
The town established on the chosen site was given the name of Salem (from "Shalom", Hebrew meaning "Peace", after the Canaanite city mentioned in the
Book of Genesis
The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...
) chosen for it by the Moravians' late patron Count
Zinzendorf. On January 6, 1766, the first tree was felled for the building of Salem. Salem was a typical Moravian settlement congregation, with the public buildings of the congregation grouped around a central square (today
Salem Square). These included the church, a Brethren's House, and a Sisters' House for the unmarried members of the congregation, which owned all the property in town. For many years, only members of the Moravian Church were permitted to live in the settlement. This practice had ended by the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. Many of the original buildings in the settlement have been restored or rebuilt and are now part of
Old Salem Museums & Gardens.
Salem was incorporated as a town in December 1856. Salem Square and
God's Acre Cemetery, the Moravian graveyard, have been the site of the Moravian
sunrise service
Sunrise service is a worship service specifically on Easter Sunday practiced by some Christian denominations, such as the Moravian Church. The sunrise service may take place in the church or outdoors, sometimes in a park, and the attendees are se ...
each
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
morning since 1772. This service, sponsored by all the Moravian church parishes in the city, attracts thousands of worshipers each year, some from overseas.
History of Winston
In 1849, the Salem Congregation sold land north of Salem to the newly formed
Forsyth County for a county seat. The new town was called "the county town" or Salem until 1851, when it was renamed Winston for a local hero of the
Revolutionary War,
Joseph Winston
Lieutenant Colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Winston (June 17, 1746 – April 21, 1815) was an American pioneer, politician and American Revolutionary War hero from Surry County, North Carolina, and the first cousin of statesma ...
. For its first two decades, Winston was a sleepy community. In 1868, work began by Salem and Winston business leaders to connect the town to the
North Carolina Railroad
The North Carolina Railroad is a state-owned rail corridor extending from Morehead City, North Carolina, to Charlotte. The railroad carries over 70 freight trains operated by the Norfolk Southern Railway and eight passenger trains (Amtrak's ...
. By the 1880s, there were many different tobacco factories in the town, with notable ones owned by Pleasant Hanes and
R.J. Reynolds
Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry Coll ...
. Pleasant Hanes would later go on to found
Hanes
Hanes (founded in 1900) and Hanes Her Way (founded in 1985) is an American clothing brand headquartered in Winston-Salem. Founded in 1900 as Shamrock Knitting Mills by John Wesley Hanes, the company is owned by Hanes, Inc.
History
Hanes was f ...
(formerly called Shamrock Knitting Mills) in 1900.
Merger of Winston-Salem

Robert Gray, as a featured speaker at the 1876 centennial celebration, was the first to mention the two towns as one. In the 1880s, the US Post Office began referring to the two towns together as Winston-Salem. In 1899, after nearly a decade of contention, the
United States Post Office Department
The United States Post Office Department (USPOD; also known as the Post Office or U.S. Mail) was the predecessor of the United States Postal Service, established in 1792. From 1872 to 1971, it was officially in the form of a Cabinet of the Un ...
established the Winston-Salem post office in Winston, with the former Salem office serving as a branch. After a referendum the towns were officially incorporated as "Winston-Salem" in 1913.
The
Reynolds family, namesake of the
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
, played a large role in the history and public life of Winston-Salem. By the 1940s, 60% of Winston-Salem workers worked either for Reynolds or in the Hanes textile factories.
The Reynolds company imported so much French cigarette paper and Turkish tobacco for
Camel cigarettes
Camel is an American brand of cigarettes, currently owned and manufactured by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in the United States and by Japan Tobacco outside the U.S. Most recently Camel cigarettes contain a blend of Turkish tobacco and Vi ...
that Winston-Salem was designated by the United States federal government as an official port of entry for the United States, despite the city being inland.
Winston-Salem was the eighth-largest port of entry in the United States by 1916.
In 1917, the Reynolds company bought of property in Winston-Salem and built 180 houses that it sold at cost to workers, to form a development called "
Reynoldstown
Reynoldstown is a Historic districts in the United States, historic district and Intown Atlanta, intown neighborhood on the near Eastside, Atlanta, east side of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, located two miles from downtown.
Histor ...
".
By the time
R.J. Reynolds
Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry Coll ...
died in 1918, his company owned 121 buildings in Winston-Salem.
In 1920, with a population of 48,395, Winston-Salem was the largest city in
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 ...
.
In 1929, the
Reynolds Building was completed in Winston-Salem. Designed by
William F. Lamb from the architectural firm
Shreve, Lamb and Harmon
Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, founded as Shreve & Lamb, was an architectural firm best known for designing the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1931. The firm was prominent in the proliferatio ...
, the Reynolds Building is a skyscraper that has 21 floors.
When completed as the headquarters of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, it was the tallest building in the United States south of
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
, and it was named the best building of the year by the
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
.
The building is well known for being the predecessor and prototype for the much larger
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story, Art Deco-style supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its n ...
, which was built in 1931 in New York City.
In 1892,
Simon Green Atkins founded Slater Industrial Academy, which later became
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
History
Winston-Salem State University was founded as "Slater Industrial A ...
, a public
HBCU
Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the intention of serving African Americans. Most are in the Southern U ...
. In 1956, Wake Forest College, now known as
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
, moved to Winston-Salem from its original location in
Wake Forest, North Carolina
Wake Forest is a town in Wake and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it lies just north of the state capital, Raleigh. At the 2020 census, the population was 47,601, up from 30,117 in ...
.
Winston-Salem was officially dubbed the "City of Arts and Innovation" in 2014.
Notable early businesses
* In 1799, the
C. Winkler Bakery, noted for its
Moravian cookies, was commissioned, and in 1807, the congregation brought in
Christian Winkler of Pennsylvania to operate the bakery; his family owned and operated the business until 1929. It continues to operate today as part of
Old Salem.
* In 1875, R. J. Reynolds founded
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
, later famous for branded products such as Prince Albert pipe tobacco (1907) and
Camel
A camel (from and () from Ancient Semitic: ''gāmāl'') is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. Camels have long been domesticated and, as livestock, they provid ...
cigarettes (1913). Other brands that it made famous are
Winston,
Salem,
Doral, and
Eclipse
An eclipse is an astronomical event which occurs when an astronomical object or spacecraft is temporarily obscured, by passing into the shadow of another body or by having another body pass between it and the viewer. This alignment of three ...
cigarettes. The Winston-Salem area is still the primary international manufacturing center for Reynolds brands of cigarettes, although employment is down from its peak of nearly 30,000 to under 3,000.
