Columbus is a
consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. Columbus lies on the
Chattahoochee River directly across from
Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of
Muscogee County
Muscogee County is a county located on the central western border of the U.S. state of Georgia; its western border with the state of Alabama is formed by the Chattahoochee River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 206,922. Its county se ...
, with which it officially merged in 1970.
Columbus is the
second-largest city in Georgia (after
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
), and fields the state's
fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the
2020 census, Columbus had a population of 206,922,
with 328,883 in the
Columbus metropolitan area.
The metro area joins the nearby
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County
, LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham
, area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...
cities of
Auburn and
Opelika to form the
Columbus–Auburn–Opelika Combined Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 486,645 in 2019.
Columbus lies southwest of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Fort Benning, the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
's
Maneuver Center of Excellence and a major employer, is located south of the city in southern Muscogee and
Chattahoochee counties. Columbus is home to museums and tourism sites, including the
National Infantry Museum, dedicated to the U.S. Army's
Infantry Branch. It has the longest urban
whitewater rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
course in the world constructed on the Chattahoochee River.
History
Beginnings
This was for centuries the traditional territory of the
Creek Indians
The Muscogee, also known as the Mvskoke, Muscogee Creek, and the Muscogee Creek Confederacy ( in the Muscogee language), are a group of related indigenous (Native American) peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands[Five Civilized Tribes
The term Five Civilized Tribes was applied by European Americans in the colonial and early federal period in the history of the United States to the five major Native American nations in the Southeast—the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek ...]
of the Southeast after European contact. Those who lived closest to white-occupied areas conducted considerable trading and adopted some European-American ways.
Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the beginning of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River and on the last stretch of the
Federal Road before entering Alabama. The city was named for
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
. The plan for the city was drawn up by Dr. Edwin L. DeGraffenried, who placed the town on a bluff overlooking the river. Across the river to the west, where Phenix City, Alabama, is now located, lived several tribes of the Creek and other Georgia and Alabama indigenous peoples. Most Creeks moved west with the 1826
Treaty of Washington. Those who stayed and made war were forcibly
removed in 1836.
The river served as Columbus's connection to the world, particularly enabling it to ship its commodity cotton crops from the
plantations to the international cotton market via
and ultimately
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a populat ...
, England. The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad. In addition,
textile
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
mills were developed along the river, bringing industry to an area reliant upon agriculture. By 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South, earning it the nickname the
Lowell of the South, referring to an important textile mill town in Massachusetts.
Civil War and Reconstruction
When the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
broke out in 1861, the industries of Columbus expanded their production; this became one of the most important centers of industry in the
Confederacy. During the war, Columbus ranked second to Richmond in the manufacture of supplies for the Confederate army. The Eagle Manufacturing Company made various textiles, especially woolens for Confederate uniforms. The Columbus Iron Works manufactured cannons and machinery for the nearby
Confederate Navy
The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the American ...
shipyard, Greenwood and Gray made firearms, and Louis and Elias Haimon produced swords and bayonets. Smaller firms provided additional munitions and sundries. As the war turned in favor of the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
, each industry faced exponentially growing shortages of raw materials and skilled labor, as well as worsening financial opportunities.
Unaware of
Lee's surrender
The Battle of Appomattox Court House, fought in Appomattox County, Virginia, on the morning of April 9, 1865, was one of the last battles of the American Civil War (1861–1865). It was the final engagement of Confederate General in Chief, Rober ...
to Grant and the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Union and Confederates clashed in the
Battle of Columbus, Georgia
The Battle of Columbus, Georgia (April 16, 1865), was the last conflict in the Union campaign through Alabama and Georgia, known as Wilson's Raid, in the final full month of the American Civil War.
Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson had been ordered ...
, on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, when a Union detachment of two cavalry divisions under Maj. Gen.
James H. Wilson attacked the lightly defended city and burned many of the industrial buildings.
John Stith Pemberton
John Stith Pemberton (July 8, 1831 – August 16, 1888) was an American pharmacist and Confederate States Army veteran who is best known as the inventor of Coca-Cola. In May 1886, he developed an early version of a beverage that would later bec ...
