Columbus, Georgia | |
|---|---|
Downtown skyline on the banks of the Chattahoochee River Ledger-Enquirer Building The Liberty Theatre Central of Georgia Railroad Terminal | |
 Flag  Seal  Logo | |
| Nicknames: The Fountain City or The Lowell of the South | |
| Motto: "We Do Amazing" | |
 Location within Georgia | |
  Columbus Location within the state of Georgia  Columbus Location within the USA | |
| Coordinates: 32°29′32″N 84°56′25″W / 32.49222°N 84.94028°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Georgia |
| County | Muscogee |
| Founded | 1828 |
| Named for | Christopher Columbus |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | B. H. "Skip" Henderson III |
| • City Manager | Isaiah Hugley |
| Area | |
| 221.01 sq mi (572.42 km2) | |
| • Land | 216.50 sq mi (560.73 km2) |
| • Water | 4.51 sq mi (11.68 km2) |
| Elevation | 243 ft (74 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| 206,922 | |
| • Rank | 112th in the United States 2nd in Georgia |
| • Density | 955.76/sq mi (369.02/km2) |
| • Urban | 267,746 (US: 153rd)[2] |
| • Urban density | 1,874.2/sq mi (723.6/km2) |
| • Metro | 328,883 (US: 157th) |
| Demonym | Columbusite |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 31820, 31829, 31900–09, 31914, 31917, 31993–94, 31997–99 |
| Area code(s) | 706, 762 |
| FIPS code | 13-19007 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0331158[4] |
| Airport | Columbus Airport (CSG) |
| Website | columbusga.gov |
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970; the original merger excluded Bibb City, which joined in 2000 after dissolving its own city charter.[5]
Columbus is the second most populous city in Georgia (after Atlanta), and fields the state's fourth-largest metropolitan area. At the 2020 U.S. census, Columbus had a population of 206,922,[6] with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan statistical area.[3] The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form the Columbus–Auburn–Opelika combined statistical area, which had a population of 563,967 in 2020.[7]
Columbus lies 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Atlanta. Fort Moore, formerly Fort Benning, the United States Army'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 course in the world constructed on the Chattahoochee River.
- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 18, 2021.
- ^ "List of 2020 Census Urban Areas". census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- ^ a b "2020 Population and Housing State Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "QuickFacts: Columbus city, Georgia". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
- ^ "Columbus–Auburn–Opelika, GA–AL CSA: Total Population". United States Census Bureau. United States Office of Management and Budget. Retrieved August 25, 2021.