* In 1901,
J. Wesley Hanes' Shamrock Hosiery Mills in Winston-Salem began making men's socks. Shortly afterward, his brother Pleasant Henderson Hanes founded the
P.H. Hanes Knitting Company, which manufactured men's underwear. The two firms eventually merged to become the Hanes Corporation, now known as
Hanes
Hanes (founded in 1900) and Hanes Her Way (founded in 1985) is an American clothing brand headquartered in Winston-Salem. Founded in 1900 as Shamrock Knitting Mills by John Wesley Hanes, the company is owned by Hanes, Inc.
History
Hanes was f ...
brands, manufacturing
textiles
Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...
.
* In 1906, the Bennett Bottling Company produced Bennett's Cola, a "Fine Carbonic Drink". The name was changed to Winston-Salem Bottling Works in 1915.
* In 1911,
Wachovia Bank and Trust was formed by the merger of Wachovia National Bank (founded in 1879 by James Alexander Gray and William Lemly) and Wachovia Loan and Trust (founded 1893). The company was purchased by
First Union
First Union Corporation was a bank holding company that provided commercial bank, commercial and retail banking services in eleven states in the Eastern United States, eastern U.S. First Union also provided various other financial services, incl ...
in 2001, which changed its name to Wachovia. Wachovia was purchased by
Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company is an American multinational financial services company with a significant global presence. The company operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. It is a systemically important fi ...
in 2009, and the Wachovia name was retired in 2011.
* In 1928, Miller's Clothing Store was opened by Mrs. Henry Miller. Miller's Variety Store operated at the same location at 622 North Trade Street until closing at the end of 2016. Miller's was the first store in Winston-Salem to offer
bell-bottoms
Bell-bottoms (or flares) are a style of trousers that become wider from the knees downward, forming a bell-like shape of the trouser leg.
History Naval origins
In the early 19th century, when standardised uniforms for British ratings in the ...
in the area in the 1960s. Miller's was listed by ''Playboy'' magazine in 1968 as a popular place to shop.
* In 1929, the local T.W. Garner Foods introduced
Texas Pete, a popular hot sauce.
* In 1929, Quality Oil Company was organized in December 1929, initially to launch a distributorship for the then-little-known
Shell Oil Company
Shell USA, Inc. (formerly Shell Oil Company, Inc.) is the United States–based wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc, a UK-based transnational corporation " oil major" which is among the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 18,000 ...
.
* In 1934,
Malcolm Purcell McLean formed McLean Trucking Co. The firm benefited from the tobacco and textile industry headquartered in Winston-Salem, and became the second-largest trucking firm in the nation.
* In 1937,
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kreme, Inc. (previously Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Inc.) is an American multinational doughnut company and coffeehouse chain. Krispy Kreme was founded by Vernon Rudolph (1915–1973), who bought a yeast-raised recipe from a New Orleans ch ...
opened its first doughnut shop on South Main Street.
* In 1945, Piedmont Bible College opened (now
Carolina University
Carolina University (CU), formerly Piedmont International University (PIU), is a private Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Carolina University offers both residential and online programs including dual enrollment, undergrad ...
).
* In 1948,
Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines, Inc. ( ) is an American regional airline headquartered at the Salisbury Regional Airport in Wicomico County, Maryland, near the Salisbury, Maryland, city of Salisbury. The airline is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American ...
was formed out of the old Camel City Flying Service. The airline was based at
Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem but marked its first commercial flight out of
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...
, on February 20, 1948. Piedmont grew to become one of the top airlines in the country before its purchase by USAir (later
US Airways
US Airways was a major airline in the United States. It was originally founded in History of aviation in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon became a commercial passenger airline. In 1953, it ...
, merged with
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
in 2015) in 1987. American Airlines maintains a reservation center in the old Piedmont reservations office.
Geography
Winston-Salem is 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 ...
area of North Carolina, situated northwest of the geographic center of the state. According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which (0.90%) is covered by water.
The city lies within the
Yadkin–Pee Dee River Basin, draining mainly via Salem Creek, Peters Creek, Silas Creek, and Muddy Creek.
Less than north of Winston-Salem are the remains of the ancient
Sauratown Mountains, named for the Saura people who once lived in much of the Piedmont area, including what is now Winston-Salem.
Winston-Salem is located 16 miles northwest of
High Point, 25 miles west of
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 ...
, and 69 miles northeast of
Charlotte.
Neighborhoods and areas
The city of Winston-Salem consists of 66 constituent neighborhoods, covering 25
ZIP codes and a total area of 135 square miles. Winston-Salem is the
84th-largest city by area in the United States and the fifth-largest city in North Carolina by population.
Downtown
Downtown, the
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
of Winston-Salem, is the largest in the
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and ...
region. With a population around 14,000 and a
workforce
In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed):
\text = \text + \text
Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
over 27,000, downtown Winston-Salem is a hotspot for growth. Fourth Street, the "main drag", consists of
bars,
restaurants
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in app ...
,
retail
Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...
,
hotels
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a refr ...
, and luxury
residential
A residential area is a land used in which houses, housing predominates, as opposed to industrial district, industrial and Commercial Area, commercial areas.
Housing may vary significantly between, and through, residential areas. These include ...
units. The area is surrounded by Northwest Boulevard to the north and west,
Salem Parkway to the south, and
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...
to the east. Downtown features attractions such as
Innovation Quarter,
Truist Stadium,
Old Salem, and the Benton Convention Center.
West End
One of the most notable neighborhoods in the city, West End features the
West End Historic District, which covers an area of 229 acres and is predominantly residential. Most of the buildings in West End were built between 1887 and 1930. Major
thoroughfares in West End are West End Boulevard, Northwest Boulevard, and West First Street, which leads into downtown Winston-Salem. The neighborhood offers an
urban lifestyle, with
shops,
parks
A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...
,
restaurants
A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in app ...
, and
services
Service may refer to:
Activities
* Administrative service, a required part of the workload of university faculty
* Civil service, the body of employees of a government
* Community service, volunteer service for the benefit of a community or a ...
all located within the neighborhood.
Ardmore

Ardmore, the largest neighborhood in Winston-Salem, features the
Ardmore Historic District, which contains over 2,000 buildings and two sites. Ardmore is near
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, the second-largest hospital in North Carolina. Wake Forest Baptist Health is the largest employer in
Forsyth County, with over 13,000 employees, and serves
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 ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
,
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, and
South Carolina
South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
. Major thoroughfares in Ardmore are South Hawthorne Road, Miller Street, Cloverdale Avenue, and Queen Street.
