Columbus originated as several Native American settlements along theScioto River. The first European settlement wasFranklinton, now a city neighborhood, in 1797. Columbus was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto andOlentangy rivers and was planned as the state capital due to its central location. Named after Italian explorerChristopher Columbus, it officially became the capital in 1816. The city grew steadily through the 19th century as a transportation and industrial hub via theNational Road,Ohio and Erie Canal, and several railroads. Starting in the 1950s, Columbus experienced rapid growth, becoming Ohio's largest city by land and population by the early 1990s. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it further diversified as a center for finance, insurance, education, and technology.
The city of Columbus was named after 15th-century Italian explorerChristopher Columbus.[12] It is the second largest city in the world named for the explorer (afterColombo), who sailed to and settled parts of the Americas on behalf ofIsabella I of Castile and Spain.[13] Although no reliable history exists as to why Columbus, who had no connection to the city or state of Ohio before the city's founding, was chosen as the name for the city, the bookColumbus: The Story of a City indicates that a state lawmaker and local resident admired the explorer enough to persuade other lawmakers to name the settlement Columbus.[12][14]
Since the late 20th century, historians have criticized Columbus for initiatingthe European conquest of America and for abuse, enslavement, and subjugation of natives.[15][16] Efforts to remove symbols related to the explorer in the city date to the 1990s.[14] Amid theGeorge Floyd protests in 2020, several petitions pushed for the city to be renamed.[17] In 2021, the iconic 22-foot tall statue of Christopher Columbus was removed from the south side of City Hall.[18]
Between 1000 B.C. and 1700 A.D., the Columbus metropolitan area was a center to indigenous cultures known as theMound Builders, including theAdena,Hopewell andFort Ancient peoples. Remaining physical evidence of the cultures are their burial mounds and what they contained. Most of Central Ohio's remaining mounds are located outside of Columbus city boundaries, though theShrum Mound is maintained, now as part of a public park and historic site. The city's Mound Street derives its name from a mound that existed by the intersection of Mound andHigh Streets. The mound's clay was used in bricks for most of the city's initial brick buildings; many were subsequently used in theOhio Statehouse. The city'sOhio History Center maintains a collection of artifacts from these cultures.[29]
In the 18th century, European traders flocked to the area, attracted by thefur trade.[31] The area was often caught between warring factions, including American Indian and European interests. In the 1740s, Pennsylvania traders overran the territory until the French forcibly evicted them.[32] Fighting for control of the territory in theFrench and Indian War (1754–1763) became part of the internationalSeven Years' War (1756–1763). During this period, the region routinely suffered turmoil, massacres and battles. The 1763Treaty of Paris ceded the Ohio Country to theBritish Empire.
Up until theAmerican Revolution, Central Ohio had continuously been the home of numerous indigenous villages. AMingo village was located at the forks of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, with Shawnee villages to the south and Wyandot and Delaware villages to the north. Colonial militiamen burned down the Mingo village in 1774 during a raid.[33]
Virginia Military District
After the American Revolution, theVirginia Military District became part of the Ohio Country as a territory of Virginia. Colonists from the East Coast moved in, but rather than finding an emptyfrontier, they encountered people of theMiami,Delaware,Wyandot,Shawnee andMingo nations, as well as European traders. The tribes resisted expansion by the fledgling United States, leading to years of bitter conflict. The decisiveBattle of Fallen Timbers resulted in theTreaty of Greenville in 1795, which finally opened the way for new settlements. By 1797, a young surveyor from Virginia namedLucas Sullivant had founded a permanent settlement on the west bank of the forks of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers. An admirer ofBenjamin Franklin, Sullivant chose to name his frontier village "Franklinton".[34] The location was desirable for its proximity to the navigable rivers – but Sullivant was initially foiled when, in 1798, a large flood wiped out the new settlement.[35] He persevered, and the village was rebuilt, though somewhat more inland.
After the Revolution, land comprising parts of Franklin and adjacent counties was set aside byCongress for settlement byCanadians andNova Scotians who were sympathetic to the colonial cause and had their land and possessions seized by the British government. TheRefugee Tract, consisting of 103,000 acres (42,000 ha), was 42 miles (68 km) long and 3–4.5 miles (4.8–7.2 km) wide, and was claimed by 67 eligible men. The Ohio Statehouse sits on land once contained in the Refugee Tract.[36]
AfterOhio achieved statehood in 1803, political infighting among prominent Ohio leaders led to the state capital moving fromChillicothe toZanesville and back again. Desiring to settle on a location, the state legislature consideredFranklinton,Dublin,Worthington andDelaware before compromising on a plan to build a new city in the state's center, near major transportation routes, primarily rivers. Franklinton landowners had donated two 10-acre (4.0 ha) plots in an effort to convince the state to move its capital there.[37] The two spaces were set to becomeCapitol Square, including for theOhio Statehouse and theOhio Penitentiary. Named in honor ofChristopher Columbus, the city was founded on February 14, 1812, on the "High Banks opposite Franklinton at the Forks of the Scioto most known as Wolf's Ridge."[38] At the time, this area was a dense forestland, used only as a hunting ground.[39]
The city was incorporated as a borough on February 10, 1816.[1] Between 1816 and 1817,Jarvis W. Pike served as the first appointed mayor. Although the recentWar of 1812 had brought prosperity to the area, the subsequent recession and conflicting claims to the land threatened the new town's success. Early conditions were abysmal, with frequent bouts of fevers, attributed tomalaria from the flooding rivers, and an outbreak ofcholera in 1833. It led Columbus to create the Board of Health, now part of theColumbus Public Health department. The outbreak, which remained in the city from July to September 1833, killed 100 people.[40]
Columbus was without direct river or trail connections to other Ohio cities, leading to slow initial growth. TheNational Road reached Columbus fromBaltimore in 1831, which complemented the city's new link to theOhio and Erie Canal, both of which facilitated a population boom.[41][40] A wave of Europeanimmigrants led to the creation of two ethnicenclaves on the city's outskirts. A largeIrish population settled in the north along Naghten Street (presently Nationwide Boulevard), while theGermans took advantage of the cheap land to the south, creating a community that came to be known as theDas Alte Südende (The Old South End). Columbus's German population constructed numerous breweries,Trinity Lutheran Seminary andCapital University.[42]
With a population of 3,500, Columbus was officially chartered as a city on March 3, 1834. On that day, the legislature carried out aspecial act, which granted legislative authority to thecity council and judicial authority to the mayor. Elections were held in April of that year, with voters choosingJohn Brooks as the first popularly elected mayor.[43] Columbus annexed the then-separate city of Franklinton in 1837.[44]
Bird's eye view map of Columbus in 1872
Central Market, pictured here in 1898, operated from 1814 to 1966.