, who later developed
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...
in Columbus, was wounded in this battle. Col.
Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar
Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar (August 1, 1824 – April 16, 1865) was an American businessman from Savannah who invested in the ship ''Wanderer'' to import slaves from Africa in 1858, decades after it was prohibited by law. The ship ran block ...
, owner of the
last slave ship in America, was also killed here. A historic marker erected in Columbus notes that this was the site of the "Last Land Battle in the War from 1861 to 1865".
Reconstruction
Reconstruction may refer to:
Politics, history, and sociology
*Reconstruction (law), the transfer of a company's (or several companies') business to a new company
*'' Perestroika'' (Russian for "reconstruction"), a late 20th century Soviet Unio ...
began almost immediately and prosperity followed. Factories such as the
Eagle and Phenix Mills were revived and the industrialization of the town led to rapid growth, causing the city to outgrow its original plan. The
Springer Opera House was built during this time, attracting such notables as Irish writer
Oscar Wilde. The Springer is now the official State Theater of Georgia.
By the time of the
Spanish–American War
, partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence
, image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, caption = (cloc ...
, the city's modernization included the addition of a new
waterworks
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
, as well as
trolleys extending to outlying neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and Lakebottom. Mayor Lucius Chappell also brought a training camp for soldiers to the area. This training camp, named Camp Benning, grew into present-day
Fort Benning, named for General
Henry L. Benning, a native of the city.
Confederate Memorial Day
In the spring of 1866, the
Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to memorialize the
Confederate dead. The secretary of the association,
Mrs. Charles J. Williams, was directed to write a letter inviting the ladies of every Southern state to join them in the observance.
The letterwas written in March 1866 and sent to representatives of all of the principal cities in the South, including Atlanta,
Macon, Montgomery, Memphis,
Richmond, St. Louis, Alexandria, Columbia, and
. This was the beginning of the influential work by ladies' organizations to honor the war dead.
The date for the holiday was selected by Elizabeth Rutherford Ellis. She chose April 26, the first anniversary of Confederate General
Johnston's final surrender to Union General
Sherman at
Bennett Place
Bennett Place is a former farm and homestead in Durham, North Carolina, which was the site of the last surrender of a major Confederate army in the American Civil War, when Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to William T. Sherman. The first meetin ...
, North Carolina. For many in the South, that act marked the official end of the Civil War.
In 1868, General
John A. Logan, commander in chief of the Union Civil War Veterans Fraternity called the
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...
, launched the
Memorial Day
Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...
holiday that is now observed across the entire United States. General Logan's wife said he had borrowed from practices of Confederate Memorial Day. She wrote that Logan "said it was not too late for the Union men of the nation to follow the example of the people of the South in perpetuating the memory of their friends who had died for the cause they thought just and right."
While two dozen cities across the country claim to have originated the Memorial Day holiday, Bellware and Gardiner firmly establish that the holiday began in Columbus. In ''The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America'', they show that the Columbus Ladies Memorial Association's call to observe a day annually to decorate soldiers' graves inaugurated a movement first in the South and then in the North to honor the soldiers who died during the Civil War.
20th century
With the expansion of the city, leaders established Columbus College, a two-year institution, which later evolved into
Columbus State University, now a comprehensive center of higher learning and part of the
University System of Georgia
The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates gene ...
.
The city government and the county consolidated in 1971, the first such consolidation in Georgia and one of only 16 in the U.S. at the time.
Expanding on its industrial base of textile mills, the city is the home of the headquarters for
Aflac
Aflac Inc. (American Family Life Assurance Company) is an American insurance company and is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Columbus, Georgia. In the U.S., A ...
,
Synovus, and
TSYS.
From the 1960s through the 1980s, the subsidized construction of highways and suburbs resulted in drawing off the middle and upper classes, with
urban blight
Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...