Buena Vista
Sitting northwest of downtown, Buena Vista is close to a wide range of activities and services, such as the
Reynolda House and
Reynolda Gardens. It is known around Winston-Salem for its quiet, tree-lined streets, which give it an "exclusive" feel; most homes in Buena Vista cost between $600,000 and several million dollars. The neighborhood is about ten minutes from downtown and five minutes from one of the city's upscale shopping centers, Thruway. Thruway Center features national chains such as
Trader Joe's
Trader Joe's is an American grocery store chain headquartered in Monrovia, California, with 597 locations across the US.
The first Trader Joe's store was opened in 1967 by founder Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, California. In 1979, the chain was s ...
, Athleta, and
J.Crew.
Hanes Mall Boulevard / Stratford Road

Located seven miles southwest of downtown is the busiest shopping district in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. The corridor offers a variety of national "big box" retailers, including
Target
Target may refer to:
Warfare and shooting
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artille ...
,
Costco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world, and as of August 2024, Cos ...
, and
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, writer, military officer and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for the capture of Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolutionary War, and wa ...
. Two major companies,
Novant Health
Novant Health is a four-state integrated network of physician clinics, outpatient centers and hospitals across the Southeast United States. Its network consists of more than 2,000 physicians and 40,000 employees at more than 850 locations, incl ...
and
Truliant Federal Credit Union, call the boulevard home. The intersection of
Hanes Mall Boulevard and Stratford Road is the second-busiest intersection in Winston-Salem, with an average daily traffic count of 54,000.
North Winston
North Winston is located three miles northeast of downtown, with Patterson Avenue running north to south and 25th Street serving as the east–west thoroughfare. The area is bound by University Parkway to the west and
U.S. Route 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major U.S. Highway in the Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even-numbered U.S. Highways, US 52 primarily follows a north ...
to the east, stretching from 13th Street to 30th Street.
University area

The university area is situated in the north-central and northwestern sections of the city, and contains some of Winston-Salem's busiest thoroughfares.
University Parkway, the four- to eight-lane boulevard named after
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
, serves as the downtown–north connector. Neighborhoods within the area include Alspaugh and Mount Tabor. The area is bound by North Point Boulevard to the north, Coliseum Drive to the south, University Parkway to the east, and
Silas Creek Parkway and Reynolda Road to the west. Other thoroughfares within the area are Polo Road, Reynolds Boulevard, and Deacon Boulevard. Attractions in the area include the
Winston-Salem Entertainment-Sports Complex, which includes
LJVM Coliseum, the
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds (previously known as the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds) was a dirt oval track racing, oval track spanning in addition to its primary purpose as a fairground. During the times of the year that it wasn't expected to host ...
,
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex,
Truist Field
Truist Field is a baseball stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. The Uptown-area stadium hosts the Charlotte Knights, a Triple-A Minor League Baseball team in the International League. It is also the third sports building to be ...
,
Truist Stadium, and
David F. Couch Ballpark. The
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds
The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds (previously known as the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds) was a dirt oval track racing, oval track spanning in addition to its primary purpose as a fairground. During the times of the year that it wasn't expected to host ...
also hosts the
Carolina Classic Fair, formerly the Dixie Classic Fair. The fair is one of the most-visited fairs in North America and the second-most-visited in North Carolina, next to the
North Carolina State Fair.
Renovations
Community renovations are planned for the corner of
Peters Creek Parkway and Academy Street. On September 11, 2018, the ''
Winston-Salem Journal
The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina.
The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journ ...
'' reported that the City of Winston-Salem Committee had approved the Peters Creek Community Initiative project, which is a collaboration of The Shalom Project, the North Carolina Housing Foundation, and The National Development Council. The group plans to purchase the former Budget Inn property and build 60 apartment units with a 4,000-square-foot community space. PCCI plans to build a four-story building that will house the Shalom Project in the bottom floor, along with other businesses.
Climate
Winston-Salem has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
, characterized by cool winters and warm, humid summers. Throughout the year, temperatures typically stay between and , rarely dropping below or exceeding . The
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
subtype for this climate is ''Cfa''. The average high temperatures range from around in the winter to in the summer. The average low temperatures range from around in the winter to in the summer.
Demographics
2010/2020 censuses
As of the
2020 census, there were 249,545 people, 94,884 households, and 53,708 families residing in the city.
Winston-Salem's population grew by 8.7% from 2010 to 2020, making it the fifth largest city in North Carolina.
2017 census estimate
At the 2017
census estimate, the population was 244,605, with 94,105 households and a
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 ...
of 1,846 people per square mile.
Winston-Salem was 53.0% female, and 27.8% of its firms were owned by women. The
median
The median of a set of numbers is the value separating the higher half from the lower half of a Sample (statistics), data sample, a statistical population, population, or a probability distribution. For a data set, it may be thought of as the “ ...
age was 35 years. 23.9% of the population was under 18 years old, and 13.7% of the population was 65 years or older.
The racial composition of the city in 2017 was 56.1%
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 ...
, 34.7%
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 ...
or
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 ...
, 2.2%
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
Although this term had historically been used fo ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific native alone, and 2.3%
two or more races. In addition, 14.8% was
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.
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
were 45.8% of the population in 2017.
38.4% were married couples living together, 17.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median household income was $41,228, and the median family income was $53,222. The
mean
A mean is a quantity representing the "center" of a collection of numbers and is intermediate to the extreme values of the set of numbers. There are several kinds of means (or "measures of central tendency") in mathematics, especially in statist ...
household income was $60,637, and the mean family income was $74,938. Males had a median income of $41,064, versus $33,683 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 ...
for the city was $24,728. 20.6% of the population and 15.7% of all families 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 ...
. 26.2% of the total population, 31.6% of those under the age of 18, and 8.2% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Religion
About 54.14% of the population identifies as being religiously affiliated. Christianity is the largest religion, with
Baptist
Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...
s (15.77%) making up the largest religious denomination, followed by
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a Protestant Christianity, Christian Christian tradition, tradition whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's brother ...
s (12.79%) and
Catholics
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
(4.39%).
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
s (2.97%),
Episcopalian
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...
s (1.3%),
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
s (2.59%),
Lutheran
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...
s (0.96%),
Latter-Day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
(0.90%) make up a significant amount of the Christian population as well. The remaining Christian population (11.93%) is affiliated with other churches such as the
Moravians
Moravians ( or Colloquialism, colloquially , outdated ) are a West Slavs, West Slavic ethnic group from the Moravia region of the Czech Republic, who speak the Moravian dialects of Czech language, Czech or Czech language#Common Czech, Common ...
and the
United Church of Christ
The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a socially liberal mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Restorationist, Continental Reformed, and Lutheran t ...
.