In 1850, theColumbus and Xenia Railroad became the first railroad into the city, followed by theCleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad in 1851. The two railroads built a jointUnion Station on the east side of High Street just north of Naghten (then called North Public Lane). Rail traffic into Columbus increased: by 1875, eight railroads served Columbus, and the rail companies built a new, more elaborate station.[45] Another cholera outbreak hit Columbus in 1849, prompting the opening of the city'sGreen Lawn Cemetery.[46] On January 7, 1857, theOhio Statehouse finally opened after 18 years of construction.[47]
Before the abolition of slavery in theSouthern United States in 1863, theUnderground Railroad was active in Columbus and was led, in part, byJames Preston Poindexter.[48] Poindexter arrived in Columbus in the 1830s and became a Baptist preacher and leader in the city's African-American community until the turn of the century.[49]
During theCivil War, Columbus was a major base for the volunteerUnion Army. It housed 26,000 troops and held up to 9,000Confederateprisoners of war atCamp Chase, at what is nowthe Hilltop neighborhood of west Columbus. Over 2,000 Confederate soldiers remain buried at the site, making it one of the North's largest Confederate cemeteries.[50]
By virtue of theMorrill Act of 1862, the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College – which eventually became theOhio State University – was founded in 1870 on the former estate of William and Hannah Neil.[51]
By the end of the 19th century, Columbus was home to several major manufacturing businesses. TheJeffrey Manufacturing Company was a major supplier of coal mining equipment.[52] The city became known as the "Buggy Capital of the World", thanks to the two dozenbuggy factories, notably theColumbus Buggy Company, founded in 1875 by C.D. Firestone.[53] The Columbus Consolidated Brewing Company also rose to prominence during this time and might have achieved even greater success were it not for theAnti-Saloon League in neighboringWesterville.[54]
The Columbus Experiment was an environmental project in 1908 which involved construction of the first water plant in the world to apply filtration and softening, designed and invented by two brothers, Clarence and Charles Hoover. Those working to construct the project includedJeremiah O'Shaughnessy, name-bearer of the Columbus metropolitan area'sO'Shaughnessy Dam. This invention helped drastically reducetyphoid deaths. The essential design is still used today.[56]
The1910 Columbus streetcar strike took place in downtown Columbus; the strike action turned into a violent riot, though was eventually unsuccessful.
Columbus earned one of its nicknames, "The Arch City", because of thedozens of wooden arches that spanned High Street at the turn of the 20th century. The arches illuminated the thoroughfare and eventually became the means by which electric power was provided to the newstreetcars. The city tore down the arches and replaced them with cluster lights in 1914 but reconstructed them from metal inthe Short North neighborhood in 2002 for their unique historical interest.[57]
The effects of theGreat Depression were less severe in Columbus, as the city's diversified economy helped it fare better than itsRust Belt neighbors.World War II brought many new jobs and another population surge. This time, most new arrivals were migrants from the "extraordinarily depressed rural areas" ofAppalachia, who would soon account for more than a third of Columbus's growing population.[60] In 1948, the Town and Country Shopping Center opened in suburbanWhitehall, and it is now regarded as one of the first modern shopping centers in the United States.[61]
The construction of theInterstate Highway System signaled the arrival of rapid suburb development in central Ohio. To protect the city's tax base from this suburbanization, Columbus adopted a policy of linking sewer and water hookups toannexation to the city.[62] By the early 1990s, Columbus had grown to become Ohio's largest city in land area and in population.
Efforts to revitalizedowntown Columbus have had some success in recent decades,[63] though like most major American cities, some architectural heritage was lost in the process. In the 1970s, landmarks such asUnion Station and theNeil House hotel were razed to construct high-rise offices and big retail space. ThePNC Bank building was constructed in 1977, as well as theNationwide Plaza buildings and other towers that sprouted during this period. The construction of theGreater Columbus Convention Center has brought major conventions and trade shows to the city.
AmeriFlora '92 was held in the city in 1992, part of the Christopher Columbus Quincentennial Jubilee, celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage. The organizers also planned to create a replica Native American village, among other attractions. Local and national native leaders protested the event with a day of mourning, followed by protests and fasts at City Hall. The protests prevented the native village from being exhibited. Annual fasts continued until 1997. A protest also took place during the dedication of theSanta Maria replica, an event held in late 1991 on the day beforeColumbus Day and in time for the jubilee.[64][65]
In 1999, just before the turn of the 21st century, the city's first African American mayor was elected.Michael Coleman, a Democrat, served 16 years, the longest of any mayor of the city.[66] Coleman's administration led to Nationwide Insurance redeveloping the formerOhio Penitentiary site and nearby blocks into theArena District. Similar new construction and redevelopment was taking place in the Brewery District, and aflood wall was completed in Franklinton in 2004, finally letting development resume in the neighborhood.[67]
TheScioto Mile began development along the riverfront, an area that already had theMiranova Corporate Center andThe Condominiums at North Bank Park. The2010 United States foreclosure crisis forced the city to purchase numerous foreclosed, vacant properties to renovate or demolish them at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.[68] The city is focused on downtown revitalization, with recent projects being theColumbus Commons park, parks along the Scioto Mile developed along with a reshaped riverfront, and developments in the Arena District and Franklinton.[69]
TheCOVID-19 pandemic in Columbus began when the city reported its first official cases ofCOVID-19 in February and March 2020 and declared a state of emergency, with all nonessential businesses closed statewide and tens of thousands of infected individuals across the city by March 2021.[70] The COVID-19 pandemic muted activity in Columbus, especially in its downtown core, from 2020 to 2022. By late 2022, foot traffic in downtown Columbus began to exceed pre-pandemic rates; one of the quickest downtown areas to recover in the United States.[71] Later in 2020,protests over the murder of George Floyd occurred in the city from May 28 into August.[72] On June 23, 2023, ten people were injured ina mass shooting in the city's Short North district.
