Columbus, Georgia

Columbus, Georgia
Consolidated city-county
City of Columbus


Seal
Nickname(s): The Fountain City or The Lowell of the South
Motto: What Progress Has Preserved

Location in Muscogee County and the state of Georgia
Coordinates: 32°29′32″N 84°56′25″W / 32.49222°N 84.94028°WCoordinates: 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 Teresa Tomlinson
Area
  Total 220.8 sq mi (572 km2)
  Land 216.1 sq mi (592.1 km2)
  Water 4.7 sq mi (12.3 km2)
Elevation 243 ft (74 m)
Population (2010)[1]
  Total 189,885
  Estimate (2013)[2] 202,824
  Rank US: 110th
  Density 861.4/sq mi (332.6/km2)
  MSA 316,554 (US: 154th)
  CSA 501,649 (89th)
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
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[3]
Airport Columbus Airport-
CSG
Website City of Columbus

Columbus is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Muscogee County,[4] with which it is consolidated. According to the latest estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau (2013), Columbus has a population of 202,824 residents in the city and 316,554 in the Columbus-Phenix City metropolitan area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities of Auburn and Opelika to form the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika Combined Statistical Area, which has an estimated population of 501,649. Situated at the heart of the Chattahoochee Valley, Columbus is Georgia's second-largest city and fourth-largest metropolitan area.

Columbus lies 100 miles (160 km) southwest of Atlanta. Fort Benning, a major employer, is located south of the city in Chattahoochee County. The city is home to museums and other tourism sites. The area is served by the Columbus Airport. The current mayor is Teresa Tomlinson, who was elected in November 2010. In 2007, Best Life magazine ranked Columbus #4 on the Top 100 Places To Raise A Family.[5][6] In 2013, Livability.com ranked Columbus #74 on the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America.[7] In 2011, The Daily Beast ranked Columbus #1 on the list of the 30 Brokest Cities in America,[8][9] which was disputed by the mayor who alleged that the ranking was due to a lawsuit that Columbus is involved in with Expedia, who's management teams share a good deal of overlap with the site.[10] Security company Safemart rated Columbus the most dangerous city in 2013, while a [11] Gallup well-being poll, published in 2014 on Yahoo!, ranked the Columbus area as the seventh-most miserable city in the U.S.[12][13][14]

History

Beginnings

Downtown in 1880

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, its founders likely influenced by the writings of Washington Irving. 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, where Phenix City, Alabama is now located, Creek Indians lived until their removal in 1836.

The river served as Columbus's connection to the world, particularly connecting the plantations in the region with the international cotton market via New Orleans and ultimately Liverpool, England. The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad. In addition, textile mills began springing up 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" in deference to the industrial textile mill town in Massachusetts which is also along a river.

Civil War and Reconstruction

Redd House, Columbus, Historic American Buildings Survey

When the outbreak of war came in 1861, the industries of Columbus expanded their production and Columbus 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.[15] In addition to textiles, the city had an ironworks and a sword factory as well as a shipyard for the Confederate Navy. Unaware of Lee's surrender to Grant and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Union and Confederates clashed in the Battle of Columbus, Georgia, on Easter Sunday, April 16, 1865, when a Union detachment under General James H. Wilson attacked the city and burned many of the industrial buildings. The inventor of Coca-Cola, Dr. John Stith Pemberton, was wounded in this battle. The owner of America's last slave ship, Col. Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar, was also killed here. A historic marker has been erected in Columbus marking the battle by Wilson's troops as the "Last Land Battle in the War from 1861 to1865."

Reconstruction 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; the city outgrew its original plan. The Springer Opera House was built on 10th Street attracting such notables as Oscar Wilde. The Springer is now the official State Theater of Georgia.

By the time of the Spanish American War, the city saw much modernization including the addition of trolleys extending to outlying neighborhoods such as Rose Hill and Lakebottom and a new water works. Mayor Lucius Chappell also brought a training camp for soldiers to the area. This training camp named Camp Benning would grow into present day Fort Benning, named for General Henry L. Benning, a native of the city.