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
(0.43%) is the second-largest religion, after Christianity, followed by
Judaism
Judaism () is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic, Monotheism, monotheistic, ethnic religion that comprises the collective spiritual, cultural, and legal traditions of the Jews, Jewish people. Religious Jews regard Judaism as their means of o ...
(0.20%).
Eastern religions The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western and African religions. Eastern religions include:
* East Asian religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Tengrism ...
(0.02%) make up the religious minority.
The city's long history with the Moravian church has had a lasting cultural effect. The Moravian star is used as the city's official Christmas street decoration. In addition, a 31-foot Moravian star, one of the largest in the world, sits atop the North Tower of
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center during the Advent and Christmas seasons. Another star sits under
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
's Wait Chapel during the Advent and Christmas seasons as well. Moravian star images also decorate the lobby of the city's landmark Reynolds Building.
Economy
Winston-Salem is the location of the corporate headquarters of
HanesBrands
Hanesbrands Inc. is an American multinational clothing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It employs 65,300 people internationally. On September 6, 2006, the company and several brands were spun off by the Sara Lee Corporation.
Han ...
, Inc.,
Lowes Foods Stores, Quality Oil Company,
Reynolds American
Reynolds American, Inc. is an American tobacco company which is a subsidiary of British American Tobacco and is the second-largest tobacco company in the United States. Its holdings include R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, American Snuff Compan ...
(parent of
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
), Reynolda Manufacturing Solutions,
K&W Cafeterias (until 2022),
[ – "Headquarters: 1391 Plaza West Road, off Healy Drive in Winston-Salem"] and
TW Garner Food Company (makers of
Texas Pete).
Blue Rhino, the nation's largest propane exchange company and a division of
Ferrellgas, is also headquartered in Winston-Salem.
Wachovia
Wachovia was a diversified financial services company based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Before its acquisition by Wells Fargo and Company in 2008, Wachovia was the fourth-largest bank holding company in the United States, based on total asset ...
Corporation was based in Winston-Salem until it merged with
First Union
First Union Corporation was a bank holding company that provided commercial bank, commercial and retail banking services in eleven states in the Eastern United States, eastern U.S. First Union also provided various other financial services, incl ...
Corporation in September 2001; the corporate headquarters of the combined company was located in Charlotte, until the company was purchased by Wells Fargo in December 2008.
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase, New York, Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the f ...
has its customer service center located in Winston-Salem.
BB&T
BB&T Corporation (previously known as the Branch Banking and Trust Company) was one of the largest banking and financial services firms in the United States, based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. In 2019, BB&T announced its intentions to merge ...
was also based in Winston-Salem until it was merged with
SunTrust Banks
SunTrust Banks, Inc. was an American bank holding company with SunTrust Bank as its largest subsidiary and assets of US$199 billion as of March 31, 2018. The bank's most direct corporate parent was established in 1891 in Atlanta, where it was h ...
in December 2019; the corporate headquarters of the combined company were relocated to Charlotte.
Although traditionally associated with the textile and tobacco industries, Winston-Salem is transforming itself to be a leader in the
nanotech, high-tech and biotech fields. Medical research is a fast-growing local industry, and
Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is the largest employer in Winston-Salem. In December 2004, the city entered into a deal with
Dell
Dell Inc. is an American technology company that develops, sells, repairs, and supports personal computers (PCs), Server (computing), servers, data storage devices, network switches, software, computer peripherals including printers and webcam ...
, providing millions of dollars in incentives to build a computer assembly plant nearby in southeastern Forsyth County. Dell closed its Winston-Salem facility in January 2010 due to the poor economy. In January 2015, Herbalife opened a manufacturing facility in the space left vacant by Dell.
Public and private investment of $713 million has created the
Wake Forest Innovation Quarter, an
innovation district in downtown Winston-Salem which features business, education in biomedical research and engineering, information technology and digital media, as well as public gathering spaces, apartment living, restaurants, and community events.
Largest employers

According to the Winston-Salem Business Inc.'s 2012–2013 data report on major employers, the ten largest employers in the city were:
Major industries

According to the Winston-Salem Business Inc.'s 2012 data report on major industries, the major industries in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County are by percentage:
Innovation

The east end of downtown Winston-Salem is anchored by the
Innovation Quarter, one of the fastest-growing urban-based districts in the United States. Governed by the
Wake Forest School of Medicine, the Innovation Quarter is home to 90 companies, over 3,600 workers, 1,800 students seeking a college degree, and more than 8,000 workforce trainees. The Innovation Quarter is a place for research, business, biomedical science, digital media, and clinical services. It consists of over feet of office, laboratory, and educational space covering more than . There are more than 1,000 residential units within the Innovation Quarter. The goal is to drive even more
economic development
In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
and create programs for tenants and residents for new ideas. Because of its location in downtown Winston-Salem, the Innovation Quarter serves as a creative and welcoming urban place for scientists, innovators, and technology leaders. In 2019, the Innovation Quarter became one of the first nine steering committee members of the Global Institute on Innovation Districts, making it one of the leading districts of its kind in the world.
Shopping
Winston-Salem is home to
Hanes Mall, one of the largest
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a large indoor shopping center, usually Anchor tenant, anchored by department stores. The term ''mall'' originally meant pedestrian zone, a pedestrian promenade with shops along it, but in the late 1960s, i ...
s in
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 ...
. The area surrounding the mall along Stratford Road and Hanes Mall Boulevard has become one of the city's largest shopping districts.
Other notable shopping areas exist in the city, including
Thruway Center (the city's first shopping center), Hanes Point Shopping Center, Hanes Commons, Stratford Commons, Stratford Village, Reynolda Village, Pavilions, Shoppes at Hanestowne Village, Burke Mill Village Shopping Center, Oak Summit Shopping Center, Stone's Throw Plaza, Cloverdale Plaza Shopping Center Silas Creek Crossing, and the
Marketplace Mall.
Arts and culture
Historic districts
Old Salem is a restored
Moravian settlement founded in 1766. Seventy percent of the buildings are original, and the village is a
living history
Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
museum with skilled tinsmiths, blacksmiths, cobblers, gunsmiths, bakers and carpenters practicing their trades while interacting with visitors. Along with the original 18th-century buildings, Old Salem is also home to the
Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA), a gallery of 18th- and early 19th-century furniture,
ceramic
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcela ...
s, and textiles. In addition, Old Salem hosts the Cobblestone Farmers Market every Saturday during the spring season through early autumn. The market is dedicated to providing the public access to sustainably grown food and products.
Bethabara Historic District is a site where Moravians from Pennsylvania first settled in North Carolina. The area includes a museum and a Moravian church and offers hiking, birdwatching and many varieties of trees and plants.