,
white flight
White flight or white exodus is the sudden or gradual large-scale migration of white people from areas becoming more racially or ethnoculturally diverse. Starting in the 1950s and 1960s, the terms became popular in the United States. They refer ...
, and prostitution in much of downtown Columbus and adjacent neighborhoods. Early efforts to halt the gradual deterioration of downtown began with the saving and restoration of the Springer Opera House in 1965. It was designated as the State Theatre of Georgia, helping spark a movement to preserve the city's history. This effort has documented and preserved various historic districts in and around downtown.
Through the late 1960s and early 1970s, large residential neighborhoods were built to accommodate the soldiers coming back from the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
and for those associated with Fort Benning. These range from Wesley Woods to Leesburg to Brittney and Willowbrook and the high-end Sears Woods and Windsor Park. Large tracts of blighted areas were cleaned up. A modern Columbus Consolidated Government Center was constructed in the city center. A significant period of urban renewal and revitalization followed in the mid- to late 1990s.
With these improvements, the city has attracted residents and businesses to formerly blighted areas. Municipal projects have included construction of a softball complex, which hosted the
1996 Olympic softball competition; the
Chattahoochee RiverWalk; the
National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus; and the Coca-Cola Space Science Center. Other notable projects were the expansion of the
Columbus Museum and road improvements to include a new downtown bridge crossing the Chattahoochee River and into Phenix City. During the late 1990s, commercial activity expanded north of downtown along the
I-185 corridor.
21st century
During the 2000s, the city began a major initiative to revitalize the downtown area. The project began with the South Commons, an area south of downtown containing the softball complex,
A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium
A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium is a 15,000-seat sports stadium located in Columbus, Georgia. It was the site of football games between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers from 1916 until 1958 (the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
The Aubu ...
,
Golden Park
Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1951. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it is currently home to the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots as of 2021 . The exterior of the ...
, the
Columbus Civic Center
Columbus Civic Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Georgia, built in 1996.
History
The arena was built in 1996, along with a Softball Complex, to fully complete South Commons (an area consisting of a baseball and football s ...
, and the Jonathan Hatcher Skateboard Park. The
National Infantry Museum was constructed in
South Columbus, located outside the Fort Benning main gate.
In 2002, Columbus State University, which previously faced expansion limits due to existing residential and commercial districts surrounding it, began a second campus downtown, starting by moving the music department into the newly-opened
RiverCenter for the Performing Arts
The RiverCenter for the Performing Arts is a modern performance space in Downtown Columbus, Georgia, United States.
Introduction
The center first opened in 2002 with the completion of Studio Theatre, a flexible black-box style experimental theatre ...
. The university's art, drama, and nursing departments also moved to downtown locations. Such initiatives have provided Columbus with a cultural niche; downtown features modern architecture mixed among older brick facades.
The Ready to Raft 2012 project created an estimated 700 new jobs and is projected to bring in $42 million annually to the Columbus area. Demolishing an up-river dam allowed the project to construct the longest urban
whitewater rafting
Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...
course in the world. According to the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, this initiative, in addition to other outdoor and indoor tourist attractions, led to around 1.8 million visitors coming to Columbus during the city's 2015
fiscal year
A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
.
The city predicts that an additional 30,000 soldiers will be trained annually at Fort Benning in upcoming years due to
base realignment and closure
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end ...
of other facilities. As a result, Columbus is expected to experience a major population increase.
Geography
Columbus is one of Georgia's three
Fall Line Cities, along with
Augusta and
Macon. The
Fall Line
A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...
is where the hilly lands of the
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
plateau
In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...
meet the flat terrain of the
coastal plain
A coastal plain is flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and a piedmont area. Some of the largest coastal plains are in Alaska and the southeastern United States. The Gulf Co ...
. As such, Columbus has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The
fall line
A fall line (or fall zone) is the area where an upland region and a coastal plain meet and is typically prominent where rivers cross it, with resulting rapids or waterfalls. The uplands are relatively hard crystalline basement rock, and the coa ...
causes rivers in the area to decline rapidly towards sea level. Textile mills were established here in the 19th and early 20th centuries to take advantage of the water power from the falls.