Downtown Columbus in the early 1950s

Confederate Memorial Day

In the spring of 1866 the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus, Georgia passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to memorialize the Confederate dead. Additionally, the secretary of the association, Mrs. Charles J. (Mary Ann) Williams was directed to author a letter inviting the ladies in every Southern state to join them in the observance.[16] The letter was written in March 1866 and sent to all of the principal cities in the South, including Atlanta, Macon, Montgomery, Memphis, Richmond, St. Louis, Alexandria, Columbia, New Orleans, et al.

The date for the holiday was selected by Mrs. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rutherford Ellis.[17] She chose April 26, the first anniversary of Confederate General Johnston's final surrender to Union General Sherman at Bennett Place, NC. For many in the South, that marked the official end of the Civil War.[16]

In 1868, General John A. Logan, who was the commander in chief of the Union Civil War Veterans Fraternity called the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), launched the Memorial Day holiday that is currently observed in the entire United States. According to General Logan's wife, he emulated the 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."[18]

20th Century

With the expansion of the city, the need for a university saw the establishment of Columbus College, a two-year institution which would later grow into Columbus State University, now a comprehensive center of higher learning. The city would consolidate city and county governments in 1971 and become the first of its kind in Georgia (and one of only 16 in the U.S. at the time). As the city has turned from its initial industry of textiles, it has provided a home for other prominent industries including the headquarters for Aflac, Synovus, TSYS and Carmike Cinemas.

The Muscogee County Courthouse in 1941, which was demolished in 1970.

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, urban blight, white flight, and prostitution were serious problems 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. With the revitalization of the Springer and its subsequent designation as the State Theatre of Georgia, a historic preservation movement was sparked and various historic districts were established in and around downtown. Large tracts of blighted areas were cleaned up and 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, residents and businesses began moving back to these formerly blighted areas. Examples of these municipal projects including the construction of a softball complex which hosted the 1996 Olympic softball competition, construction of the Chattahoochee RiverWalk along the Chattahoochee River, construction of the National Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, construction of the Coca-Cola Space Science Center, the expansion of the Columbus Museum, and road improvements to include a new downtown bridge crossing the Chattahoochee River to Phenix City. During the late 1990s, commercial activity expanded north of downtown along the I-185 corridor.

21st century

Alternate seal

During the 2000s, expansion and historic preservation was continuing throughout the city. An example of this is the revitalization of South Commons, an area which combines the 1996 Olympic softball competition complex, A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium, Golden Park, the Columbus Civic Center, and the recently added Jonathan Hatcher Skateboard Park into a single complex area. Other additions to the city include the National Infantry Museum in South Columbus, located just outside the Fort Benning main gate.

Columbus has also established itself as a center for the fine and performing arts. RiverCenter for the Performing Arts, which opened in 2002, houses Columbus State University's music department. In 2002 Columbus State's art and drama departments moved to downtown locations. Such initiatives have provided Columbus with a cultural niche and with vibrant and modern architecture mixed among older brick facades.

The "Ready to Raft 2012" campaign is a project that will create 700 new jobs and is estimated to bring in $42 million annually to the Columbus area. The project will result in the longest urban whitewater rafting venue in the world, scheduled for completion in 2012.[19]

In upcoming years, it is predicted that there will be an additional 30,000 soldiers trained at Fort Benning each year due to Base Realignment and Closure.[20] As a result of this, Columbus is expected to see a major population increase.

Geography

Downtown panorama (1840)

Columbus is one of Georgia's three Fall Line Cities, along with Augusta and Macon. The Fall Line is where the hilly lands of the Piedmont plateau meet the flat terrain of the coastal plain. As such, Columbus has a varied landscape of rolling hills on the north side and flat plains on the south. The fall line causes rivers in the area to decline rapidly towards sea level, making it a good location for textile mills in the past. The Chattahoochee River is the major river that runs through Columbus. Interstate 185 runs east of the city and is the major thoroughfare through the city, with access from exits 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14 to the city. Interstate 185 runs north 96 mi (154 km) to Atlanta. U.S. Route 27, U.S. Route 280, and Georgia State Route 520 (known as South Georgia Parkway) all meet in the interior of the city. U.S. Route 80 runs north 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 Bill Heard Expressway. The city is located at 32°29′23″N 84°56′26″W / 32.489608°N 84.940422°W.[21]

According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 221.0 square miles (572 km2), of which, 216.3 square miles (560 km2) of it is land and 4.7 square miles (12 km2) of it (2.14%) is water.

