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Columbus is the capital and largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio, the state's third largest metropolitan area behind Cincinnati and Cleveland, and the fourth largest city in the American Midwest. It is the county seat of Franklin County, yet the city has expanded and annexed portions of adjoining Delaware County and Fairfield County. Named for explorer Christopher Columbus, the city was founded in 1812 at the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers, and assumed the functions of state capital in 1816. The city has a diverse economy based on education, government, insurance, banking, fashion, defense, aviation, food, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology.

Columbus is an emerging global city, home to the world's largest private research and development foundation, the Battelle Memorial Institute; CAS, or Chemical Abstracts, the world's largest clearinghouse of chemical information; NetJets, the world's largest fractional ownership jet aircraft fleet; The Ohio State University, one of the nation's largest universities; the world's largest cartoon collection, the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum; and the Buckeye Bullet 2, the world's fastest fuel cell electric vehicle.

The New York Times in 2007 dubbed Columbus a Midwestern-style capital, Forbes Magazine in 2008 ranked the city as the no. 1 up-and-coming tech city in the nation, and BusinessWeek in 2009 named the city as the best place to raise a family in the country. The city was ranked by Money Magazine as the 8th best big city in the U.S. to live in 2006, and a top ten city by Relocate America in 2010. In 2007, fDi Magazine ranked the city no. 3 in the U.S. for cities of the future, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was rated no. 1 in 2009 by USA Travel Guide.

In 2008, MarketWatch named Columbus as the 7th best place to do business in the nation. In 2010, the city had four corporations named to the U.S. Fortune 500 list including Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, Limited Brands, and Big Lots, with Cardinal Health located in the Columbus metro area suburb of Dublin, along with a metropolitan area GDP of $90 billion. Major foreign corporations operating or with divisions in the city include Germany-based Siemens and Roxane Laboratories, Finland-based Vaisala, Japan-based Techneglas, Inc., Tomasco Mulciber Inc., and A Y Manufacturing, as well as Switzerland-based ABB Group and Mettler Toledo.

The population was 711,470 at the 2000 census. The city's population is relatively high due to its large territory with over 212 square miles being incorporated. In 2008, Columbus was the 16th largest city in the United States, with 754,885 residents, and was also the 32nd largest metropolitan area, the fourth largest city in the Midwest, and the third most populous state capital in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 1,773,120, and the Combined Statistical Area (which also includes Marion and Chillicothe) has a population of 1,982,252. Columbus is located within 550 miles of half of the population of the United States.

Columbus Economy
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. Overall, it was ranked as one of the top 10 best big cities in the country in 2010, according to Relocate America, a real estate research firm. MarketWatch ranked Columbus and their metro area as the No. 7 best place in the country to operate a business in 2008. In 2007, the city was ranked No. 3 in the United States by fDi magazine for "Cities of the Future", and No. 4 for most business-friendly in the country. Columbus was ranked as the seventh strongest economy in the United States in 2006, and the best in Ohio, according to Policom Corp. In 2009, the Columbus metropolitan area's GDP was $90 billion, up from $85.5 billion in 2006, $75.43 billion in 2005, and $69.98 billion in 2001.

During the recession beginning in late 2007, Columbus' 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 current administration of mayor Michael B. Coleman has continued this work, although the city faced financial turmoil and had to increase taxes, due in part to alleged fiscal mismanagement. As 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.

In 2010, the city had four corporations named to the U.S. Fortune 500 list including Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, Limited Brands, and Big Lots, with Cardinal Health located in Dublin. Other major employers in the area include include numerous schools (e.g., The Ohio State University) and hospitals, hi-tech research and development including the Battelle Memorial Institute, information/library companies such as OCLC and Chemical Abstracts, financial institutions such as JP Morgan Chase and Huntington Bancshares, as well as Owens Corning and Wendy's. Major foreign corporations operating or with divisions in the city include Germany-based Siemens and Roxane Laboratories, Finland-based Vaisala, Japan-based Techneglas, Inc., Tomasco Mulciber Inc., and A Y Manfacturing, as well as Switzerland-based ABB Group and Mettler Toledo.

