Columbus, Ohio

Columbus
Official seal of Columbus
Map
Map
Map
Columbus is located in Ohio
Columbus
Columbus
Columbus is located in the United States
Columbus
Columbus
Coordinates: 39°57′44″N 83°00′02″W / 39.96222°N 83.00056°W / 39.96222; -83.00056
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
Counties
SettledFebruary 14, 1812 (1812-02-14)
IncorporatedFebruary 10, 1816 (1816-02-10)[1]
Named forChristopher Columbus
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • BodyColumbus City Council
 • MayorAndrew Ginther (D)
 • Council members
List[2]
Area
 • State capital city226.26 sq mi (586.00 km2)
 • Land220.40 sq mi (570.82 km2)
 • Water5.86 sq mi (15.18 km2)
Elevation791 ft (241 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • State capital city905,748
 • Rank41st in North America
14th in the United States
1st in Ohio
 • Density4,109.64/sq mi (1,586.74/km2)
 • Urban
1,567,254 (US: 35th)
 • Urban density3,036.4/sq mi (1,172.3/km2)
 • Metro2,138,926 (US: 32nd)
DemonymColumbusite[6]
GDP
 • Columbus (MSA)$169.1 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes
ZIP Codes[8]
Area codes614 and 380
FIPS code39-18000
GNIS feature ID1086101[4]
Websitewww.columbus.gov Edit this at Wikidata

Columbus (/kəˈlʌmbəs/, kə-LUM-bəs) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748,[9] it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago, and the third-most populous U.S. state capital after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas. Columbus is the seat of government of Franklin County; it also extends into Delaware and Fairfield counties.[10] It is the core city of the Columbus metropolitan area, which encompasses ten counties in central Ohio.[11] It had a population of 2,138,926 in 2020, making it the largest metropolitan area entirely in Ohio[a] and 32nd-largest metro area in the U.S.

Columbus originated as numerous Native American settlements on the banks of the Scioto River. Franklinton, now a city neighborhood, was the first European settlement, laid out in 1797. The city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and laid out to become the state capital. The city was named for Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.[13] The city assumed the function of state capital in 1816 and county seat in 1824. Amid steady years of growth and industrialization, the city has experienced numerous floods and recessions. Beginning in the 1950s, Columbus began to experience significant growth; it became the largest city in Ohio in land and population by the early 1990s. Growth has continued in the 21st century, with redevelopment occurring in numerous city neighborhoods, including Downtown.

The city has a diverse economy based on education, government, insurance, banking, defense, aviation, food, clothes, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail and technology. The metropolitan area is home to the Battelle Memorial Institute, the world's largest private research and development foundation; Chemical Abstracts Service, the world's largest clearinghouse of chemical information; and the Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States. The Greater Columbus area is further home to the headquarters of six Fortune 500 companies, namely Cardinal Health, American Electric Power, L Brands, Nationwide, Bread Financial and Huntington Bancshares.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Manual was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "City Council: Staff Directory". City of Columbus. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Columbus, Ohio
  5. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  6. ^ "Things you'll never hear a Columbusite say". News Radio 610 WTVN. April 25, 2014. Archived from the original on October 31, 2014.
  7. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for Columbus, OH (MSA)". www.bea.gov.
  8. ^ "Zip Code Lookup". USPS. Archived from the original on September 3, 2007. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  9. ^ "QuickFacts: Columbus city, Ohio". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  10. ^ "Places in Franklin County, OH". Find a County. National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on June 16, 2008. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
  11. ^ "2 counties added to Columbus metro area" Archived July 30, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Columbus Dispatch. 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2014.
  12. ^ "Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas Population Totals and Components of Change: 2010–2019". United States Census Bureau, Population Division. April 2019. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference WaPo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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