Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. It is the fifth-most populous city in North Carolina and 91st-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 249,545 at the 2020 census. The Winston-Salem metropolitan area has an estimated 705,000 residents, making it the fourth-largest metropolitan area based in North Carolina. It is the second-most-populous city in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad region, home to about 1.7 million residents. Winston-Salem is called the "Twin City" for its dual heritage, and the "Camel City" as a reference to the city's historic involvement in the tobacco industry related to locally based R. J. Reynolds' Camel cigarettes. Many North Carolinians refer to the city as "Winston" in informal speech. Winston-Salem is also home to six colleges and institutions, most notably Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem State University, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.