Columbus metropolitan area, Ohio facts for kids

The Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area is a large region in Ohio, United States. It includes the main city of Columbus and many surrounding counties. These counties are Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Hocking, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway, and Union.

In 2017, about 2,078,725 people lived here. This makes it the 32nd largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and the second largest in Ohio. The area is also known as Central Ohio or Greater Columbus. It is a big part of the Great Lakes Megalopolis, which is home to about 59 million people.

A larger area, called the Columbus–Marion–Zanesville, Ohio, combined statistical area, includes even more counties. These are Fayette, Guernsey, Knox, Logan, Marion, Muskingum, and Ross. This larger area also includes smaller city areas like Bellefontaine and Chillicothe. In 2016, this combined area had about 2,508,498 people. It was the 24th largest in the nation.

Getting Around Columbus: Transportation

Columbus has many pedestrian skywalks linking downtown buildings.

How Streets and Addresses Work

Columbus has a special way its streets are set up. It starts downtown where High Street (running north-south) and Broad Street (running east-west) cross. Streets mostly follow a grid pattern. North-south streets run a bit west of true north. Avenues, like Fifth Avenue, run east-west.

The address numbers start at Broad and High streets. Numbers get bigger the further you go from these two main streets. For example, 351 W 5th Avenue is about half a mile west of High Street. This system helps people find places easily. However, this system doesn't cover the entire metro area.

Major Roads and Highways

Two big Interstate Highways cross through Columbus. Interstate 70 goes east-west, and Interstate 71 goes north-south. These two highways join up downtown for about 1.5 miles. This spot is called "The Split" and can get very busy during rush hour.

Other important roads include U.S. Route 40, also known as the National Road. It runs east-west through the city. U.S. Route 23 goes north-south, and U.S. Route 33 runs northwest to southeast. An outer highway, Interstate 270, goes around most of the city. Because Columbus is in the middle of Ohio, most places in the state are only a 2 or 3-hour drive away.

The Lane Avenue Bridge in the University District.

Cool Bridges in Columbus

Columbus has some cool bridges over its rivers. The Main Street Bridge opened in 2010. It's special because it was the first of its kind in North America. It has lanes for cars and a separate path for people and bikes. The Rich Street Bridge opened in 2012, right next to the Main Street Bridge. The Lane Avenue Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge that opened in 2003. It crosses the Olentangy River.

Airports in the Area

The main airport for the Columbus area is John Glenn Columbus International Airport. It's on the east side of Columbus. You can fly from here to places like Toronto, Canada, and even Cancun, Mexico (at certain times of the year). It also has flights to most major cities in the U.S.

Another important airport is Rickenbacker International Airport. It's in southern Franklin County and is mainly used for cargo. It also serves the Ohio Air National Guard. You can find some passenger flights from Rickenbacker to places in Florida.

Smaller airports like Ohio State University Don Scott Airport and Bolton Field are used for general aviation.

Buses and Trains

Columbus has a bus service called the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA). It helps people get around the city. For longer trips between cities, you can use bus services like Greyhound.

Right now, Columbus doesn't have passenger train service. It used to have a big train station called Union Station downtown. But that station was taken down in 1979. The Greater Columbus Convention Center is there now. Columbus is the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. without a local or intercity train connection. However, there are plans to bring passenger rail service back to Columbus in the future.

Biking in Columbus

Biking is becoming more popular in Columbus. The city is pretty flat, and there are many bike paths. The city has a plan called the "2012 Bicentennial Bikeways Plan" to make biking even better. Groups like Bike To Work Week help encourage people to ride bikes.

There are also fun biking events like "alleycat" races and group rides. The new Main Street Bridge and Rich Street Bridge even have special lanes just for bikes and walkers. Columbus also has its own public bike-sharing system called CoGo Bike Share. You can rent one of their 600 bikes from 80 different stations around the city.

Fun Things to Do: Culture

Museums to Explore

Columbus has many museums for you to visit!

• If you love science, check out COSI. It has cool exhibits, shows, and IMAX movies.
• The Columbus Museum of Art has a great collection of art and special exhibits.
• For those who like stars, Perkins Observatory near Delaware offers public programs.
• The Ohio Railway Museum in Worthington has old trains you can see.
• The Early Television Museum in Hilliard has a unique collection of old TVs from the 1920s to 1940s.
• Fans of Bruce Lee might like the Bruce Lee Legends of Martial Art Hall of Fame Museum in Reynoldsburg.
• The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington is for those interested in classic motorcycles.
• The Mid-Ohio Historical Museum in Canal Winchester has thousands of antique toys and a miniature circus.
• For military history, visit the Motts Military Museum in Groveport.

Performing Arts and Music

Columbus is home to many famous performing arts groups. These include Opera Columbus, BalletMet, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. In the summer, the Actors' Theatre performs free Shakespearean plays outdoors in German Village.

There are also many large places to see concerts in Columbus:

• Nationwide Arena
• Value City Arena
• Historic Crew Stadium
• The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (the LC)
• Veterans Memorial auditorium
• The Newport Music Hall

The historic Lincoln Theatre and the King Arts Complex host cultural events. Downtown, you can find beautiful theaters like the Palace Theatre, the Ohio Theatre, and the Southern Theatre. Many of these places were built or updated after 1990.