Interstate 185 runs north-south through the middle of the city, with nine exits within Muscogee County. I-185 runs north about from its beginning to a junction with
I-85 just east of
LaGrange and about southwest of Atlanta.
U.S. Route 27,
U.S. Route 280, and
Georgia State Route 520
State Route 520 (SR 520), also known as the South Georgia Parkway, is a state highway in the southern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. It travels from the Alabama state line, at the Chattahoochee River, on the Phenix City, Alabama� ...
(known as South Georgia Parkway) all meet in the interior of the city.
U.S. Route 80 runs through the northern part of the city, locally known as J.R. Allen Parkway;
Alternate U.S. Route 27 and
Georgia State Route 85 run northeast from the city, locally known as Manchester Expressway.
The city is located at .
According to the
US Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the city has a total area of , of which are land and (2.14%) are covered by water.
Climate
Columbus has a
humid subtropical climate (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Cfa''). Daytime summer temperatures often reach highs in the mid-90°Fs, and low temperatures in the winter average in the upper 30s. Columbus is often considered a dividing line or "natural snowline" of the southeastern United States with areas north of the city receiving snowfall annually, with areas to the south typically not receiving snowfall every year or at all. Columbus is within USDA
hardiness zone 8b in the city center and zone 8a in the suburbs.
Cityscape
Columbus is divided into five geographic areas:
*
Downtown, also sometimes called "Uptown" (though "Uptown" is actually the title given to both a nonprofit organization operating to encourage area growth and development or "urban renewal" in the city and also to the actual physical area of that development itself, which is an expanding subsection of the downtown district located in the areas from Broadway to the Chattahoochee River) is the city's
central business district, and home to multiple historic districts, homes, and churches, such as the
Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District
The Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District encompasses one of the most significant assemblages of 19th-century waterpowered mill technology in the American South. A National Historic Landmark District, it includes five historic indust ...
, the
Mott House, and the
Church of the Holy Family.
*
East Columbus is a predominantly residential area located east of MidTown.
*
MidTown is a residential and commercial area located directly east of Downtown; several historic districts have been designated. It is the location of the corporate headquarters of
Aflac
Aflac Inc. (American Family Life Assurance Company) is an American insurance company and is the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States. The company was founded in 1955 and is based in Columbus, Georgia. In the U.S., A ...
.
*
North Columbus, also called Northside, is a diverse suburban area, home to established neighborhoods and
subdivisions, such as
Green Island Hills and Oldtown. It has multiple shopping and lifestyle areas.
*
South Columbus is situated just south of the MidTown region, and directly north of Fort Benning. It is the site of the National Infantry Museum, honoring the history of infantry forces in the U.S. Army. The museum was located here in an effort to introduce jobs and attract visitors to stimulate a variety of activities. It has had bars, honky tonks, and other businesses that appeal to young male soldiers from Fort Benning.
Surrounding cities and towns
The
Columbus Metropolitan Area includes four counties in Georgia, and one in Alabama. The
Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area includes two additional counties in Alabama. A 2013 Census estimate showed 316,554 in the metro area, with 501,649 in the combined statistical area.
Demographics
2020 census
At the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city.
2010 census
At the 2010 U.S.
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
, Columbus had a total population of 189,885, up from 186,291 in the 2000 Census. The 2010 Census reported 189,885 people, 72,124 households, and 47,686 families residing in the city. The population density was . The 82,690 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 46.3% White, 45.5% African American, 2.2% Asian, 0.2% Native American, 0.14% Pacific Islander, and 1.90% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.4% of the population.
Of the 69,819 households, 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.7% were married couples living together, 19.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.7% were notfamilies; 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the city, the population was distributed as 25.6% under the age of 18, 11.9% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $41,331, and for a family was 41,244. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $22,514. About 12.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.