In July 2024, Columbus was subject to aransomware attack, for which the hacker groupRhysidia took credit.[75] In August 2024, Columbus MayorAndrew Ginther claimed that the files obtained by Rhysidia were "unusable" to the thieves due to being eitherencrypted orcorrupted.[76] Ginther's assertion was subsequently shown to be false by security researcher David Leroy Ross (who goes by the alias Connor Goodwolf), who revealed that the files were intact and contained data including names fromdomestic violence cases andSocial Security numbers of crime victims.[77] Columbus then sued Ross for alleged criminal acts, negligence, and civil conversion, as well as taking out arestraining order against Ross, both of which actions were later defended by City Attorney Zach Klein.[78] In response, a number of prominent cybersecurity researchers called on the city to drop the lawsuit.[79]
In November 2024, about a dozen masked men dressed in black carried redswastika flags in Columbus chantingracial slurs and usingpepper spray.[80] The group identified themselves as "Hate Club".[81] Oren Segal, ADL vice-president, said that this might related to the hate groupBlood Tribe. "Blood Tribe views itself as the main white supremacist group in Ohio, so ... (the) 'Hate Club' march appears to have been an intentional effort to antagonize them."[82][83]
Several ravines near the rivers and creeks also add variety to the landscape. Tributaries to Alum Creek and the Olentangy River cut through shale, while tributaries to the Scioto River cut through limestone. The numerous rivers and streams beside low-lying areas in Central Ohio contribute to a history of flooding in the region; the most significant was theGreat Flood of 1913 in Columbus, Ohio.[85]
The city has a total area of 223.11 square miles (577.85 km2), of which 217.17 square miles (562.47 km2) is land and 5.94 square miles (15.38 km2) is water.[86] Columbus has the largest land area of any Ohio city; this is due toJim Rhodes's tactic to annex suburbs while serving as mayor. As surrounding communities grew or were constructed, they came to require access to waterlines, which was under the sole control of the municipal water system. Rhodes told these communities that if they wanted water, they would have to submit to assimilation into Columbus.[87]
The city's climate ishumid continental (Köppen climate classificationDfa) transitional with thehumid subtropical (Köppen climate classificationCfa) to the south characterized by warm, muggy summers and cold, dry winters. Columbus is withinUSDAhardiness zone 6b, bordering on 7a. Winter snowfall is relatively light, since the city is not in the typical path of strong winter lows, such as theNor'easters that strike cities farther east. It is also too far south and west forlake-effect snow fromLake Erie to have much effect, although the lakes to the north contribute to long stretches of cloudy spells in winter.
The highest temperature recorded in Columbus is 106 °F (41 °C), which occurred twice during theDust Bowl of the 1930s: once on July 21, 1934, and again on July 14, 1936.[91] The lowest recorded temperature was −22 °F (−30 °C), occurring onJanuary 19, 1994.[91]
Columbus is subject tosevere weather typical to theMidwestern United States. Severe thunderstorms can bringlightning, largehail and on rare occasionstornadoes, especially during the spring and sometimes through fall. A tornado that occurred on October 11, 2006, causedF2 damage.[92] Floods, blizzards and ice storms can also occur from time to time.
Climate data for Columbus, Ohio (John Glenn Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1878–present[c]
Source:NOAA (sun, relative humidity, and dew point 1961–1990)[93][94][95][96] and Weather Atlas[97]
Environment
Columbus has focused on reducing itsenvironmental impact andcarbon footprint. In 2020, a citywide ballot measure was approved, giving Columbus anelectricity aggregation plan which will supply it with100% renewable energy by the start of 2023. Its vendor, AEP Energy, plans to construct new wind and solar farms in Ohio to help supply the electricity.[98]
The largest sources of pollution in the county, as of 2019, are Ohio State University's McCracken Power Plant, the landfill operated by theSolid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO) and theAnheuser-Busch Columbus Brewery. Anheuser-Busch has a company-wide goal of reducing emissions by 25% by 2025. Ohio State plans to construct a new heat and power plant, also powered by fossil fuels, but set to reduce emissions by about 30%. SWACO manages to capture 75% of itsmethane emissions to use in producing energy, and is looking to reduce emissions further.[99]
Racial distribution in Columbus in 2020:⬤ White⬤ Black⬤ Asian⬤ Hispanic⬤ Mixed or Other
2020 census
In the 2020 United States census, there were 905,748 people living in the city, for a population density of 4,109.64 people per square mile (1,586.74/km2). There were 415,456 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 57.4%White, 29.2%Black or African American, 0.2%Native American or Alaska Native, and 5.9%Asian.Hispanic or Latino of any race made up 6.3% of the population.[107][108]
There were 392,041 households, out of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.8% weremarried couples living together, 25.1% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 33.7% had a female householder with no spouse present. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 3.03.[108]
21.0% of the city's population were under the age of 18, 67.5% were 18 to 64, and 11.5% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males.[108]
According to the U.S. CensusAmerican Community Survey, for the period 2016–2020 the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $61,727, and the median income for a family was $76,383. About 18.1% of the population were living below thepoverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over. About 67.2% of the population were employed, and 38.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[108]
Columbus, Ohio – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
In the2010 United States census, there were 787,033 people, 331,602 households and 176,037 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,624 inhabitants per square mile (1,399.2/km2). There were 370,965 housing units at an average density of 1,708.2 per square mile (659.5/km2).