Fairs and Festivals

The Greater Columbus area hosts many fun events throughout the year:

• The Ohio State Fair is one of the biggest state fairs in the U.S.
• The Little Brown Jug is a famous horse race in Delaware.
• Comfest (The Community Festival) is a large free music and arts festival in Goodale Park. It happens every June.
• Dublin hosts the Dublin Irish Festival each year. It has Irish food, music, and dance.
• Upper Arlington has its own arts festival on Labor Day.
• The Franklin County Fair is held annually in Hilliard.
• The Columbus Arts Festival is a huge summer event. It brings artists from all over the country. It also has music, kids' activities, and food.
• Columbus also hosts a Latino Festival, Jazz & Rib Festival, International Festival, Asian Festival, and a big Fourth of July party called Red, White & Boom.
• In Lancaster, the Lancaster Festival is a 10-day music and arts celebration.
• Circleville is home to the annual Circleville Pumpkin Show. It's Ohio's largest festival, drawing 100,000 people daily.

Parks and Outdoor Fun

Columbus has many city parks. The Columbus Metro Parks also manage 14 large parks. These parks help protect nature. There are also State Parks nearby with unique features. These include Hocking Hills State Park and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. The Hocking Hills area is great for seeing colorful leaves in the fall. The Parks and Recreation department in Westerville has won national awards for its parks.

Cities and Towns in the Area

The Columbus metropolitan area includes many cities, villages, and communities. Here are some of the main ones:

• Cities: Columbus, Delaware, Dublin, Gahanna, Lancaster, London, Marysville, Newark, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Circleville, Marion, Zanesville, Chillicothe, New Lexington.
• Villages: Ashley, Galena, Sunbury, Amanda, Baltimore, Bremen, Buckeye Lake, Carroll, Lithopolis, Millersport, Pleasantville, Rushville, Stoutsville, Sugar Grove, Thurston, West Rushville, Brice, Harrisburg, Lockbourne, Marble Cliff, Minerva Park, Obetz, Riverlea, Urbancrest, Valleyview, Mount Gilead, Corning, Crooksville, Glenford, Hemlock, Junction City, New Straitsville, Rendville, Roseville, Shawnee, Somerset, Thornville, Ashville, Commercial Point, Darbyville, Orient, South Bloomfield, Tarlton, Williamsport, Magnetic Springs, Milford Center, Richwood, Unionville Center.

Columbus Economy: Jobs and Businesses

The biggest employer in Central Ohio is the government. The State of Ohio, Ohio State University, and the U.S. Government employ many people. When you add in local schools and city jobs, it's about 80,000 employees.

The financial industry is the second largest job sector. JPMorgan Chase and Nationwide Insurance are big employers here. Other banks like Huntington Bank, KeyBank, and PNC Financial Services also have a strong presence.

Manufacturing is important too. Honda has its largest North American factory near Marysville. Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, which makes plant food, is also in Marysville. Intel is building a huge computer chip factory in New Albany, set to open in 2025. AEP, a big electric company, is in downtown Columbus.

In retail, L Brands is a major clothing company. It owns brands like Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works. Other retail companies like Abercrombie & Fitch and DSW are also based here.

Columbus is also home to several well-known food companies. Wendy's has its main office in Dublin. White Castle and Sbarro are based in Columbus. Many other restaurant chains like Charley's Grilled Subs and Donatos Pizza started here.

In healthcare, Cardinal Health is a very large company based in Dublin. OhioHealth is also a big healthcare provider.

The tech industry is growing in Central Ohio. The Online Computer Library Center (which owns the Dewey Decimal System) is here. Microcenter, a computer store, started in Upper Arlington. Science companies like Chemical Abstracts and Battelle Memorial Institute are also in Columbus.

Columbus also has a strong startup scene. There are many resources to help new businesses grow.

Sports in Columbus

Historic Crew Stadium, the first soccer-specific stadium in the U.S., and former home of Columbus Crew SC

Columbus is home to a major professional sports team. The Columbus Blue Jackets play Ice hockey in the NHL at Nationwide Arena. The city also has a professional soccer team, the Columbus Crew, who play at Lower.com Field.

There are also minor league teams. The Columbus Clippers are a Baseball team that plays at Huntington Park. They are part of the Cleveland Indians organization.

College Sports

The Ohio State Buckeyes are very popular in Columbus. People love watching their football and men's basketball games. Other OSU sports, like baseball and women's basketball, also have many fans.

Other Sports Fun

Since 1976, Dublin has hosted the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village golf course. This course was designed by famous golfer Jack Nicklaus.

For those who like to play sports, Columbus has about 300 golf courses. This is one of the highest numbers of golf courses per person for a big city! There are also many bike trails, which are part of the statewide Ohio to Erie Trail. You can go Skiing at Mad River Mountain or Snow Trails. Baseball and softball leagues play at Berliner Park. The Columbus Marathon and Race for the Cure 5K events happen every year downtown.

Columbus also hosts the high school rugby state championships.

Learning and Education

The Columbus area has many schools for kids from kindergarten to 12th grade. Some school districts are small and rural, while others are large and urban.

There are also many colleges and universities in the area. The biggest one is Ohio State University in Columbus. Other well-known schools include:

• Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware
• Denison University in Granville
• Kenyon College in Gambier
• Otterbein University in Westerville
• Capital University in Bexley
• Franklin University
• Columbus State Community College
• Ohio Dominican University
• Columbus College of Art & Design

See also

In Spanish: Área metropolitana de Columbus (Ohio) para niños