Museums

The
Reynolda House Museum of American Art features collections from the colonial period to the present day. The museum was built in 1917 by Katherine Smith Reynolds and her husband
R.J. Reynolds
Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The son of a tobacco farmer and major slaveowner, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry Coll ...
. The facility became an art museum in 1967 and first started as a center for education and arts in 1965. Behind the house is a 16-acre lake called "Lake Katherine", which was reverted into wetlands and has a wide variety of wildlife. Many of buildings were changed into shops, boutiques, and restaurants that still operate today. This house still is a main attraction in Winston-Salem.
The
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art is a multimedia contemporary art gallery in Winston-Salem that was founded in 1956 and accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums
The American Alliance of Museums (AAM), formerly the American Association of Museums, is a non-profit association whose goal is to bring museums together. Founded in 1906, the organization advocates for museums and provides "museum professionals w ...
in 1979, one of 300 museums to receive this accreditation. There is no permanent collection of art exhibits but includes art by artists with regional, national, and international recognition. SECCA has three exhibit halls, with 9,000 square feet, and a 300-seat auditorium.
Kaleideum is an interactive children's museum which offers exhibits and programs designed to develop creative thinking, strengthen language skills, and encourage curiosity for children. It was formed through a merger of two older museums, the Children's Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks. The new four-story building opened in downtown Winston-Salem on February 17, 2024, and featured both old exhibits from the previous museums, as well as new exhibits and halls, a rooftop playground, and an updated planetarium
New Winston Museum is the community history museum for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. It focuses on time periods since 1850 and features exhibitions and public programs.
The Wake Forest University Museum of Anthropology is an anthropological museum maintained by
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
that has many artifacts and other pieces of history.
One of seven original
Shell Service Stations was opened by Quality Oil Company in 1930.
Arts and music
The city created the first
arts council
An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...
in the United States (
Arts Council of Winston-Salem Forsyth County), founded in 1949, because of the local art schools and attractions. These include the
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a public art school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants a high school diploma, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina Sc ...
, The Little Theatre of W-S, Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance, Spirit Gum Theatre Co., the Piedmont Opera Theater, the Winston-Salem Symphony, the
Stevens Center
The Roger L. Stevens Center is the primary performance venue in downtown Winston-Salem, North Carolina and is owned and operated by the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. It is named after the theatre producer and real estate magnat ...
for the Performing Arts, the Downtown Arts District, the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, the Hanesbrands Theater, Piedmont Craftsmen, and the Sawtooth School for Visual Arts.
The city's Arts District is centered around Sixth and Trade Streets, where there are many galleries, restaurants and workshops; nearby is also the ARTivity on the Green art park, established by Art for Art's Sake. Winston-Salem is also home to the
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA), and the
Reynolda House Museum of American Art (the restored 1917 mansion built by the founder of the
R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company (RJR) is an American tobacco manufacturing company based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded by namesake R. J. Reynolds in 1875, it is the largest tobacco company in the United States. The company is a w ...
and now affiliated with
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
).
Winston-Salem is also the home of the
Art-o-mat and houses nine of them throughout the city.
The city plays host to the
National Black Theatre Festival, the
RiverRun International Film Festival and the Reynolda Film Festival.
Drive-In Studio, a recording studio owned by
Mitch Easter
Mitchell Blake Easter (born November 15, 1954) is a musician, songwriter, and record producer. Frequently associated with the jangle pop style of guitar music, he is known as producer of R.E.M.'s early albums from 1981 through 1984, and as frontm ...
, former guitarist for
The dB's
The dB's are an American alternative Rock music, rock and power pop group, who formed in New York City in 1978 and first came to prominence in the early 1980s.
Their debut album ''Stands for Decibels'' is acclaimed as one of the great "lost" pow ...
and
Let's Active
Let's Active was an American rock music, rock group formed in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1981, and often identified with the jangle pop guitar work of the group's frontman and songwriter Mitch Easter. After disbanding in 1990, the group re ...
, was in operation between 1980 and 1994. With the recording equipment set up in his parents' garage, Easter's studio became an important part of the early
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
scene of North Carolina.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
recorded its debut
EP,
Chronic Town
''Chronic Town'' is the debut extended play (EP) by the American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released on August 24, 1982, on I.R.S. Records. The five-track EP was recorded at Drive-In Studio in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in October ...
, at the Drive-In in 1981, while other artists who recorded there include
Pylon ("Beep"),
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega ( Peck; born July 11, 1959) is an American singer-songwriter of Folk music, folk-inspired music. Vega's music career spans 40 years. In the mid-1980s and 1990s she released four singles that entered the Top 40 charts in the ...
("Gypsy"),
Game Theory
Game theory is the study of mathematical models of strategic interactions. It has applications in many fields of social science, and is used extensively in economics, logic, systems science and computer science. Initially, game theory addressed ...
(''
The Big Shot Chronicles'') and
The Connells
The Connells are an American musical group from Raleigh, North Carolina. They play a guitar-oriented, melodic, jangle-pop style of rock music with introspective lyrics that often reflect the history or culture of the American South.
Though the ...
(
''Boylan Heights'').
Baity's Backstreet Music Garden, a popular live-music venue, once stood on Baity Street, at its former intersection with 30th Street. Owned by Tim Mabe, the venue was established in 1982. It burned down in 1993. Artists who played there include the
Ramones
The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
, R.E.M.,
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985 as a merger of local bands L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band's "classic" line-up consisted of vocalist Axl R ...
and
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island, New York, in the hamlet of Stony Brook, in 1967.
They have sold 25 million records worldwide, including 7 million in the United States. ...
.
The city is also home to Carolina Music Ways, a grassroots arts organization focusing on the area's diverse, interconnected music traditions, including
bluegrass, blues, jazz, gospel, old-time stringband, and Moravian music. Once a year the city is also the home of the Heavy Rebel Weekender music festival, featuring over 70 bands, primarily rockabilly, punk and honky tonk, over three days.
Movies filmed in Winston-Salem
* ''
The Bedroom Window'' (1987)
* ''
Mr. Destiny'' (1990)
* ''
Eddie'' (1996)
* ''
The Lottery
"The Lottery" is a short story by Shirley Jackson that was first published in ''The New Yorker'' on June 26, 1948. The story describes a fictional small American community that observes an annual tradition known as "the lottery", which is int ...