Columbus Education
Colleges and Universities Columbus is the home of two public colleges: The Ohio State University, one of the largest college campuses in the United States, and Columbus State Community College. In 2009, The Ohio State University was ranked No. 19 in the country by U.S. News and World Report for best public university, and No. 56 overall, scoring in the first tier of schools nationally. Some of OSU's graduate school programs placed in the top 5, including: No. 5 for best veterinary program and No. 5 for best pharmacy program. The specialty graduate programs of social psychology was ranked No. 2, dispute resolution was ranked No. 5, vocational education No. 2, and elementary education, secondary teacher education, administration/supervision No. 5.

Primary and Secondary Schools Columbus City Schools (CCS), formerly Columbus Public Schools, is the largest district in Ohio, with 55,000 pupils. CCS operates 142 elementary, middle, and high schools, including a number of alternative schools. The suburbs operate their own districts as well, typically serving students in one or more townships, with districts sometimes crossing municipal boundaries. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus also operates numerous parochial elementary and high schools. The second largest school district in the area is South-Western City Schools, which encompasses southwestern Franklin County. There are also several private schools in the area.

Some sources claim that the first kindergarten in the United States was established here by Louisa Frankenberg, a former student of Friedrich Fröbel. Frankenberg immigrated to the city in 1838. In addition, Indianola Junior High School became the nation's first junior high 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 the 9th grade.

Columbus Parks and Outdoor Attractions
The Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District includes Inniswood Metro Gardens, a collection of public gardens; Highbanks Metro Park; Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park; as well as many others. The Big Darby Creek in the southwestern part of town is considered to be especially significant for its beauty and ecological diversity. Clintonville is home to Whetstone Park, which includes the Park of Roses, a beautiful 13-acre rose garden. The Chadwick Arboretum is located on the OSU campus, and features a large and varied collection of plants. Downtown, the famous painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is represented in topiary at Columbus's Old Deaf School Park. Also near downtown, a new Metro Park on the Whittier Peninsula is scheduled to open in 2008. The park will include a large Audubon nature center focused on the excellent bird watching that the area is known for.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is world renowned for its collections that include lowland gorillas, polar bears, manatees, Siberian tigers, cheetahs, and kangaroos. Its director emeritus, Jack Hanna, frequently appears on national television, including on The Tonight Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. In 2009, it was ranked as the best zoo in the United States. Also in the zoo complex is the Zoombezi Bay water park and amusement park.

Columbus OH Area Information

Columbus OH Community Characteristics and Facts

Total Crime Risk: 129.0 (100 = National Average)
Population: 779,752
Population Growth Since 2000: 9.6%
Annual Max Avg. Temperature: 61 F
Annual Min Avg. Temperature: 42 F
Male Median Age: 30.4 years
Female Median Age: 32.4 years
Median Household Income: $51,184
Highest Education Level Attained: High School 27.82%, Bachelors 22.71%, Grad School 10.3%

Community Demographics

Columbus OH Demographics Summary

Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Demographic Information FAQ

Columbus OH Crime Rate Indexes

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2010 Population Growth and Population Statistics	Columbus, OH		Ohio
Total Population	779,752		11,552,663
Square Miles	289.06		40,948.38
Population Density	2,697.50		282.10
Population Change Since 1990	22.25%		6.47%
Population Change Since 2000	9.60%		1.76%
Forecasted Population Change by 2014	7.11%		0.89%
Population Male	381,998	48.99%	5,657,557	48.97%
Population Female	397,754	51.01%	5,895,106	51.03%
Median Age	31.40		36.90

Columbus OH Population Growth and Population Statistics

Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Demographic Information FAQ

2010 Weather Summary	Columbus, OH	Ohio
Weather Index	46	42
Annual Maximum Avg. Temperature	61.0 °F	60.0 °F
Annual Minimum Avg. Temperature	42.0 °F	41.0 °F
Annual Avg. Temperature	51.4 °F	50.6 °F
Annual Heating Degree Days (Tot Degrees < 65)	5,708	5,951
Annual Cooling Degree Days (Tot Degrees > 65)	797	752
Percent of Possible Sunshine	49	51
Mean Sky Cover (Sunrise to Sunset - Out of 10)	7	7
Mean Number of Days Clear (Out of 365 Days)	72	73
Mean Number of Days Rain (Out of 365 Days)	137	141
Mean Number of Days Snow (Out of 365 Days)	9	12
Avg. Annual Precipitation (Total Inches)	38.00"	38.00"
Avg. Annual Snowfall (Total Inches)	28.00"	36.00"