ZIP Code 31904

Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it officially merged in 1970. At the 2020 census, Columbus had a population of 206,922, with 328,883 in the Columbus metropolitan area. It has the longest urban whitewater rafting course in the world constructed on the Chattahoochee River. Fort Benning, the United States Army's Maneuver Center of Excellence and a major employer, is located south of the city. Columbus is home to museums and tourism sites, including the National Infantry Museum. The city was named for Christopher Columbus and was founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature. During the Civil War, Columbus ranked second to Richmond in the manufacture of supplies for the Confederate army. In 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South, earning it the nickname the Lowell of the S.S., referring to an important textile mill town in Massachusetts. Columbus was the site of the Battle of Columbus, which took place 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. John Stith Pemberton, who later developed Coca-Cola in Columbus, was wounded in this battle. Col. Charles Augustus Lafayette Lamar, owner of the last slave ship in America, was also killed here.

History

Founded in 1828 by an act of the Georgia Legislature, Columbus was situated at the beginning of the navigable portion of the Chattahoochee River. By 1860, the city was one of the more important industrial centers of the South. Columbus was the site of the "Last Land Battle in the War from 1861 to 1865" The Springer Opera House was built during this time, attracting such notables as Irish writer Oscar Wilde. In 1866, the Ladies Memorial Association of Columbus passed a resolution to set aside one day annually to memorialize the Confederate dead. For many in the South, that act marked the official end of the Civil War in 1868. The first anniversary of General Johnston's surrender to General Sherman at Bennett Place, North Carolina, was April 26, 1868, the official surrender date of the Republic of the Confederate States of America. The date for Confederate Memorial Day was selected by Elizabeth Rutherford, the first lady of the Grand Army lauge of the Union Veterans Fraternity of the American Revolution, who called it the "Grand Army of the Confederacy" The city is now the official State Theater of Georgia. The city was named for Christopher Columbus, who was the first European-American to visit the U.S. in the 17th century. It is located on the last stretch of the Federal Road before entering Alabama, and was once called the "Lowell of the S.S." The city's commercial importance increased in the 1850s with the arrival of the railroad, bringing industry to the area.

Geography

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. The fall line causes rivers in the area to decline rapidly towards sea level. 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 snow fall every year or at all. According to the US Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 221.0 square miles (572 km²) 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. Columbus has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and is within USDA hardiness zone 8b in the city center and zone 8a in the suburbs. The city is divided into five geographic areas: Downtown, East Columbus, North Columbus, South Columbus, and MidTown. The National Infantry Museum is located just south of the MidTown region, and directly north of Fort Benning. It is the location of the corporate headquarters of Aflac.

Demographics

At the 2010 U.S. Census, Columbus had a total population of 189,885, up from 186,291 in the 2000 Census. Columbus has roughly 200 Christian churches, with the Southern Baptist Convention being the largest denomination by number of churches. Columbus is also home to three Kingdom Halls for Jehovah's Witnesses, and one Greek Orthodox Church. Other religions are represented by two synagogues, two Seventh-day Adventist churches, three mosques, a Hindu temple, and a Unitarian Universalist congregation. At the 2020 United States census, there were 206,922 people, 73,134 households, and 45,689 families residing in the city. 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. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 6.4% of the population. The median income for a household in the City was $41,331, and for a family was $24,336. The per capita income for the City of Columbus was $22,514, including 12.8% of families and 15.7% of those under the poverty line, including 22.0% ofThose under age 18 and 12.1% of Those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08, according to the 2010 Census.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Columbus include Aflac, TSYS, Realtree, Synovus, and the W. C. Bradley Co. According to Columbus' 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: W.C. Bradley Company, AflAC, and TSYS. The city's unemployment rate is currently at 4.7 per cent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate for Columbus is currently 3.9 per cent. Columbus' unemployment rate has been at 3.8 per cent for the past three years, the bureau says. It's the highest rate in the state of Ohio, and is the lowest rate in Ohio overall. The U.N. World Economic Forum says Columbus has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the world, at 2.4 per cent in 2014. The national unemployment rate, however, is 3.1 per cent; the lowest in the United States and the highest in Ohio. The state's economy is projected to grow at a rate of 2.7 percent in 2015 and 2015. The economy is expected to grow by 2.8 percent in 2016 and 3.5 percent in 2017, the city's report says. The rate of growth for Columbus' economy in 2014 and 2015 was 2.6 per cent and 2.5 per cent each year from 2013 and 2014. It is the highest since the city recorded 3.2 per cent growth in 2013 and 4.0 per year in 2008.