'', made-for-television adaptation of
Shirley Jackson's short story (1996)
* ''
George Washington
George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
'' (2000)
*
"Brand X", ''X-Files'', episode involving the tobacco industry (2000)
* ''
A Union in Wait'' (2001, documentary)
* ''
Junebug'' (2005)
* ''
Lost Stallions: The Journey Home'' (2008)
* ''
Goodbye Solo'' (2008)
* ''
Leatherheads'' (2008)
* ''
Eyeborgs'' (2009)
* ''
The 5th Quarter'' (2010)
* ''
Are You Here'' (2013)
* ''
Goodbye to All That'' (2014)
* ''
The Longest Ride'' (2014)
Parks and recreation
Reynolda Gardens is a formal garden set within a larger woodland site, originally part of the
R. J. Reynolds country estate.
Tanglewood Park is a recreation center located on the Yadkin River between
Clemmons and
Bermuda Run with a pool, lazy river, tennis courts, paddle boats, golf, walking trails, and other recreation. Tanglewood Park also hosts the Festival of Lights every year, a drive-through light show that celebrates the holidays.
The
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Annex is an event venue that hosts the
Carolina Classic Fair (formerly Dixie Classic Fair) every year in autumn. The fair is located across from the Lawrence Joel Coliseum. In 2007 it had a record-breaking attendance, with over 371,000 visitors. The Winston-Salem Fairgrounds also holds hundreds of events and has a capacity of 7,000.
Salem Lake is located in southeastern Winston-Salem. Salem Lake features a seven-mile dirt trail, a lake, and wildlife. The walking trail offers an abundance of activities such as hiking, walking, fishing, biking, dog leashing, running, and more. Salem Lake is often referred to as the "hidden diamond in the city".
Sports

The Winston-Salem State University Rams have men's and women's
NCAA Division II
NCAA Division II (D-II) is the intermediate-level division of competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It offers an alternative to both the larger and better-funded Division I and to the scholarship-free environment ...
sports teams, which are members of the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (originally and through 1950 known as the Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association — CIAA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NC ...
(CIAA).
The
Winston-Salem Dash are a Class High-A
Minor-League baseball
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National Le ...
team currently affiliated with the
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
. After 52 years at historic
Ernie Shore Field, the Dash now play their home games at the new
Truist Stadium, which opened in 2010. Previous names for the team include the Winston-Salem Cardinals, Twins, Red Sox, Spirits and, most recently, the Winston-Salem Warthogs. Players have included
Vinegar Bend Mizell,
Earl Weaver
Earl Sidney Weaver (August 14, 1930 – January 19, 2013) was an American professional baseball manager, author, and television broadcaster. After playing in minor league baseball, he retired without playing in Major League Baseball (MLB). He be ...
,
Bobby Tiefenauer,
Harvey Haddix
Harvey Haddix Jr. (September 18, 1925 – January 8, 1994) was an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1956), Philadelphia Phillies (1956–57), ...
,
Stu Miller
Stuart Leonard Miller (December 26, 1927 – January 4, 2015), nicknamed The Butterfly Man, was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–56), Philadelphia Phillies (1956), New York/San Francisco Giants ( ...
,
Ray Jablonski
Raymond Leo Jablonski (December 17, 1926 – November 25, 1985) was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball who played for all or parts of eight MLB seasons between 1953 and 1960. A National League All-Star, Jablonski appeared in 812 ...
,
Don Blasingame
Donald Lee Blasingame (March 16, 1932 – April 13, 2005), nicknamed "Blazer", was an American professional baseball second baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1955–1959), San Francisco Giants (1960� ...
,
Gene Oliver,
Rico Petrocelli
Americo Peter "Rico" Petrocelli (born June 27, 1943) is an American former professional baseball player and minor league manager. He played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career as a shortstop and third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, w ...
,
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg (born April 16, 1942) is an American former professional baseball right-handed starting pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, and Philadelphia Phillies. Though nicknam ...
,
George Scott,
Sparky Lyle
Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle (born July 22, 1944) is an American professional baseball pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1967 through 1982. He was a relief pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Texa ...
,
Bill "Spaceman" Lee,
Dwight Evans,
Cecil Cooper,
Butch Hobson
Clell Lavern "Butch" Hobson Jr. (born August 17, 1951) is an American professional baseball manager and former third baseman.
Hobson played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox, California Angels, and New York Yankees, and mana ...
,
Wade Boggs
Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958), nicknamed "Chicken Man", is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB), primarily with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the New York Ya ...
,
Carlos Lee,
Joe Crede,
Jon Garland, and
Aaron Rowand, all of whom have played extensively at the major league level.
The
Carolina Thunderbirds
The Carolina Thunderbirds were a professional ice hockey team located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The Thunderbirds played their home games at the old Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum before the arena was demolished in 1989. ...
minor-league hockey team began play in 2017 at the
Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena in Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
is an original member of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
(ACC).
Wake Forest's football team plays its games at
Truist Field at Wake Forest (formerly BB&T Field, and Groves Stadium), which seats 32,500.
Wake Forest's soccer program made four consecutive final four appearances (2006–2009) and were NCAA champions in 2007.
The
Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is home to
Wake Forest and some
Winston-Salem State basketball games.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Whelen All-American Series
The NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series (formerly the Whelen All-American Series, Winston Racing Series and the Dodge Weekly Series) is a points championship for NASCAR-sanctioned local short-track motor racing in the United States and Canad ...
racing takes place from March until August at
Bowman Gray Stadium
Bowman Gray Stadium is a multi-use sports facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The complex consists of a paved oval Oval track racing#Short track, short track and a gridiron football field. The complex has held various major events since ...
. The
K&N Pro Series East
The ARCA Menards Series East (formerly known by other names) is a regional stock car racing series owned and operated by the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) and the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR).
Races are h ...
also races here. It is NASCAR's longest-running racing series, dating to the 1940s. In the fall, the stadium is used for Winston-Salem State Rams football games.
Winston-Salem hosts an
ATP tennis tournament every year, the
Winston-Salem Open
The Winston-Salem Open is a men's professional tennis tournament played on the ATP Tour at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in the United States. It made its debut at Winston-Salem in 2011 and is part of the ATP 250 tour ...
. The matches are played at the Wake Forest tennis center.
Government
Local government
The governing body for the City of Winston-Salem is an eight-member
City Council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
(called the Board of Aldermen until December 2002). Voters go to the polls every four years in November to elect the mayor and council. The mayor is elected
at large; council members are elected by citizens in each of the eight
wards within the city. The City Council is responsible for adopting and providing for all ordinances, rules and regulations as necessary for the general welfare of the city. It approves the city budget and sets property taxes and user fees. The Council appoints the
city manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city in the council–manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are referred to as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief administ ...
and
city attorney, and approves appointments to city boards and commissions.
