eventually merged into one metropolitan area that is now the largest city in Forsyth County and the 4th largest city in the state of North Carolina.
A one-hour drive from Winston-Salem takes you to the breathtakingly beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway. Visiting mountain communities for spectacular leaf watching, skiing, and shopping for handcrafted artwork are just a few of the weekend activities you can enjoy. A four-hour drive has you walking along some of the most pristine beaches of the Atlantic coastline.
The North Carolina School of the Arts, America's only residential, state-supported school for the arts, attracts talented young men and women to Winston-Salem. NCSA performs over 350 cultural programs each year in the spectacular 1400-seat Stevens Center. The Piedmont Triad Symphony, Piedmont Opera Theatre, and touring Broadway shows also perform at Stevens. A highlight every two years is the National Black Theatre Festival, which draws 30,000 attendees and talent from across the globe.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools serve 51,000 students in 67 schools, including 6 for exceptional children. The community is dedicated to providing a top rate school system. Bond packages passed by residents have provided for the construction of 7 new schools over the past few years. The public school system operates a "Schools of Choice" program that allows parents to select the elementary and middle schools for their children within a defined zone. Students attend high school according to where they live. There are also 5 Charter Schools in the county and approximately 30 private schools, both religious and secular.
The medical community in Forsyth County is among the best in the Southeast. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center includes N.C. Baptist Hospitals Inc., as well as 20 affiliate or subsidiary hospitals and 97 satellite clinics. Baptist Hospital is a teaching hospital that is regularly ranked among the nation's top medical centers. Forsyth Medical Center includes Forsyth Memorial Hospital, a 900-bed full service facility, and Medical Park Hospital, a 136-bed elective, outpatient surgery center. Forsyth Memorial is the state's second largest tertiary care hospital and is ranked among the Top 100 orthopedic hospitals in the U.S.