Climate

Columbus has a humid subtropical climate according to the Köppen climate classification system. Daytime summer temperatures often reaches a high in the mid 90s, 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.

Climate data for Columbus, Georgia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 83
(28)
83
(28)
89
(32)
94
(34)
97
(36)
106
(41)
105
(41)
104
(40)
100
(38)
96
(36)
86
(30)
82
(28)
106
(41)
Average high °F (°C) 57.5
(14.2)
61.9
(16.6)
69.5
(20.8)
76.7
(24.8)
84.0
(28.9)
90.0
(32.2)
92.2
(33.4)
91.4
(33)
86.4
(30.2)
77.3
(25.2)
68.4
(20.2)
59.2
(15.1)
76.2
(24.6)
Average low °F (°C) 36.8
(2.7)
40.2
(4.6)
46.1
(7.8)
52.5
(11.4)
61.9
(16.6)
69.7
(20.9)
72.9
(22.7)
72.4
(22.4)
66.7
(19.3)
55.6
(13.1)
46.1
(7.8)
38.9
(3.8)
55.0
(12.8)
Record low °F (°C) −2
(−19)
10
(−12)
16
(−9)
28
(−2)
39
(4)
44
(7)
59
(15)
57
(14)
38
(3)
24
(−4)
10
(−12)
4
(−16)
−2
(−19)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.85
(97.8)
4.44
(112.8)
5.45
(138.4)
3.55
(90.2)
3.19
(81)
3.72
(94.5)
4.80
(121.9)
3.77
(95.8)
3.06
(77.7)
2.58
(65.5)
4.10
(104.1)
4.27
(108.5)
46.78
(1,188.2)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.2
(0.5)
0.1
(0.3)
0.3
(0.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0.1
(0.3)
0.7
(1.8)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.0 8.6 8.9 7.6 7.6 10.0 11.7 10.7 7.1 6.5 7.8 9.2 105.6
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.2 0 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.4
Source: NOAA (normals 1981−2010),[22] Weather Channel (record highs and lows)[23]

Cityscape

One of Columbus Georgia's nicknames: The Fountain City.

Columbus is divided into five geographic areas, and they are as follows:[24]

Fireworks in Downtown on July 4, 2009

Surrounding cities and towns

The Columbus Metropolitan Area includes four counties in Georgia, and two in Alabama. A 2008 Census estimate showed 287,653 in the metro area, with 442,953 in the combined statistical area. Below are the cities in the Columbus CSA:

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
18403,114
18505,94290.8%
18609,62161.9%
18707,401−23.1%
188010,12336.8%
189017,30370.9%
190017,6141.8%
191020,55416.7%
192031,12551.4%
193043,13138.6%
194053,28023.5%
195079,61149.4%
1960116,77946.7%
1970155,02832.8%
1980169,4419.3%
1990178,6815.5%
2000186,2914.3%
2010189,8851.9%
Est. 2013202,8246.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[26]
2013 Estimate[27]
Satellite image of Columbus

As of the 2010 U.S. Census, 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 861.4 people per square mile (332.6/km2). There were 82,690 housing units at an average density of 352.3 per square mile (136.0/km2). 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. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.4% of the population.

There were 69,819 households out of which 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 non-families. 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 spread out with 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 the 2000 median income for a family was 41,244. Males had a median income of $30,238 versus $24,336 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,514. About 12.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.0% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

Columbus contains approximately 200 Christian churches, with the Southern Baptist Convention being the largest denomination by number of churches.[28] Columbus is also home to three Kingdom Halls for Jehovah's Witnesses, along with three mosques, two synagogues, and a Hindu Temple.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Columbus include Aflac, Carmike Cinemas, TSYS, Realtree, Synovus, and the W. C. Bradley Co.