Columbus historically had a significant population ofwhite people. In 1900, whites made up 93.4% of the population.[106] AlthoughEuropean immigration has declined, the Columbus metropolitan area has recently experienced increases inAfrican,Asian andLatin American immigration, including groups fromMexico,India,Nepal,Bhutan,Somalia andChina. While the Asian population is diverse, the city's Hispanic community is mainly made up ofMexican Americans, although there is a notablePuerto Rican population.[114] Many other countries of origin are represented in lesser numbers, largely due to the international draw ofOhio State University. 2008 estimates indicate that roughly 116,000 of the city's residents are foreign-born, accounting for 82% of the new residents between 2000 and 2006 at a rate of 105 per week.[115] 40% of the immigrants came from Asia, 23% from Africa, 22% from Latin America and 13% from Europe.[115] The city had the second-largest Somali andSomali American population in the country, as of 2004, as well as the largest expatriateBhutanese-Nepali population in the world, as of 2018.[116][117]
Due to its demographics, which include a mix of races and a wide range of incomes, as well as urban, suburban and nearby rural areas, Columbus is considered a "typical" American city, leadingretail and restaurant chains to use it as atest market for new products.[118] For similar reasons, the city was chosen as the launch city for theQUBE cable television service.
Columbus has maintained a steady population growth since its establishment. Its slowest growth, from 1850 to 1860, is primarily attributed to the city's cholera epidemic in the 1850s.[119]
Columbus is home to a proportionalLGBT community, with an estimated 34,952 gay, lesbian or bisexual residents.[121] The 2018American Community Survey (ACS) reported an estimated 366,034 households, 32,276 of which were held by unmarried partners. 1,395 of these were female householder and female-partner households, and 1,456 were male householder and male-partner households.[122] Columbus has been rated as one of the best cities in the country for gays and lesbians to live, and also as the most underrated gay city in the country.[123]Stonewall Columbus formed in 1981 after a group of protestors organized a march against a proposed office ofMoral Majority, a political organization lead by pastorJerry Falwell, Sr. The next year, Stonewall hosted its first Pride Parade.[124] In July 2012, three years prior to legalsame-sex marriage in the United States, the Columbus City Council unanimously passed a domestic partnership registry.[125]
Columbus has numerousItalian Americans, with groups including the Columbus Italian Club, Columbus Piave Club and the Abruzzi Club.[126]Italian Village, a neighborhood near Downtown Columbus, has had a prominent Italian American community since the 1890s.[127]
The community has helped promote the influenceChristopher Columbus had in drawing European attention to the Americas. The Italian explorer, erroneously credited with the lands' discovery, has been posthumously criticized by historians for initiating colonization and for abuse, enslavement and subjugation of natives.[16][15] In addition to the city being named for the explorer, its seal andflag depict a ship he used for his first voyage to the Americas, theSanta María. A similar-size replica of the ship, theSanta Maria Ship & Museum, was displayed downtown from 1991 to 2014.[128] The city'sDiscovery District andDiscovery Bridge are named in reference to Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas; the bridge includes artistic bronze medallions featuring symbols of the explorer.[129][130]Genoa Park, downtown, is named afterGenoa, the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and one of Columbus'ssister cities.[131]
The Christopher Columbus Quincentennial Jubilee, celebrating the 500th anniversary of Columbus's first voyage, was held in the city in 1992. Its organizers spent $95 million on it, creating the horticultural exhibitionAmeriFlora '92. The organizers also planned to create a replica Native American village, among other attractions. Local and national native leaders protested the event with a day of mourning, followed by protests and fasts at City Hall. The protests prevented the native village from being exhibited, and annual fasts continued until 1997. A protest also took place during the dedication of theSanta Maria replica, an event held in late 1991 on the day beforeColumbus Day and in time for the jubilee.[14][12]
The city has three outdoor statues of the explorer; thestatue at City Hall was acquired, delivered and dedicated with the assistance of the Italian American community. Protests in 2017 aimed for this statue to be removed,[132] followed by the city in 2018 ceasing to recognizeColumbus Day as a city holiday.[133] During the 2020George Floyd protests, petitions were created to remove all three statues and rename the city of Columbus.[17]
The city was one of eight cities to be offered the 360 ft (110 m)Birth of the New World statue, in 1993. The statue, also of Christopher Columbus, was completed in Puerto Rico in 2016 and is thetallest in the United States – 45 ft (14 m) taller than theStatue of Liberty, including its pedestal. At least six U.S. cities, including Columbus, rejected it based on its height and design.[134]
According to the 2019American Values Atlas, 26% of Columbus metropolitan area residents are unaffiliated with a religious tradition. 17% of area residents identify as White evangelical Protestants, 14% as White mainline Protestants, 11% as Black Protestants, 11% as White Catholics, 5% as Hispanic Catholics, 3% as other nonwhite Catholics, 2% as other nonwhite Protestants and 2% as Mormons. Hindus, Buddhists, Jews and Latino Protestants each made up 1% of the population, while Jehovah's Witnesses, Orthodox Christians, Muslims, Unitarians, and members of New Age or other religions each made up under 0.5% of the population.[135]
Places of worship include Baptist, Evangelical, Greek Orthodox, Latter-day Saints, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Quaker, Roman Catholic, and Unitarian Universalist churches. Columbus also hosts several Islamic mosques, Jewish synagogues, Buddhist centers, Hindu temples and a branch of theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness. Religious teaching institutions include thePontifical College Josephinum and several private schools led by Christian organizations.