Religion
Columbus has roughly 200
Christian church
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* C ...
es, with the
Southern Baptist Convention being the largest
denomination by number of churches. Columbus is also home to three
Kingdom Hall
A Kingdom Hall is a place of worship used by Jehovah's Witnesses. The term was first suggested in 1935 by Joseph Franklin Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, for a building in Hawaii. Rutherford's reasoning was that these bui ...
s for
Jehovah's Witness
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The group reports a worldwide membership of approximately 8.7 million adherents involved in ...
es, and one Greek Orthodox Church. Other religions are represented by two
synagogues, two
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and ...
churches, three
mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
s, a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
temple (the latter two reflecting an increasing number of immigrants in the region from Asia), and a
Unitarian Universalist
Unitarian or Unitarianism may refer to:
Christian and Christian-derived theologies
A Unitarian is a follower of, or a member of an organisation that follows, any of several theologies referred to as Unitarianism:
* Unitarianism (1565–present) ...
congregation.
Economy
Companies headquartered in Columbus include Aflac, TSYS,
Realtree,
Synovus, and the
W. C. Bradley Co.
Top employers
According to Columbus' 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Arts and culture
Points of interest
Museums
* Founded in 1953, the
Columbus Museum (accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, p ...
) contains artifacts of regional history and works of American art. It mounts displays from its permanent collection, as well as temporary exhibitions. It is the largest art and history museum in Georgia.
* Moved from its previous location in Lumpkin, Columbus is now home to Historic Westville. With 17 buildings currently on site and interpreters throughout the village (such as a blacksmith and carpenter), guests can to go on self-guided tours learning about the homes and crafts of the 19th century.
* The
National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus is a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) facility that opened in 1962. It features two original Civil War military vessels, uniforms, equipment, and weapons used by the
Union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and
Confederate navies.
* The Coca-Cola Space Science Center opened in 1996 for the purpose of public education in
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
,
physics
Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
, and
astronomy
Astronomy () is a natural science that studies celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and evolution. Objects of interest include planets, moons, stars, nebulae, g ...
. It includes four flight simulators and a
planetarium.
*
The National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center opened in June 2009, and includes displays related to the history of the infantry from the founding of the nation to the present. Its
IMAX theatre shows related films and special productions.
* The Bo Bartlett Center is a 18,000+ square foot museum and gallery space. The venue features a permanent display of large-scale paintings by Columbus native Bo Bartlett, as well as rotating exhibitions by renowned contemporary artists.
* The W.C. Bradley Museum is an 11,000 square foot art museum that features the art collection of the W.C. Bradley Company. Notable artists in the collection include
Bo Bartlett and Garry Pound.
Shopping
Columbus is served by one major indoor
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
,
Peachtree Mall
Peachtree Mall is a shopping mall in Columbus, Georgia. After the closing and demolition of Columbus Square Mall in the early 2000s, Peachtree Mall is the only enclosed shopping center in the city. Peachtree Mall is one of two major shopping areas ...
, which is anchored by major department stores
Dillard's,
Macy's
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
, and
J.C. Penney. The total retail floor area is 821,000 f
2t (76,300 m
2). Major
strip mall
A strip mall, strip center or strip plaza is a type of shopping center common in North America where the stores are arranged in a row, with a sidewalk in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a unit and have large parking lots in front. ...
s include
Columbus Park Crossing, which opened in 2003, and The Landings, which opened in 2005. Columbus is also served by The Shoppes at Bradley Park, a
lifestyle center
A lifestyle center (American English), or lifestyle centre (Commonwealth English), is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented toward ...
.
MidTown contains two of the city's early suburban shopping centers (the Village on 13th and St. Elmo), both recently renovated and offering local shops, restaurants, and services.
Major venues
Major venues in the city of Columbus:
*
A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium
A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium is a 15,000-seat sports stadium located in Columbus, Georgia. It was the site of football games between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers from 1916 until 1958 (the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
The Aubu ...
, a football stadium, was the site of the football games between the
Georgia Bulldogs and the
Auburn Tigers
The Auburn Tigers are the athletic teams representing Auburn University, a public four-year coeducational university located in Auburn, Alabama, United States. The Auburn Tigers compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
(the
Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
The Auburn–Georgia football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs.