, the mayor of Winston-Salem was
Allen Joines (D), who was first elected in 2001 and is the longest-serving mayor in the history of the city. The members of the City Council were Mayor Pro Tempore Denise "D.D." Adams (D–North Ward), Barbara Hanes Burke (D–Northeast Ward), Annette Scippio (D–East Ward), James Taylor Jr. (D–Southeast Ward), John Larson (D–South Ward), Kevin Mundy (D–Southwest Ward), Robert Clark (R–West Ward), and Jeff MacIntosh (D–Northwest Ward).
City officials appointed by the City Council include the city attorney – Angela Carmon – and the city manager. Longtime city manager Lee Garrity retired on June 23, 2023, after serving for 17 years. He was replaced by William Patrick "Pat" Pate on November 6, 2023.
Emergency Services
The city of Winston-Salem is patrolled by the
Winston-Salem Police Department and the
Forsyth County Sheriff's Department. The chief of police is William H. Penn, and the sheriff is Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr.
Fire protection
Fire protection is the study and practice of mitigating the unwanted effects of potentially Conflagration, destructive fires. It involves the study of the behaviour, Compartmentalization (fire protection), compartmentalisation, suppression and inve ...
is provided by the
Winston-Salem Fire Department, and the chief of the department is William "Trey" Mayo.
Education
Primary and secondary
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has most of its schools inside Winston-Salem. WS/FC Schools include 51 elementary schools, 25 middle schools and 13 high schools. The school with the largest student body population is
West Forsyth High School, with over 2,400 students as of the 2017–2018 school year. The district is the most diverse school system in
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 ...
. Winston-Salem/
Forsyth County School System is the fourth-largest school system in
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 ...
, with about 59,000 students and over 90 schools operating in the district.
Private and parochial schools also make up a significant portion of Winston-Salem's educational establishment. Catholic elementary schools include St. Leo The Great and
Our Lady of Mercy. Protestant Christian schools include Winston-Salem Christian School, Calvary Day School (Baptist), Gospel Light Christian School, Salem Baptist Christian School, Redeemer School (
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
), St. John's Lutheran, Cedar Forest Christian School, Winston-Salem Street School, Salem Montessori School, Berean Baptist Christian School and Woodland Baptist Christian School. Until 2001, Winston-Salem was home to
Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Forsyth Country Day School (in nearby
Lewisville, North Carolina
Lewisville is a town in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 13,388 at the 2020 census, up from 12,639 in 2010. It is a Piedmont Triad community.
History
Lewisville incorporated on August 13, 1991.
Geography
Le ...
) and
Summit School are secular private schools that serve the area.
Salem Academy
Salem Academy is a boarding and day school for high school girls in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the ...
, located in Old Salem, has been providing education to young women since 1772.
Postsecondary
Winston-Salem has a number of colleges and universities. Public institutions include
Forsyth Technical Community College;
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a historically black public university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina system.
History
Winston-Salem State University was founded as "Slater Industrial A ...
, a
historically black university founded in 1892; and
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is a public art school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants a high school diploma, in addition to both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina Sc ...
, the first public arts conservatory in the U.S.
Amongst private institutions is
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
, a four-year private research university which was founded in 1834 and moved to Winston-Salem in 1956. Other private colleges include
Carolina Christian College,
Carolina University
Carolina University (CU), formerly Piedmont International University (PIU), is a private Christian university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Carolina University offers both residential and online programs including dual enrollment, undergrad ...
, Living Arts Institute, and
Salem College
Salem College is a private women's liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1772 as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and ultimately added the college. It is the oldest female educational esta ...
, the oldest continuously operating educational institution for women in America, which was founded in 1772.
Media
Newspapers
The ''
Winston-Salem Journal
The ''Winston-Salem Journal'' is an American, English language daily newspaper primarily serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It also covers Northwestern North Carolina.
The paper is owned by Lee Enterprises. ''The Journ ...
'' is the main daily newspaper in Winston-Salem. ''
Yes! Weekly
''Yes! Weekly'' (stylized ''YES! Weekly'') is an alternative weekly newspaper based in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is published by Womack Newspapers Inc., which also publishes the Jamestown News, and which is owned by Charles A. Womack III. YES ...
'' is a free paper covering news, opinion, arts, entertainment, music, movies and food. ''
Triad City Beat'' is a free weekly paper in the Triad area that covers Winston-Salem. The ''
Winston-Salem Chronicle'' is a weekly newspaper that focuses on the
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 ...
community.
Radio stations
These
radio station
Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...
s are located in Winston-Salem, and are listed by call letters, station number, and name. Many more radio stations can be picked up in Winston-Salem that are not located in town.
*
WFDD, 88.5 FM, Wake Forest University (
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
Affiliate)
*
WBFJ, 89.3 FM, Your Family Station (Contemporary Christian music)
*
WSNC, 90.5 FM, Winston-Salem State University (Jazz)
*
WXRI, 91.3 FM, Southern Gospel
*
WSJS
WSJS (600 AM broadcasting, AM) is a commercial radio, commercial radio station City of license, licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and broadcasting to the Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, North Carolina, H ...
, 600 AM, News-Talk Radio
*
WTRU
WTRU (830 kHz) is a commercial AM radio station licensed to Kernersville, North Carolina, and serving the Piedmont Triad. It is owned by Truth Broadcasting and carries a Christian talk and teaching radio format. Truth Broadcasting is own ...
, 830 AM, The Truth (Religious)
*
WPIP, 880 AM, Berean Christian School
*
WTOB, 980 AM, Classic Hits
*
WPOL, 1340 AM, The Light Gospel Music (simulcast on 103.5 FM)
*
WWNT
WWNT is a Spanish language formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, serving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. WWNT is owned by Delmarva Educational Association. As of August 1, ...
, 1380 AM, Top 40 Oldies
*
WSMX, 1500 AM, Oldies, Carolina Beach
*
WBFJ, 1550 AM, Christian Teaching & Talk Radio
* Wake Radio, Wake Forest University's online, student-run radio station
Television stations
Winston-Salem makes up part of the Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point television
designated market area
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television and radio station offerings, and may also incl ...
. These stations are listed by call letters, channel number, network and city of license.
*
Spectrum News 1 North Carolina, cable only
*
WFMY-TV
WFMY-TV (channel 2) is a television station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina, United States, serving as the CBS affiliate for the Piedmont Triad region. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Phillips Avenue in Greensboro a ...
, 2,
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, Greensboro
*
WGHP
WGHP (channel 8) is a television station licensed to High Point, North Carolina, United States, serving the Piedmont Triad region as an affiliate of the Fox network. The station is owned by Nexstar Media Group, and maintains studios on Francis ...
, 8,
Fox
Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush").
Twelve species ...