Columbus has a generally strong and diverse economy based on education, insurance, banking, fashion, defense, aviation, food, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail and technology. In 2010, it was one of the 10 best big cities in the country, according to Relocate America, a real estate research firm.[136]
During theGreat Recession between 2007 and 2009, Columbus's economy was not impacted as much as the rest of the country, due to decades of diversification work by long-time corporate residents, business leaders and political leaders. The administration of former mayorMichael B. Coleman continued this work, although the city faced financial turmoil and had to increase taxes, allegedly due in part to fiscal mismanagement.[138][139] Because Columbus is the state capital, there is a large government presence in the city. Including city, county, state and federal employers, government jobs provide the largest single source of employment within Columbus.
North Market, a public market andfood hall, is located downtown near the Short North. It is the only remaining public market of Columbus's original four marketplaces.
Numerous restaurant chains are based in the Columbus area, includingCharleys Philly Steaks,Bibibop Asian Grill,Steak Escape,White Castle,Cameron Mitchell Restaurants,Bob Evans Restaurants,Max & Erma's, Damon's Grill,Donatos Pizza andWendy's. Wendy's, the world's third-largest hamburger fast-food chain, operated its first store downtown as both a museum and a restaurant until March 2007, when the establishment was closed due to low revenue. The company is presently headquartered outside the city in nearbyDublin.Budweiser has a major brewery located on the north side, just south of I-270 and Worthington. Columbus is also home to many localmicro breweries and pubs. Asianfrozen food manufacturer Kahiki Foods was located on the east side of Columbus, created during the operation of theKahiki Supper Club restaurant in Columbus. The food company now operates in the suburb of Gahanna and has been owned by the South Korean-based companyCJ CheilJedang since 2018.[142]Wasserstrom Company, a major supplier of equipment and supplies for restaurants, is located on the north side.
Construction of the Ohio Statehouse began in 1839 on a 10-acre (4 ha) plot of land donated by four prominent Columbus landowners. This plot formedCapitol Square, which was not part of the city's original layout. Built of Columbuslimestone from theMarble Cliff Quarry Co., the Statehouse stands on foundations 18 feet (5.5 m) deep that were laid byprison labor gangs rumored to have been composed largely ofmasons jailed for minor infractions.[37] It features a central recessedporch with acolonnade of a forthright and primitiveGreek Doric mode. A broad and low central pediment supports the windowedastylar drum under an invisibly lowsaucer dome that lights the interiorrotunda. There are several artworks within and outside the building, including theWilliam McKinley Monument dedicated in 1907. Unlike many U.S. state capitol buildings, the Ohio State Capitol owes little to the architecture of thenational Capitol. During the Statehouse's 22-year construction, seven architects were employed. The Statehouse was opened to the legislature and the public in 1857 and completed in 1861, and is located at the intersection of Broad and High streets in downtown Columbus.
Preservationists and the public have sometimes run into conflict with developers hoping to revitalize an area and demolish certain buildings, and historically with the city and state government, which led programs ofurban renewal in the 20th century.[146]
TheOhio History Connection is headquartered in Columbus, with its flagship museum, the 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2)Ohio History Center, 4 mi (6.4 km) north of downtown. Adjacent to the museum isOhio Village, a replica of a village around the time of the American Civil War. TheColumbus Historical Society also features historical exhibits, which focus more closely on life in Columbus.
COSI (east entrance pictured) features themed, interactive science exhibits.
COSI is a large science and children's museum in downtown Columbus. The present building, the formerCentral High School, was completed in November 1999, opposite downtown on the west bank of the Scioto River. In 2009,Parents magazine named COSI one of the 10 best science centers for families in the country.[148] Other science museums include theOrton Geological Museum and the Museum of Biological Diversity, which are both part of Ohio State University.
TheFranklin Park Conservatory is the city'sbotanical garden, which opened in 1895. It features over 400 species of plants in a large Victorian-style glass greenhouse building that includes rain forest, desert and Himalayan mountain biomes. The conservatory is located just east of Downtown inFranklin Park[149]
TheNational Veterans Memorial and Museum, which opened in 2018, focuses on the personal stories of military veterans throughout U.S. history. The museum replaced the Franklin County Veterans Memorial, which opened in 1955.[150]
The Columbus Youth Ballet Academy was founded in the 1980s by ballerina and artistic director Shir Lee Wu, a discovery ofMartha Graham. Wu was the long-time artistic director of the Columbus City Ballet School and taught classes there until her death in 2021.[151][152]
In May 2009, theLincoln Theatre, formerly a center for Black culture in Columbus, reopened after an extensive restoration.[153][154] Not far from the Lincoln Theatre is the King Arts Complex, which hosts a variety of cultural events. The city also has several theaters downtown, including the historicPalace Theatre, theOhio Theatre and theSouthern Theatre.Broadway Across America often presents touring Broadway musicals in these larger venues.[155] The Vern Riffe Center for Government and the Arts houses the Capitol Theatre and three smaller studio theaters, providing a home for resident performing arts companies.
The city was home to thePanhandles/Tigers football team from 1901 to 1926; they are credited with playing in the first NFL game against another NFL opponent.[161] In the late 1990s, theColumbus Quest won the only two championships duringAmerican Basketball League's two-and-a-half season existence.
Columbus is home to one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate programs, theOhio State Buckeyes ofOhio State University. The program has placed in the top 10 final standings of theDirector's Cup five times since 2000–2001, including No. 3 for the 2002–2003 season and No. 4 for the 2003–2004 season.[166] The university funds 36 varsity teams, consisting of 17 male, 16 female and three co-educational teams.[needs update] In 2007–2008 and 2008–2009, the program generated the second-most revenue for college programs behind theTexas Longhorns ofThe University of Texas at Austin.[167][168]
The Ohio State Buckeyes are a member of theNCAA'sBig Ten Conference, and theirfootball team plays home games atOhio Stadium. The Ohio State–Michigan football game (known colloquially as "The Game") is the final game of the regular season and is played in November each year, alternating between Columbus andAnn Arbor, Michigan. In 2000,ESPN ranked the Ohio State–Michigan game as the greatest rivalry in North American sports.[169] Moreover, "Buckeye fever" permeates Columbus culture year-round and forms a major part of Columbus's cultural identity. Former New York Yankees ownerGeorge Steinbrenner, an Ohio native who received a master's degree from Ohio State and coached in Columbus, was an Ohio State football fan and major donor to the university who contributed to the construction of the band facility at the renovated Ohio Stadium, which bears his family's name.[170]During the winter months, the Buckeyesbasketball andhockey teams are also major sporting attractions.
