Life in Columbus
Someone once said Columbus wasn't really a big city, just a bunch of little towns wrapped by an outerbelt. While this has changed somewhat in the 20+ years I have lived here, it is still generally true. Columbus has a small town feel overall. I believe it also has an identity crisis, in that many locals refer to "little bitty Columbus" when, say, commuter trains are proposed, yet "little bitty Columbus" is the largest city in Ohio and the 15th largest city in the United States.
Overview of the City
- 2004 population estimate: 730,008 (15th largest city in U.S.)
- Land area: 210 sq. mi. (544 sq. km)
- Altitude: Highest, 902 ft.; lowest, 702 ft.
- Average daily temperature: January, 26.4° F; July, 73.2° F
- Churches: Protestant, 436; Roman Catholic, 62; Jewish, 5; Other, 8
- City-owned parks: 203, 12,891 acres
- Radio stations: AM, 10; FM, 17
- Television stations: 10
- Chamber of Commerce: Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, 37 N. High St., Columbus, OH 43215.
The largest city in Ohio in both population and area, Columbus is the state capital and the seat of Franklin County. Columbus is located near the geographic center of Ohio on the Scioto River.
The first manmade settlements near the where downtown Columbus is today were earthen mounds constructed by Indian tribes known as Mound Builders. Native Americans lived undisturbed in Central Ohio until the 1700s, when the first white explorers entered the Midwest.
For an overview of Columbus history and why it was named Columbus, visit the Columbus as Capital page.
Columbus is a major commercial, distribution, and cultural center. Ohio State University was founded in Columbus in 1870, and there are several private colleges and universities along with Columbus State Community College. Columbus has grown steadily over the years largely because no single activity dominates the economy.
This map of Columbus gives an overview of where things are.
Getting Here
If you're flying in you'll be landing at Port Columbus International Airport. If you're driving you'll likely be using one of our two interstates; I-70 runs east and west from Indianapolis and points west through Columbus to Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I-71 runs north and south from Cleveland through Columbus to Cincinnati and Louisville.
The freeways in metro Columbus include I-70 and I-71; I-270 forms a loop around the city and is generally referred to as the outerbelt; I-670 runs from downtown to the airport. Collectively, I-70, I-71, I-670, and 315 form a loop around downtown often called the innerbelt. State route 315 is a freeway from downtown past OSU to Worthington.
Greyhound service: from the Greyhound bus station, walk through City Center Mall (next to the station) to High Street, catch many local COTA buses there. There is also a COTA bus terminal providing express service in the City Center Mall parking garage.
Once You're Here: Weather
Sometimes people ask what Columbus weather is like, and I reply that Columbus has no weather. Or, I should say, no weather of its' own. We have a blast of cold, Canadian air followed by a blast of hot, Texas air followed by a blast of cold, Canadian air followed by a blast of hot, Texas air followed by a...well, you get the idea.
I once knew someone who carried snow emergency equipment in his car 12 months a year, "just in case". While this is a bit extreme, weather here is much as the saying goes, "if you don't like the weather in Ohio, just wait an hour." If you're going to spend a year or two or four here you will need everything from heavy winter gloves and boots to light tropical summer wear...and everything in between. If you have to switch from "heat" to "A/C" on the same day...you're in Ohio.
I was surprised once to talk with someone from New Hampshire who thought there was an air raid...when the tornado sirens went off. Apparently there rarely are tornadoes in New England, so there are no sirens. In Columbus, tornadoes are somewhat frequent so there is a network of outdoor sirens that are sounded if a tornado warning is issued. Visit the tornado safety page for details on what to do if you hear the sirens, or if severe weather threatens.
Schools
In Ohio, public schools are the source of an ongoing debate about school funding. Traditionally primarily funded by local property taxes, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled the state must reduce reliance on local taxes and provide a more fair and equitable form of school funding. So far, the state legislature has largely failed to do this.
The city of Columbus has its' own Columbus Public Schools district; most suburbs have their own independent school districts, with the exception of Grove City, where South-western City Schools is one of the top ten sized districts in Ohio because multiple communities and townships are included in the district's territory.
Here are links to area school districts Web sites.