, High Point
*
WXII-TV
WXII-TV (channel 12) is a television station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, serving the Piedmont Triad region as an affiliate of NBC. It is owned by Hearst Television alongside Lexington-licensed CW affiliate WCWG ...
, 12,
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
, Winston-Salem
*
WGPX, 16,
Ion
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...
, Burlington
*
WCWG, 20,
CW, Lexington
*
WUNL-TV, 26,
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
/
UNC-TV, Winston-Salem
*
WLXI-TV, 43,
TCT, Greensboro
*
WXLV-TV, 45,
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
, Winston-Salem
*
WMYV, 48,
My, Greensboro
Transportation
Public transportation
The Winston-Salem Transit Authority (WSTA) has the responsibility of providing public transportation. It took over from the Safe Bus Company, founded in the 1920s as the largest black-owned transportation company in the United States, in 1972. Operating out of the Clark Campbell Transportation Center at 100 West Fifth Street, WSTA operates 30 daytime bus routes, 24 of which also provide night service; 24 routes that operate from morning until midnight on Saturday; and 16 Sunday routes. WSTA makes nearly 3 million passenger-trips annually. In February 2010 WSTA added 10 diesel–electric buses to its fleet.
The Piedmont Authority for Regional Transportation (PART) operates a daily schedule from the Campbell Center connecting Winston-Salem to
Boone,
Mt. Airy, High Point and Greensboro, where other systems provide in-state routes to points east. PART also offers Route 5 (the Amtrak Connector), which provides daily service to and from the
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
station in High Point multiple times during the day.
Thoroughfares
I-40 serves as the main
interstate
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National H ...
through the city, traversing from east–west, south of Downtown.
I-74
Interstate 74 (I-74) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western end is at an interchange with I-80 in Davenport, Iowa; the eastern end of its Midwest segment is at an interchange with I-75 ...
links Winston-Salem to
High Point further southeast after its junction with Interstate 40. Interstate 74 is planned to be extended and routed onto the eastern leg of the
Winston-Salem Northern Beltway
The Winston-Salem Northern Beltway is a partially completed freeway loop around the city of Winston-Salem in North Carolina. The western section has been designated as North Carolina Highway 452 (NC 452), which will become I-274 whe ...
, a freeway that will loop around the city, mostly to the north. This will include Auxiliary Route
I-274 on the western section.
I-285 is a spur route, that connects I-40 with I-85 from southern Winston-Salem to the Davidson County limits.
US 52
U.S. Route 52 (US 52) is a major United States Numbered Highway System, U.S. Highway in the central United States, Central United States that extends from the northern to southeastern region of the United States. Contrary to most other even ...
runs concurrent with
NC 8) as the predominant north–south freeway through Winston-Salem, passing near the heart of downtown.
Salem Parkway, which carries
US 421, is an east–west freeway which passes through downtown Winston-Salem and traverses between I-40 at both points of the parkway. US 421 splits in the western part of the city onto its own freeway west (signed north) toward
Wilkesboro and
Boone, North Carolina
Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters of the disaster and me ...
.
Silas Creek Parkway, which carries
NC 67 for most of its route, is an
expressway that traverses from the northwestern section of the city to the south central section. The corridor bypasses several areas surrounding downtown and serves as a vital connector to
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University (WFU) is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The R ...
,
Hanes Mall,
The LJVM Coliseum, and
Forsyth Tech.
Major arterial thoroughfares in Winston-Salem include Reynolda Road (which also carries
NC 67 for a portion of its length),
NC 150
North Carolina Highway 150 (NC 150) is a primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It serves the Foothills and Piedmont Triad areas of the state, connecting the cities of Shelby, Mooresville, Salisbury and Winston- ...
(Peters Creek Parkway),
US 158 (Stratford Road), University Parkway, Hanes Mall Boulevard, Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, North Point Boulevard, Country Club Road, Jonestown Road, Patterson Avenue, Fourth Street, Trade Street, Third Street, Liberty Street, and Main Street.
Aviation
Winston-Salem is served by
Piedmont Triad International Airport
Piedmont Triad International Airport (; commonly referred to locally as "PTI") is an airport located in unincorporated Guilford County, North Carolina, west of Greensboro, serving the Piedmont Triad region of Greensboro, High Point and Winsto ...
in
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 ...
. The airport also serves much of the surrounding
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad (or simply the Triad) is a metropolitan region in the north-central part of the U.S. state of North Carolina anchored by three cities: Greensboro, North Carolina, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, and ...
area, including
High Point; the Authority that manages the airport is governed by board members appointed by all three cities as well as both of their counties, Guilford and Forsyth.
A smaller airport, known as
Smith Reynolds Airport, is located within the city limits, just northeast of downtown. It is mainly used for
general aviation
General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...
and charter flights. Every year, Smith Reynolds Airport hosts an air show for the general public. The Smith Reynolds Airport is home to the Winston-Salem
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...
Composite Squadron, also known as NC-082. The Civil Air Patrol is a non-profit volunteer organization.
Rail
Winston-Salem is one of the larger cities in the South that are not directly served by
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...
. However, an
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 ...
operates three times daily in each direction between Winston-Salem and the Amtrak station in nearby
High Point, 16 miles east. Buses depart from the Winston-Salem Transportation Center, then stop on the Winston-Salem State University campus before traveling to High Point. From the High Point station, riders can board the
Crescent
A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself.
In Hindu iconography, Hind ...
,
Carolinian or
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 ...
line. These lines run directly to local North Carolina destinations as well as cities across the Southeast, as far west as
New Orleans
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
and as far north as New York City.
Notable people
Sister cities
Winston-Salem's
sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is International relations, a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there ar ...
are:
*
Buchanan, Liberia
*
Freeport, Bahamas
*
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city and the capital of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It is the second largest city in the country, with a population of 443,981 as of the 2021 census. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region ...
, Ghana
*
Nassau, Bahamas
*
Ungheni
Ungheni () is a municipality in Moldova. With a population of 35,157, it is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District.
There is a bridge across the Prut and a List of Moldova–Romania border crossings, border chec ...
, Moldova
*
Yangpu (Shanghai), China
See also
*
List of municipalities in North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the Southern United States. According to the 2020 United States census, North Carolina is the 9th-most populous state with inhabitants, but the 28th-largest by land area spanning of land. North Caroli ...
*
List of tallest buildings in Winston-Salem
*
May 1989 tornado outbreak
References
Bibliography
External links
*
*
Visit Winston-Salem
{{Authority control
Cities in North Carolina
Cities in Forsyth County, North Carolina
County seats in North Carolina
History of the America (South) Province of the Moravian Church
Populated places established in 1766