Other sports
Columbus has a long history in motorsports, hosting the world's first 24-hour car race at the Columbus Driving Park in 1905, which was organized by the Columbus Auto Club.[171] TheColumbus Motor Speedway was built in 1945 and held its first motorcycle race in 1946. In 2010, theOhio State University student-builtBuckeye Bullet 2, a fuel-cell vehicle, set an FIA world speed record for electric vehicles in reaching 303.025 mph, eclipsing the previous record of 302.877 mph.[172]
The annualAll American Quarter Horse Congress, the world's largest single-breed horse show,[173] attracts approximately 500,000 visitors to the Ohio Expo Center each October.
Westside Barbell, a world-renowned powerlifting gym, is located in Columbus. Its founder,Louie Simmons, is known for his popularization of the "Conjugate Method", while he is also credited with inventing training machines for reverse hyper-extensions and belt squats. Westside Barbell is known for producing multiple world record holders in powerlifting.[175]
TheColumbus Bullies were two-time champions of the American Football League (1940–1941). The Columbus Thunderbolts were formed in 1991 for the Arena Football League, and then relocated to Cleveland as the Cleveland Thunderbolts; theColumbus Destroyers were the next team of the AFL, playing from 2004 until the league's demise in 2008 and returned for single season in 2019 until the league folded a second time.
Ohio Roller Derby (formerly Ohio Roller Girls) was founded in Columbus in 2005 and still competes internationally in Women's Flat Track Derby Association play. The team is regularly ranked in the top 60 internationally.
TheColumbus Zoo and Aquarium's collections include lowland gorillas, polar bears, manatees, Siberian tigers, cheetahs and kangaroos.[178] Also in the zoo complex is theZoombezi Bay water park and amusement park.
Annual festivities in Columbus include theOhio State Fair – one of the largest state fairs in the country – as well as the Columbus Arts Festival and the Jazz & Rib Fest, both of which occur on the downtown riverfront.
In mid-May from 2007 to 2018, Columbus was home to Rock on the Range, which was held atHistoric Crew Stadium and marketed as America's biggest rock festival. The festival, which took place on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, has hosted Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot and other notable bands. In May 2019, it was officially replaced by theSonic Temple Art & Music Festival.[179]
During the first weekend in June, the bars of Columbus's North Market District host the Park Street Festival, which attracts thousands of visitors to a massive party in bars and on the street. June's second-to-last weekend sees one of the Midwest's largestgay pride parades,Columbus Pride, reflecting the city's sizable gay population. During the last weekend of June,Goodale Park hostsComFest (short for "Community Festival"), an immense three-day music festival marketed as the largest non-commercial festival in the U.S., with art vendors, live music on multiple stages, hundreds of local social and political organizations,body painting and beer.
The city's largest dining event, Restaurant Week Columbus, is held twice a year in mid-January and mid-July. In 2010, more than 40,000 diners went to 40 participating restaurants, and $5,000 (~$7,210 in 2024) was donated the Mid-Ohio Foodbank on behalf of sponsors and participating restaurants.[180]
Around theFourth of July, Columbus hosts Red, White & Boom! on the Scioto riverfront downtown, attracting crowds of over 500,000 people and featuring the largest fireworks display in Ohio.[181]
The Short North is host to the monthly Gallery Hop, which attracts hundreds to the neighborhood's art galleries (which all open their doors to the public until late at night) andstreet musicians. The Hilltop Bean Dinner is an annual event held on Columbus's West Side that celebrates the city's Civil War heritage near the historic Camp Chase Cemetery. At the end of September,German Village throws an annualOktoberfest celebration that features German food, beer, music and crafts.
Columbus also hosts many conventions in theGreater Columbus Convention Center, a large convention center on the north edge of downtown. Completed in 1993, the 1.8-million-square-foot (170,000 m2) convention center was designed by architectPeter Eisenman, who also designed the Wexner Center.[182]
The city is administered by a mayor and a nine-member unicameral council elected in two classes every two years to four-year terms at large. Columbus is the largest city in the United States that elects its city council at large as opposed to districts. The mayor appoints the director of safety and the director of public service. The people elect theauditor,municipal court clerk,municipal court judges andcity attorney. A charter commission, elected in 1913, submitted a new charter in May 1914, offering a modified federal form, with a number of progressive features, such as nonpartisan ballot,preferential voting, recall ofelected officials, the referendum and a small council elected at large. The charter was adopted, effective January 1, 1916.Andrew Ginther has been the mayor of Columbus since 2016.[184]
Franklin County operates theFranklin County Government Center, a complex at the southern end of downtown Columbus. The center includes the county's municipal court, common pleas court, correctional center, juvenile detention center and sheriff's office.
