BigDaddyData.Com: Ohio Columbus

    Columbus (Ohio), largest city in Ohio, capital of the state and seat of Franklin County. While most of Ohio's major urban centers were decreasing in population in the 1980s and early 1990s, Columbus was posting growth, in part due to its healthy mixed economy. The city is distinguished by its concentration of businesses engaged in information processing, and Columbus is home to The Ohio State University.

    Columbus is situated near the geographical center of Ohio at the junction of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers. The city lies on the rolling Central Lowland of the eastern Midwest at an elevation of 227 m (744 ft). Columbus has four distinct seasons. Winter and spring weather is influenced by cold air masses from Canada, and summer and fall weather by warm air from the south. The average high temperature in January is 1° C (34° F) and the average low is -8° C (19° F); average high in July is 29° C (84° F) and the average low is 17° C (63° F). Annual precipitation averages 967 mm (about 38.1 in); driest months are January through March.

    Columbus was named in honor of explorer Christopher Columbus at the time state legislators voted to create the city as the state capital.
The city of Columbus spreads over a land area of 494.4 sq km (190.9 sq mi). Its large size relative to many American cities is mostly a result of a long-standing and aggressive policy of annexing surrounding vacant or agricultural land. The city then extends water and sewage lines into the new area so that the land can be developed, thereby encouraging urban growth. The region's relatively flat topography aids the expansion.

    Columbus is at the core of a six-county metropolitan region, encompassing Franklin, Licking, Fairfield, Delaware, Pickaway, and Madison counties and covering a land area of 8138 sq km (3142 sq mi). Important suburban communities include Upper Arlington, Worthington, Delaware, Westerville, Gahanna, and Whitehall.

    A network of interstate highways encircles the city and radiates from its center, encouraging movement between Columbus and its suburban communities. The downtown area, where both state government and commercial activities vie for primacy, lies in the southern part of the city. The center of the downtown is the intersection of Broad and High streets; in a park at the intersection stands the Doric-columned statehouse. Immediately to the south lies German Village, a privately funded historic restoration district. This area of several blocks is organized around Shiller Park and has small, red brick houses that date mostly from the 1840s. At one time in a deteriorated condition, German Village today is a revitalized neighborhood of gentrified residences, German restaurants and bakeries, and a few boutiques. Its proximity to downtown allows many of its primarily young-to-middle-aged residents to walk to work.

    North of downtown about 5 km (about 3 mi) is the campus of The Ohio State University, whose more than 50,000 students make it the largest educational institution in Ohio. Along High Street between downtown and the Ohio State campus is Short North, a trendy neighborhood of shops, galleries, restaurants, and markets.