The two teams first played each other in 1892, and the rivalry has been renewed annually since 1944 for a total of 126 ga ...
) from 1916 to 1958. It became the home of college football's
Pioneer Bowl in December 2010, and hosts annual rivalry games between
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (Tuskegee or TU), formerly known as the Tuskegee Institute, is a private, historically black land-grant university in Tuskegee, Alabama. It was founded on Independence Day in 1881 by the state legislature.
The campus was de ...
and
Morehouse College, as well as between
Albany State University
Albany State University is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia (USG). Albany State U ...
and
Fort Valley State University
}
Fort Valley State University (FVSU, formerly Fort Valley State College and Fort Valley Normal and Industrial School) is a public land-grant historically black university in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and ...
.
*The Bradley Theater, a performance theatre, was opened in mid-1940 by
Paramount Pictures.
*
Columbus Civic Center
Columbus Civic Center is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Columbus, Georgia, built in 1996.
History
The arena was built in 1996, along with a Softball Complex, to fully complete South Commons (an area consisting of a baseball and football s ...
, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, opened in 1996. It is the primary arena used for concert and professional sporting events in Columbus. The
Columbus Lions
The Columbus Lions are a professional indoor football team based in Columbus, Georgia and are a member of the American Indoor Football Alliance. The were a founding member of the National Arena League (NAL) for the 2017 season. The Lions were ...
indoor football team and
Columbus River Dragons
The Columbus River Dragons are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Georgia. The team is a member of the Federal Prospects Hockey League and plays at the Columbus Civic Center.
History
In 2017, the Columbus Cottonmouths, a longtime ...
ice hockey team both call the Civic Center home.
*
Golden Park
Golden Park is a 5,000-seat baseball stadium in Columbus, Georgia, United States, that opened in 1951. Located on the Chattahoochee River in Downtown Columbus, it is currently home to the Columbus Chatt-a-Hoots as of 2021 . The exterior of the ...
, a 5,000 seat baseball stadium, was the former home to the
Columbus Catfish
The Columbus Catfish were a minor league baseball team in Columbus, Georgia. They were a Class A team in the South Atlantic League, and were an affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The Catfish relocated to Bowling Green, ...
and the minor-league Columbus Redstixx, and as of June 2021, is the host stadium of the
Columbus Chatt-A-Hoots. It was also the site of the softball events of the 1996 Summer Olympics. It opened in 1926, making it the oldest baseball park in the city.
* RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, a 2,000-seat modern performance theatre, first opened in 2002 and is operated by the Columbus nonprofit organization RiverCenter Inc. It is commonly used for local events, and occasionally used for nationally recognized performances.
* Springer Opera House, a historic live performance theater located in downtown, opened in early 1871. Former United States President
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...
proclaimed it the State Theatre of Georgia for the 1971–72 season. The legislature made the designation permanent in 1992.
Historic districts
Columbus is home to nine historic districts, all listed in the
. They are:
*
Bibb City Historic District
*
Columbus Historic District
*
Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District
The Columbus Historic Riverfront Industrial District encompasses one of the most significant assemblages of 19th-century waterpowered mill technology in the American South. A National Historic Landmark District, it includes five historic indust ...
*
Dinglewood Historic District
*
Peacock Woods-Dimon Circle Historic District
*
Weracoba-St. Elmo Historic District
*
Wynn's Hill-Overlook-Oak Circle Historic District
*
Wynnton Village Historic District
*
Waverly Terrace Historic District
Sports
Parks and recreation
Columbus is home to upwards of 50 parks, four recreation centers, four senior centers and parks, and
Standing Boy Creek Wildlife Management Area.
Walking trails
*The
Chattahoochee RiverWalk is a walking/bike trail that connects users from Downtown to South Columbus and the northern section of Fort Benning.
*The Columbus Fall Line Trace is an fitness trail that runs from Downtown to the northeastern section of the city.
