Forsyth was formed in 1849 from Stokes County. It was named in honor of Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, a native of Stokes County who fell on the northern frontier in the second war with England. It is in the central section of the state and is bounded by Guilford, Davidson, Davie, Yadkin, and Stokes counties. The present land area is 409.60 square miles and the 2000 population was 306,067.

The act establishing the county ordered the first court to be held at the town hall of Salem, at which time the justices were to select a place for future courts until a courthouse could be erected. Commissioners were named to select a place for the public buildings, acquire the land, and lay out a town. In 1851, an act was passed naming the county seat Winston. In 1879 an act was passed authorizing that Winston and Salem be combined, provided the people voted for the same. In 1913, Winston and Salem were incorporated as one town and Winston-Salem became the county seat.

After the two settlements of Bethabara and Bethania were established, the town of Salem was begun in 1766 as the central town in Wachovia. Salem grew rapidly both as a religious center and as a center for crafts and trades.

Forsyth County was named in honor of Colonel Benjamin Forsyth, a respected landowner in Stokes County. Colonel Forsyth distinguished himself in battle during the war of 1812 at Odelltown, Canada, where he was mortally wounded.

In 1849, the North Carolina legislature created the new county of Forsyth out of part of Stokes County. In 1851, the town of Winston was named as the county seat. The courthouse square was laid one mile north of Salem Square with plans for the street of the two towns to run together.

In 1949, Willie H. Johnson, Jr., a Carver High School student, designed the Forsyth County seal during a contest to celebrate the County's centennial.

Forsyth County has progressed from its rustic past to a modern community which offers a variety of services to its citizens.