Near City Hall, theMichael B. Coleman Government Center holds offices for the departments of building and zoning services, public service, development and public utilities. Also nearby is77 North Front Street, which holds Columbus's city attorney office, income-tax division, public safety, human resources, civil service and purchasing departments. The structure, built in 1929, was the police headquarters until 1991, and was then dormant until it was given a $34 million renovation from 2011 to 2013.[191]
Ohio Homeland Security operates the Strategic Analysis and Information Center (SAIC) fusion center in Columbus's Hilltop neighborhood. The facility is the state's primary public intelligence hub and one of the few in the country that uses state, local, federal and private resources.[193][194]
Columbus has a history of governmental and nonprofit support for low-income residents and the homeless. Nevertheless, the homelessness rate has steadily risen since at least 2007.[195] Poverty and differences in quality of life have grown, as well; Columbus was noted as the second-most economically segregated large metropolitan area in 2015, in a study by the University of Toronto.[196][197] It also ranked 45th of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in terms ofsocial mobility, according to a 2015 Harvard University study.[198]
Columbus is the home of two publiccolleges: theOhio State University, one of thelargest college campuses in the United States, andColumbus State Community College. In 2009, Ohio State University was ranked No. 19 in the country byU.S. News & World Report on its list of best public universities, and No. 56 overall, scoring in the first tier of schools nationally.[199] Some of Ohio State's graduate school programs placed in the top 5, including No. 5 for both best veterinary programs and best pharmacy programs. The specialty graduate programs of social psychology was ranked No. 2, dispute resolution was No. 5, vocational education was No. 2, and elementary education, secondary teacher education, administration/supervision was No. 5.[200]
There are also several private schools in the area, such as St. Paul's Lutheran School, a K-8 Christian school of theWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Columbus.[202]
Some sources determine that the first kindergarten in the United States was established here by Louisa Frankenberg, a former student ofFriedrich Fröbel.[42] Frankenberg immigrated to the city in 1838 and opened her kindergarten in the German Village neighborhood in that year. The school did not work out, so she returned to Germany in 1840. In 1858, Frankenberg returned to Columbus and established another early kindergarten in the city. Frankenberg is often overlooked, withMargarethe Schurz instead given credit for her "First Kindergarten" she operated for two years.[203]
In addition, Indianola Junior High School (now theGraham Elementary and Middle School) became the nation's firstjunior high school in 1909, helping to bridge the difficult transition from elementary to high school at a time when only 48% of students continued their education after theninth grade.[204]
TheColumbus Metropolitan Library (CML) has served central Ohio residents since 1873. The system has 23 locations throughout Central Ohio, with a total collection of 3 million items. This library is one of the country's most-used library systems and is consistently among the top-ranked large city libraries according toHennen's American Public Library Ratings. CML was rated the No. 1 library system in the nation in 1999, 2005 and 2008. It has been in the top four every year since 1999, when the rankings were first published in theAmerican Libraries magazine, often challenging upstate neighborCuyahoga County Public Library for the top spot.[205][206]
Several weekly and daily newspapers serve Columbus and Central Ohio. The major daily newspaper in Columbus isThe Columbus Dispatch. There are also neighborhood- or suburb-specific papers, such as the Dispatch Printing Company'sThisWeek Community News, theColumbus Messenger, theClintonville Spotlight and theShort North Gazette.The Lantern and1870 serve theOhio State University community. Alternative arts, culture or politics-oriented papers includeALIVE (formerly the independentColumbus Alive and now owned by theColumbus Dispatch),Columbus Free Press andColumbus Underground (digital-only). TheColumbus Magazine,CityScene,614 Magazine andColumbus Monthly are the city's magazines.
Columbus is the base for 12 television stations and is the 32nd-largest television market as of September 24, 2016.[209] Columbus is also home to the 36th-largest radio market.[210]
Infrastructure
Healthcare
Numerous medical systems operate in Columbus and Central Ohio. These includeOhioHealth, which has three hospitals in the city proper: Grant Medical Center, Riverside Methodist Hospital, and Doctors Hospital;Mount Carmel Health System, which has one hospital among other facilities; theOhio State University Wexner Medical Center, which has a primary hospital complex andan east campus in Columbus;[211] andNationwide Children's Hospital, which is an independently operated hospital for pediatric health care. Hospitals in Central Ohio are ranked favorably by theU.S. News & World Report, where numerous hospitals are ranked as among the best in particular fields in the United States. Nationwide Children's is regarded as among the top 10 children's hospitals in the country, according to the report.[212][213]
Utilities
Electricity is distributed by Columbus Southern Power, anAmerican Electric Power subsidiary. Natural gas is provided byColumbia Gas of Ohio, while water is sourced from the City of Columbus Division of Water.[214]
Transportation
Roads and bridges
I-71, part of theinnerbelt around downtown, bridged by numerous overpasses
Columbus's street system centers on its two main historic corridors,Broad andHigh Streets, which extend beyond the city limits; High Street is the longest in Columbus, running 13.5 mi (21.7 km) (23.4 across the county), while Broad Street is longer across the county, at 25.1 mi (40.4 km).[215] The street grid originates downtown, with High Street running north–south and Broad Street east–west; north–south streets are aligned 12 degrees west of due north, while avenues run similarly offset from due east–west.[216][217] The city's address system begins at the intersection of Broad and High, with numbers increasing outward and even numbers on the north and east sides of streets.[218] Numbered avenues start1+1⁄4 mi (2.0 km) north of Broad, while numbered streets begin around High Street and progress eastward. A difference of 700 house numbers equates to about 1 mi (1.6 km).[84] Other significant roads include Main Street, Morse Road,SR-161 (Dublin-Granville Road),SR-3 (Cleveland Avenue/Westerville Road), and Olentangy River Road.
Columbus is bisected by two majorInterstate Highways:Interstate 70 running east–west andInterstate 71 running north to roughly southwest. They combine downtown for about 1.5 mi (2.4 km) in an area locally known as "The Split", which is a majortraffic congestion point, especially duringrush hour.U.S. Route 40, originally known as theNational Road, runs east–west through Columbus, comprising Main Street to the east of downtown and Broad Street to the west.U.S. Route 23 runs roughly north–south, whileU.S. Route 33 runs northwest-to-southeast. TheInterstate 270Outerbelt encircles most of the city, while the newly redesigned Innerbelt consists of theInterstate 670 spur on the north side (which continues to the east past the Airport and to the west where it merges with I-70),State Route 315 on the west side, the I-70/71 split on the south side and I-71 on the east. Due to its central location within Ohio and abundance of outbound roadways, nearly all of the state's destinations are within a two- or three-hour drive of Columbus.