*The
Black Heritage Trail is a
National Recreation Trail of historic and cultural significance.
Whitewater kayaking, rafting, and zip-line
The Chattahoochee River whitewater opened in 2012. After both the
Eagle & Phenix Dam
The Eagle and Phenix Dam was a stone dam on the Chattahoochee River, in downtown Columbus, Georgia. The dam was built in 1882 to power the Eagle and Phenix Textile Mill. It was located just south of the 13th Street Bridge connecting Columbus to Ph ...
and the City Mills Dams were breached, river flow was restored to natural conditions, allowing the course to be created. The course is the longest urban whitewater rafting and kayaking in the world, and has been ranked the world's best manmade whitewater course by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
''. It also features the Blue Heron Adventure, a
zip-line
A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bo ...
course connecting users from the Georgia side of the river to the Alabama side on an interstate zip-line over the Chattahoochee River. The course continues with several zip-lines and a ropes course on the Alabama side and completes with another zip-line back to Georgia.
It has become a hub for whitewater kayakers, with outstanding standing waves year-round. In mid-winter it is referred to as the "Wintering Grounds" for big wave surfing athletes and enthusiasts.
Law and government
Elected officials
Mayor
* B. H. "Skip" Henderson III
City Council
The
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...
of Columbus, known as the Columbus Council, is composed of ten elected council members, eight of whom serve individual districts and two of whom serve the city at large.
Education
Primary and secondary education
The
Muscogee County School District
The Muscogee County School District (MCSD) is the County (United States), county government agency which operates the Public school (government funded), public schools in Muscogee County, Georgia.
The district serves as the designated school dis ...
holds preschool to grade 12, and consists of 35 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and nine high schools. The district has over 2,000 full-time teachers and over 31,899 students.
Libraries
Columbus is served by four branches of the
Chattahoochee Valley Libraries:
*Columbus Public Library
*Mildred L. Terry Public Library
*North Columbus Public Library
*South Columbus Public Library
Higher education
Public
*
Columbus State University
*
Columbus Technical College
Columbus Technical College (commonly called Columbus Tech) is a two-year technical college located in Columbus, Georgia, United States. It is governed by Technical College System of Georgia
The Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), for ...
*
Georgia Military College
Georgia Military College (GMC) is a public military junior college in Milledgeville, Georgia. It is divided into the junior college, a military junior college program, high school, middle school, and elementary school. It was originally known as M ...
– main campus in
Milledgeville, Georgia
Private, for profit
*Christian Life School of Theology
*
Miller-Motte Technical College – main campus in
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States.
With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...
*Rivertown School of Beauty
*Southeastern Beauty School
*
Strayer University – main campus in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
Private, nonprofit
*
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Fort Benning – main campus in
Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a coastal resort-city in east-central Florida. Located on the eastern edge of Volusia County near the Atlantic coastline, its population was 72,647 at the 2020 census. Daytona Beach is approximately nort ...
*
Mercer University School of Medicine
Mercer University School of Medicine (MUSM) is the graduate medical school of Mercer University and a component of the Mercer University Health Sciences Center. It was founded in 1982 in Macon, Georgia, United States, and in 2008 opened a secon ...
- main campus in
Macon, Georgia
Media and communications
Infrastructure
Transportation
Airport
The
Columbus Airport is the metro area's primary airport and the fourth-busiest airport in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. It is located just off I-185, exit 8. It is served by
Endeavor Air’s Delta Connection
Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...
service, offering several daily flights to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
.
Highways
*
Interstate 185
U.S. Routes
*
U.S. Route 27
*
U.S. Route 27 Alternate
*
U.S. Route 80
*
U.S. Route 280
Georgia state routes
*
S.R. 1
*
S.R. 22
*
State Route 22 Connector
*
State Route 22 Spur
*
S.R. 85
*
S.R. 219
*
S.R. 411 (unsigned designation for I-185)
*
S.R. 520
*
S.R. 540 (Fall Line Freeway)
Public transit
*
METRA Transit System is the primary provider of
mass transportation
Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...
in Muscogee County, currently operating 10 routes in Columbus. The current public transportation services are operated as a function of the Columbus Consolidated Government under METRA.