Arts and culture

Columbus is home to nine historic districts, all listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The city 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 Columbus Museum is the largest art and history museum in Georgia. Columbus Civic Center, a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena, opened in 1996. Golden Park, a 5,000 seat baseball stadium, was the former home to the Columbus Catfish and the minor-league Columbus Redstixx. It was also the site of the softball events of the 1996 Summer Olympics. The Bradley Theater, a performance theatre, was opened in mid-1940 by Paramount Pictures and is used for local events and nationally recognized performances. Columbus is also home to Historic Westville, a 19th century village with 17 buildings on site and interpreters for self-guided tours of the homes and crafts of the 19th-century. It is the home of the Columbus Lions indoor football team and the Columbus River Dragons ice hockey team both call the Civic Center home. It also hosts annual rivalry games between Tuskegee University and Morehouse College, as well as between Albany State University and Fort Valley State University. Its IMAX theatre shows related films and special productions, and is operated by the Columbus nonprofit organization RiverCenter Inc. It opened in 2002 and is commonly used forlocal events, and occasionally used for nationally recognized Performances.

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. The Chattahoochee RiverWalk is a 15-mile (24 km) walking/bike trail that connects users from Downtown to South Columbus and the northern section of Fort Benning. The Black Heritage Trail is a National Recreation Trail of historic and cultural significance. The Columbus Fall Line Trace is an 11- mile (18 km) fitness trail that runs from downtown to the northeastern section of the city. The city is also home to the Columbus International Airport, which is a major international hub for air travel. It is located on the Ohio Turnpike, which runs from Columbus to the state capital of Columbus. The airport is one of the busiest airports in the United States, with a passenger traffic capacity of more than 1.2 million. It also has a major airport hub, which serves as a gateway to the rest of the state of Ohio, as well as other major airports such as Atlanta, Savannah, and Little Rock. In addition to the airport, the city has a number of other major attractions, including the National Mall, the University of Georgia, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Columbus Museum of Natural History and Science, which houses the National Museum of American History and Culture, among other things. The National Park Service operates the Columbus Trail System, a network of trails that connect the city's parks to other parts of the U.S. and abroad.

Whitewater kayaking, rafting, and zip-line

The Chattahoochee River whitewater course opened in 2012. It is the longest urban whitewater rafting and kayaking course in the world. In mid-winter it is referred to as the "Wintering Grounds" for big wave surfing athletes and enthusiasts. It also features the Blue Heron Adventure, a zip-line course connecting users from the Georgia side of the river to the Alabama side. The course continues with several zip-lines and a ropes course on theAlabama side and completes with another zip- line back to Georgia. It has been ranked the world's best manmade Whitewater course by USA Today. The 2.5-mile (4.0 km) course was built after the Eagle & Phenix Dam and the City Mills Dams were breached, allowing the river flow to be restored to natural conditions. It features outstanding standing waves year-round and is a popular destination for whitewater kayakers and rafting enthusiasts in Georgia and Alabama. It was ranked as the best whitewater whitewater experience in the U.S. by CNN.com's whitewater adventure blog, The Whitewater Adventurer's Guide. It cost $1.5 million to build and is now open to the public. It costs $2,500 to raft and $1,000 to rent a kayak or canoe on the river.

Law and government

The city council of Columbus, known as the Columbus Council, is composed of ten elected council members, eight of whom serve individual districts. Mayor H.B. "Skip" Henderson III III is the current mayor of Columbus. The city council is made up of 10 elected members. Two of the council members serve the city at large, while the other two serve the individual districts in which they are elected. The council has a total of 10 members, 8 of whom are elected to individual districts, and two to the city council at large. The mayor is a Democrat, who was elected in 1998. The current mayor is Republican, who took office in 2008. The City Council is made of ten members, including the mayor and the mayor of the district in which the council is elected, as well as eight members from individual districts and two from the city as a whole. It has a population of about 2,000 people, with the majority of residents living in the city's central and eastern areas. It is the largest city in the state of Ohio, with a total population of more than 1,000,000. It was founded in 1858 and is the seat of the Ohio Supreme Court, which has a seat in Columbus since 1881. It also has a mayor and city council, both of whom were elected for a term of up to 10 years, and a city council that has a maximum term of 15 years. The Columbus Council was established in 1878. It became the first city in Ohio to have its own city council.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia = 35. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Columbus = 3.6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 206,922 individuals with a median age of 34.8 age the population dropped by -0.14% in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 955.76 residents per square mile of area (369.02/km²). There are average 2.49 people per household in the 71,728 households with an average household income of $43,220 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.90% of the available work force and has dropped -2.84% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.42%. The number of physicians in Columbus per 100,000 population = 272.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Columbus = 48.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 109. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 212. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 36.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 29, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Columbus, Muscogee County, Georgia which are owned by the occupant = 51.44%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 36 years with median home cost = $143,450 and home appreciation of -5.12%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $5.55 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,003 per student. There are 15.6 students for each teacher in the school, 356 students for each Librarian and 350 students for each Counselor. 6.55% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 12.97% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 8.42% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).