The Columbus riverfront hosts several bridges. TheDiscovery Bridge connects downtown to Franklinton across Broad Street. The bridge opened in 1992, replacing a 1921 concrete arch bridge; the first bridge at the site was built in 1816.[219] The 700 ft (210 m)Main Street Bridge opened on July 30, 2010.[220] The bridge has three lanes for vehicular traffic (one westbound and two eastbound) and another separated lane for pedestrians and bikes. TheRich Street Bridge opened in July 2012 adjacent to the Main Street Bridge, connecting Rich Street on the east side of the river with Town Street on the west.[221][222] TheLane Avenue Bridge is acable-stayed bridge that opened on November 14, 2003, in the University District. The bridge spans the Olentangy River with three lanes of traffic each way.
The city's primary airport,John Glenn Columbus International Airport, is on the city's east side. Formerly known as Port Columbus, John Glenn provides service toToronto, Ontario, Canada, andCancun, Mexico (on a seasonal basis), as well as to most domestic destinations, including all the major hubs along withSan Francisco,Salt Lake City andSeattle. The airport was a hub fordiscount carrierSkybus Airlines and continues to be home toNetJets, the world's largestfractional ownership air carrier. According to a 2005 market survey, John Glenn Columbus International Airport attracts about 50% of its passengers from outside of its 60-mile (97 km) radius primary service region.[223] It is the 52nd-busiest airport in the United States by total passenger boardings.[224]
In 1907, 14-year-oldCromwell Dixon built theSkyCycle, a pedal-powered blimp, which he flew atDriving Park.[225] Three years later, one of theWright brothers' exhibition pilots, Phillip Parmalee, conducted the world's first commercial cargo flight when he flew two packages containing 88 kilograms of silk 70 miles (110 km) from Dayton to Columbus in aWright Model B.[226] During World War I, six Columbus pilots, led by aceEddie Rickenbacker, accounted for 10% of U.S. aerial victories, more than the aviators of any other American city.[227] After the war, Columbus became a key hub in a transcontinental air-rail system, with Port Columbus Airport opening in 1929 following advocacy byCharles Lindbergh. The inaugural TAT flight includedAmelia Earhart, withHenry Ford andHarvey Firestone attending.[225] In 1964, Columbus nativeJerrie Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world, setting a speed record in her plane, theSpirit of Columbus.[228]
COTA's Spring Street Terminal, one of its five transit centers
Columbus maintains a widespread municipal bus service called theCentral Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). The service operates41 routes with a fleet of 440 buses, serving approximately 19 million passengers per year. COTA operates 23 regular fixed-service routes, 14 express services, abus rapid transit route, a free downtown circulator, night service, an airport connector and other services.[229]LinkUS, an initiative between COTA, the city, and theMid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, is planning to add more rapid transit to Columbus, with three proposed corridors operating by 2030, and potentially a total of five by 2050.
Cycling as transportation is steadily increasing in Columbus with its relatively flat terrain, intact urban neighborhoods, large student population and off-road bike paths. The city has put forth the 2012 Bicentennial Bikeways Plan, as well as a move toward a Complete Streets policy.[234][235] Grassroots efforts such as Bike to Work Week, Consider Biking, Yay Bikes,[236] Third Hand Bicycle Co-op,[237] Franklinton Cycleworks andCranksters, a local radio program focused on urban cycling,[238] have contributed to cycling as transportation.
Columbus also hostsurban cycling "off-shots" with messenger-style "alleycat" races, as well as unorganized group rides,bicycle polo, art showings, movie nights and a variety ofbicycle-friendly businesses and events throughout the year. All this activity occurs despite Columbus's frequently inclement weather.
TheMain Street Bridge, opened in 2010, features a dedicated bike and pedestrian lane separated from traffic.
The city of Columbus has a higher-than-average percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 9.8% of Columbus households lacked a car, a number that fell slightly to 9.4% in 2016. The national average was 8.7% in 2016. Columbus averaged 1.55 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[242]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Columbus were kept downtown from July 1878 to December 1947, and at John Glenn Int'l since January 1948. For more information, seeThreadex
^Knepper, George W. (2002).The Official Ohio Lands Book(PDF). The Auditor of the State of Ohio. p. 51.Archived(PDF) from the original on October 24, 2014. RetrievedMay 10, 2020.
^ab"Statehouse".Ohio Statehouse. Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board.Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. RetrievedMay 18, 2020.
^Zimmerman, Richard Z. (2007). Lamis, Alexander P.; Usher, Brian (eds.).Ohio Politics: Revised and Updated. Kent State University Press. p. 87.ISBN978-0-87338-613-5.
^Mattox, Ronald K."Discovery Bridge"(PDF). Fourth International Bridge Engineering Conference.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 20, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 19, 2022.
^"Genoa Park".columbus.gov. City of Columbus, Ohio.Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. RetrievedOctober 21, 2018.
^New International Encyclopedia. Vol. 5 (Second ed.). Dodd and Mead. 1914. p. 637.Archived from the original on January 6, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 6, 2015.
^"Ohio Federal Buildings".U.S. General Services Administration.Archived from the original on November 17, 2019. RetrievedMarch 22, 2020.
^"The Ohio Judicial Center"(PDF).The Supreme Court of Ohio. The Supreme Court of Ohio Office of Public Information. November 2008.Archived(PDF) from the original on December 31, 2008. RetrievedApril 26, 2020.
^"About Us" (in Japanese). Columbus Japanese Language School.Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. RetrievedFebruary 11, 2022.(3) 借用校 * Marysville市教育委員会(貸主)
^"The Start of Broad and High".The Columbus Dispatch. October 14, 1962. p. 163.Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. RetrievedOctober 23, 2021.
This list is incomplete. TheDublin City,Hilliard City, andWesterville City school districts serve portions of Columbus, but operate no high schools in it. The two schools listed in the bottom section are not operated byColumbus City Schools, but have "Columbus, Ohio" postal addresses.
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