Buildings

Aflac Tower in the Corporate Headquarters Main Campus. Midtown Columbus, Georgia

This is a list of the eight tallest buildings in Columbus.[29] [30]

# Name Height in feet Stories Year completed
1 Columbus Consolidated Government Center 235 13 1973
2 Aflac Building 246 19 1975
3 The Ralston Addition 12
4 Corporate Center 129 10
5 The Ralston Addition 110 10 1919
6 The Ralston Addition 9 1941
7 The Ralston 9 1914
8 Columbus Regional Hospital 9

Top employers

According to Columbus's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[31] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Fort Benning 41,462
2 Muscogee County School District 6,200
3 TSYS 4,300
4 Aflac 4,100
5 Columbus-Muscogee County Consolidated Government 2,933
6 Columbus Regional Healthcare System 2,700
7 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia 1,540
8 Pezold Management 1,500
9 St. Francis Hospital 1,470
10 Synovus 1,021

Arts and culture

Points of interest

Museums

Shopping

Columbus is served by one major indoor shopping mall, Peachtree Mall, which is anchored by major department stores Dillard's, Macy's, and J.C. Penney. The total retail floor area is 821,000 square feet (76,300 m2). Major strip malls 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.

MidTown contains two of the city's early suburban shopping centers (the Village on 13th and St. Elmo), both recently renovated and each offering local shops, restaurants, and services.

Major venues

Golden Park, Columbus' oldest baseball park

Below is the list of major venues in the city of Columbus:

Historic Districts

Columbus is home to 8 historic districts, all listed in the NRHP. They are as follows:

Sports

Club Sport League Venue Logo
Columbus Cottonmouths Ice hockey Southern Professional Hockey League Columbus Civic Center
Columbus Lions Indoor football Professional Indoor Football League Columbus Civic Center
Columbus State University Cougars Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball NCAA Division II (Peach Belt Conference) Columbus State University

Parks and recreation

Columbus is home to upwards of fifty parks, four recreation centers, four senior centers and parks, and Standing Boy Creek State Park, a 1,579 acres (6.39 km2) Georgia state park created by the executive order issued by then-Governor Sonny Perdue on January 21, 2004. It offers swimming, boating (on Lake Oliver), camping, hiking, and hunting.

Walking trails

Golf

Columbus is home to the following seven golf courses.[36]

Law and Government

Columbus Consolidated Government Center

Elected Officials

Mayor

City Council[37]

District Attorney

Sheriff

Tax Commissioner

Clerk of Court

Crime

Columbus
Crime rates (2013)
Crime type Rate*
Homicide:22
Robbery:481
Aggravated assault:483
Total Violent crime:1,022
Burglary:3,355
Larceny-theft:8,012
Motor vehicle theft:1,108
Arson:37
Total Property crime:12,475
Notes
* Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.
2013 population: 201,165
Source: 2013 FBI UCR Data

For 2012, Columbus had an overall crime rate of 441.9 per 100,000 residents;[42] this exceeds the national average of 301.1 crimes per 100,000 people by over 75%.

The rate for violent crimes was 620.8 per 100,000, compared to the national average of 301.1 per 100,000; murders and robberies exceeded the national average, while rapes and aggravated assaults were below the national average. Property-crime rates, such as burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle thefts, significantly exceeded the national average (7,229.8 in Columbus, compared to the national average of 3,906.1).

Education

Primary and secondary education

The Muscogee County School District holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of thirty-five elementary schools, twelve middle schools, and nine high schools.[43][44] The district has 2,068 full-time teachers and over 32,944 students.[45]

Libraries

Columbus Public Library

Columbus is served by four branches of the Chattahoochee Valley Libraries:

Higher education

Public

Private, For Profit

Media and communications

Columbus is served by the Columbus, Georgia Designated Market Area (DMA). Charter Communications, Comcast, Knology, and Mediacom provide cable television service. DirecTV and Dish Network provide direct broadcast satellite television including both local and national channels to area residents.