*
Greyhound Lines provides
intercity bus service with the Columbus station located on Veterans Parkway,
Downtown Columbus.
Through the 1960s, passenger trains of the
Central of Georgia Railway made stops at
Columbus Union Station, including the north-south
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
-
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
trains, the
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also c ...
's ''
City of Miami'', and ''
Seminole
The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...
.'' Other trains included local Central of Georgia trains to
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
,
Albany and
Macon. The final trains in 1971 were the ''City of Miami'' and the ''Man O' War'' to Atlanta.
Sister cities
Columbus has these official
sister cities
A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties.
While there are early examples of inter ...
:
*
Zugdidi
Zugdidi ( ka, ზუგდიდი; xmf, ზუგდიდი or ზუგიდი) is a city in the western Georgian historical province of Samegrelo (Mingrelia). It is situated in the north-west of that province. The city is located 318 kil ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
(country)
*
Kiryū,
Gunma
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,362 km2 (2,456 sq mi). Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima P ...
, Japan
*
Bistriţa, Romania
*
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of Ta ...
, Taiwan
See also
*
List of people from Columbus, Georgia
*
List of neighborhoods in Columbus, Georgia
*
List of mayors of Columbus, Georgia
{{Elections in Georgia (U.S. state)
This is a list of mayors and intendants of the city of Columbus, Georgia since its founding in 1828.
__NOTOC__
Intendants
* Ulysess S. Lewis (1828)
* James Van Ness (1829)
* Sowell Woolfork (1830)
* Samuel La ...
*
List of schools in Muscogee County, Georgia
*
Metro Columbus
*
Shannon Hosiery Mill
*
List of U.S. cities with large Black populations
References
Further reading
''Our Town: An Introduction to the History of Columbus, Georgia''by Roger Harris, 1992, Historic Columbus Foundation
''Columbus, Georgia (Black America Series)''by Judith Grant, 1999,
Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
''Columbus Celebrates The Millennium: An International Quest (The American Enterprise Series)''by Pamela Baker and Delane Chappell, 1999, Community Communications Inc.
''Yankee Blitzkrieg: Wilson's Raid Through Alabama and Georgia''by James Pickett Jones, 2000,
University Press of Kentucky
The University Press of Kentucky (UPK) is the scholarly publisher for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and was organized in 1969 as successor to the University of Kentucky Press. The university had sponsored scholarly publication since 1943. In 194 ...
''Columbus, Georgia in Vintage Postcards (GA) (Postcard History Series)''by Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr., 2001,
Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
*Enriching Lives: A History of Columbus State University, by Reagan L. Grimsley, 2008. Donning Publishing.
''Historic Linwood Cemetery (Images of America: Georgia)''by Linda J. Kennedy, 2004,
Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
''Hell's Broke Loose in Georgia: Survival in a Civil War Regiment''by Scott Walker, 2007,
University of Georgia Press
The University of Georgia Press or UGA Press is the university press of the University of Georgia, a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia. It is the oldest and largest publishing house in Georgia and a ...
''Lower Chattahoochee River (GA) (Images of America)''by The Columbus Museum, 2007,
Arcadia Publishing
Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...
''Columbus, Georgia, 1865: The Last True Battle of the Civil War,''by Charles A. Misulia, 2010,
University of Alabama Press
The University of Alabama Press is a university press founded in 1945 and is the scholarly publishing arm of the University of Alabama. An editorial board composed of representatives from all doctoral degree granting public universities within ...
Bibliography
External links
Official homepageColumbus Georgia Consolidated GovernmentColumbus(entry in the New Georgia Encyclopedia)
*
*
{{Authority control
Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)
Cities in Muscogee County, Georgia
County seats in Georgia (U.S. state)
Populated places established in 1828
Columbus metropolitan area, Georgia
Consolidated city-counties
Georgia populated places on the Chattahoochee River
1828 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)