About Columbus

Columbus (/klmbs/ k-LUM-bs) is the state capital and the most populous city in Ohio. It is the 14th-most populous city in the United States,[17][18][19][20] with a population of 879,170 as of 2017 estimates,[21] and is one of the fastest growing large cities in the United States.[22] This makes Columbus the 3rd-most populous state capital in the United States after Phoenix, Arizona and Austin, Texas and the second-most populous city in the Midwestern United States, after Chicago.[23][24] It is the core city of the Columbus, Ohio, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses ten counties.[25] With a population of 2,078,725, it is Ohio's second-largest metropolitan area.

Columbus is the county seat of Franklin County.[26] The municipality has also expanded and annexed portions of adjoining Delaware County, Pickaway 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, defense, aviation, food, clothes, logistics, steel, energy, medical research, health care, hospitality, retail, and technology. Columbus 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; NetJets, the world's largest fractional ownership jet aircraft fleet; and The Ohio State University, one of the largest universities in the United States. As of 2013[update], the city has the headquarters of five corporations in the U.S. Fortune 500: Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, American Electric Power, L Brands, Big Lots, and Cardinal Health.[27] The food service corporations Wendy's, Donatos Pizza, Bob Evans, Max & Erma's and White Castle and the nationally known companies Red Roof Inn, Rogue Fitness, and Safelite are also based in the metropolitan area.

In 2016, Money Magazine ranked Columbus as one of "The 6 Best Big Cities", calling it the best in the Midwest, citing a highly educated workforce and excellent wage growth.[28] In 2012, Columbus was ranked in BusinessWeek's 50 best cities in America.[29] In 2013, Forbes gave Columbus an "A" rating as one of the top cities for business in the U.S.,[30] and later that year included the city on its list of Best Places for Business and Careers.[31] Columbus was also ranked as the No. 1 up-and-coming tech city in the nation by Forbes in 2008,[32] and the city was ranked a top-ten city by Relocate America in 2010.[33][34] In 2007, fDi Magazine ranked the city no. 3 in the U.S. for cities of the future,[35] and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium was rated no. 1 in 2009 by USA Travel Guide.[36]
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