Newspapers

Radio

AM stations

FM stations

Television

Movie theaters

Infrastructure

Transportation

Airports

The following are public general aviation airports that operate in the metropolitan area:

The following are private general aviation airports that operate in the metropolitan area:

The following is a military aviation airport that operates in the metropolitan area:

Highways

U.S. Routes

Georgia State Routes

Public transit

METRA bus in MidTown

METRA Transit System is the primary provider of mass transportation in Muscogee County, currently operating nine routes in Columbus. The current public transportation services are operated as a function of the Columbus Consolidated Government under METRA.[47]

Greyhound Lines provides intercity bus service with the Columbus station located on Veterans Parkway, Downtown Columbus.[48]

Columbus Airport Shuttle Service provides luxury shuttle service between Columbus, Fort Benning, and the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.[49]

Groome Transportation is a ground transportation carrier that operates shuttle and charter services between Columbus and the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport.[50]

Taxi cab and limousine services are provided by more than two-dozen companies throughout the Columbus area.

Healthcare

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Doctors Hospital

Notable people

Sister cities

Columbus has four official sister cities:[51]

See also

Further Reading

References

  1. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  2. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-02-03.
  3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  5. Today.com Best Places To Live 2007
  6. 100-Best Places to Live Retrieved 2009-08-06
  7. Ledger-Enquirer: Columbus appears on list of top 100 best places to live
  8. Daily Beast: The 30 Brokest Cities in America
  9. Ledger-Enquirer: Website ranks Columbus as 'brokest city in America'
  10. http://www.peachpundit.com/2011/11/04/columbus-alleges-daily-beast-article-result-of-expedia-lawsuit/
  11. SafeMart.com rates Columbus the most dangerous city in America
  12. USA Today: Gallup ranks best and worst cities for well-being
  13. Ledger-Enquirer: Recent study names Columbus the 7th most miserable city in U.S.
  14. Yahoo!: America's most miserable cities
  15. Encyclopaedia Britannica. vol. VI. New York. 1911. p. 746.
  16. 16.0 16.1 History of Confederate Memorial Day
  17. New Georgia Encyclopedia, Rutherford, originator of Confederate Memorial Day
  18. Mrs. John A. Logan, Reminiscences of a Soldier's Wife, p. 246.
  19. . Retrieved 2011-22-11.
  20. Base Realignment And Closure. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
  21. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  22. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2012-08-21.
  23. Average weather for Columbus Weather Channel Retrieved 2012-08-21
  24. All neighborhood info and names taken from Google Maps.
  25. Columbus golf info, Retrieved September 2009
  26. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  27. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013". Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  28. Churches in Columbus Retrieved August 29, 2009
  29. "All buildings | Buildings". Emporis. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  30. "Muscogee County Courthouse | Buildings". Columbus /: Emporis. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  31. City of Columbus CAFR
  32. http://www.ccssc.org/ Description
  33. Georgia Secretary of State - State Theatre, sos.state.ga.us; retrieved February 2007 (from Springer Opera House).
  34. Columbus "Rails to Trails" Project gets its new name at WTVM.com. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  35. Trail map. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  36. Columbus, Georgia Golf Courses. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
  37. Columbus City Council. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  38. Office of the District Attorney for Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  39. Muscogee County Sheriff's Office. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  40. Columbus Consolidated Government City Phone Directory. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  41. Office of the Clerk of Superior, State & Juvenile Courts of Muscogee County. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
  42. "Crime rate in Columbus, Georgia (GA):". City-Data. June 3, 2014. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  43. List of schools in Columbus, Retrieved Sept. 2009.
  44. Georgia Board of Education, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  45. School Stats, Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  46. Official website
  47. METRA History
  48. Columbus Greyhound station
  49. Columbus Airport Shuttle Service
  50. Groome Transportation
  51. Sister City Relationships

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Columbus, Georgia.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Columbus.