Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 185,776; in 2004 the city annexed an additional 17,483 raising the population to 203,259. It is the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is a prominent municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and home to the tallest building in the area, the Wachovia Center. It is often referred to as the "Twin City" for its dual heritage. Another nickname for the city is "Camel City" for the city's prominent tobacco industry. The younger generation in Winston-Salem will often use the slang terms "The Dash" (refering to the hyphen between "Winston" and "Salem") to refer to the city and "Tre-Fo" (a reference to the county being in district 34) for Forsyth County. Most locals, however, use the short name "Winston" in informal speech.

The Old Salem district and related Historic Bethabara site are the city's oldest historical attractions. Also of historical interest is Reynolda Village (which includes Reynolda Gardens and the Reynolda House Museum of American Art). Other sites of interest include the Horne Creek Historic Farm, Tanglewood Park, the SciWorks educational facility, and SECCA, the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art.

The Winston-Salem metropolitan area (MSA) has an estimated population of 441,607 according to the 2004 estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau. The combined statistical area (CSA) of Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point has a July 1, 2005 population of 1,490,886.