Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Area

:"Columbus metropolitan area" redirects here. For the area in the U.S. state of Georgia, see Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area."Infobox Metropolitan Area
MSA_name = Columbus
name = Columbus Metro Area


largest_city = Columbus
other_cities = - Delaware - Newark - Lancaster - London - Marysville - Circleville
rank_us = 31^st
states = Ohio
population = 1,725,570 [ [http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/Estimates%20pages_final.html July 2005 est. by Census Bureau] ]
density_mi2 =490.3
density_km2 = 189.3
area_mi2 = 3169.2
area_km2 = 8207.7
highest_ft =1480
highest_m =450
lowest_ft = 630
lowest_m = 192

The Columbus Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on the American city of Columbus, Ohio. Definitions of what is commonly referred to as the "Columbus Area" vary. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the metropolitan area includes the counties of Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Licking, Madison, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union.

The larger Combined Statistical Area (called the Columbus-Marion-Chillicothe Metropolitan Consoliated Area) adds the counties of Fayette, Knox, Marion, and Ross. It includes the Micropolitan Statistical Areas of Chillicothe, Marion, Mount Vernon, and Washington Court House, due to strong ties with Columbus. The population of the CSA is 1,936,351 according to the 2005 census estimates.

About 2 million people live in the metro area. It is the third largest metropolitan area in the state of Ohio, behind Greater Cleveland, and Greater Cincinnati and is one of the largest in the Midwestern United States.

Economy

There are numerous large multinationals in the area, which provide a significant source of employment. In the Marysville area, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. operates their largest manufacturing complex in North America. Employing over 16,000 it includes assembly, testing, and research & development operations. The Honda Civic, Accord, Element, CR-V, Acura TL, and RDX are assembled at the two plants. Also in Marysville is Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., the maker's of Miracle Gro and various other soil and potting fertilizers. The clothing companies Limited Brands and Abercrombie & Fitch are located in New Albany. Under the corporate umbrella of Abercrombie & Fitch are Hollister Co., RUEHL No.925, and Gillie Hicks. Tween Brands,Inc has its corporate headquarters in New Albany, too.

Cardinal Health, the highest ranked company in Ohio on the Fortune 500 list has its headquarters along I-270 in Dublin. Online Computer Library Center (owner of the Dewey Decimal System) is found just across the interstate. Wendy's has its corporate headquarters near Old Dublin along State Route 161. Other companies in the city include Ashland Inc., Nationwide, and Qwest. Microcenter, a retailer of computers and other electronic equipment, was started in Upper Arlington and is now based in Hilliard. Serving the business-only niche, Commerce National Bank is headquartered in Columbus.

Retail Ventures is headquartered in the capital city. They operate stores under the DSW, Filene's Basement, American Signature, Rooms Today and Value City banners. Three fast food chains are based in the city of Columbus: Charley's Grilled Subs, Steak Escape, and White Castle. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Bob Evans Restaurants, Max & Erma's, Damon's Grill, and Donatos Pizza are also based in the city.

Other companies based in the city of Columbus include Motorists Insurance, Grange Insurance, Safe Auto Insurance, and State Auto Insurance. Mettler Toledo, a manufacturer of precision scales and scientific equipment is based in the area known as Polaris.Worthington Industries, a large steel-processing company, is primarily located on the north side of Columbus near Worthington.Columbus is also home to Skybus Airlines. The start-up company began flying in May 2007, but folded less than a year later.

Hexion Specialty Chemicals (formerly part of Borden, Inc.) is located in downtown Columbus.The Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, makers of Ensure nutritional drink and Similac infant formula, is headquartered in Columbus.Newark is the home of the corporate headquarters of basket-maker Longaberger. The headquarters building is in the form of a gigantic "medium market basket," their most popular model. This is the largest basket in the world. Park National Corporation, a regional financial holding company for a variety of banks is headquartered in Newark.

Education

Numerous K-12 school districts are found in the area. There are wide differences in setup, with some districts being mostly rural and having a small enrollment, while others are urban and have large enrollments.

Dozens of institutions of higher education can be found in the area, the largest of which is The Ohio State University in Columbus. Three of the prestigious Five Colleges of Ohio are located in the metro. They include Ohio Wesleyan University, located in Delaware, Denison University, in Granville (near Newark) and Kenyon College in Gambier. Other schools include Otterbein College in Westerville, OSU Newark (a branch campus of The Ohio State University, Central Ohio Technical College (also in Newark), OU Lancaster (a branch campus of Ohio University), Capital University in Bexley, Franklin University, Columbus State Community College, the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Culture

Museums

Numerous museums are located throughout the metropolis. Science lovers will enjoy visiting COSI, which has exhibits, demonstrations, IMAX movies and activities for all ages. The Columbus Museum of Art houses a fine collection of art and hosts many interesting exhibits throughout the year. Stargazers will enjoy Perkins Observatory, located just south of Delaware. The observatory hosts public programs, and serves as the home for the Columbus Astronomical Society. The Ohio Railway Museum, located in Worthington, features a large collection of both static and operational railway equipment. In Hilliard, a unique museum exists in the form of the Early Television Museum. This attraction features a large collection of TV's from the 1920s, 30's and 40's. Fans of Bruce Lee will find the Bruce Lee Legends of Martial Art Hall of Fame Museum located in Reynoldsburg particularly interesting. Nearby in Pickerington, the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum draws those interested in classic cycles as well as its surrounding culture. Also in the area is the Mid-Ohio Historical Museum, located in Canal Winchester. Collections found here include thousands of antique and modern children's toys, a train display, and a miniature circus. Historical memorabilia of an entirely different kind can be found at the Motts Military Museum, located in Groveport.

ports

Although a majority of the sporting attractions take place in the city proper, there are a few better known events in the area. Since 1976, Dublin has been the site of the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament at the Muirfield Village golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus. In 1987, the course hosted the Ryder Cup and in 1998 it hosted the Solheim Cup.

Two semi-professional football teams compete locally: the Columbus Comets of the Women's Professional Football League and the Ohio Swarm of the Mid Continental Football League. Both teams play in Dublin at Coffman High School. Columbus is also the home of the Columbus Lady Shooting Stars soccer team, who have their home field in Delaware at Roy Rike Field. Columbus also is home to the Columbus Destroyers, an Arena Football Team.

In Columbus, the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets call downtown's Nationwide Arena home. The MLS's Columbus Crew play in Columbus Crew Stadium near the Ohio State Fairgrounds. The stadium was the first stadium in the United States designed specifically for Major League Soccer (including a FIFA regulation convert|115|yd|abbr=on x 75yd pitch), and has been credited with inspiring the wave of construction of so called soccer-specific stadia throughout the league (for the 2007 season 7 of the league's 13 teams own or share a dedicated soccer stadium, with at least three others having progressed significantly with stadium plans of their own). The Columbus Clippers, a minor league baseball team, currently play at Cooper Stadium, and will be moved to the new Huntington Park in 2009.

Rahal Letterman Racing has a home in Hilliard and races in the Indy Racing League. Intersport Racing is located in Dublin and races in the American Le Mans Series. TruSports, owners of the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, is found in Dublin as well. Kilisport has a home in the north suburb of Powell and competes in the Champ Car Atlantic Series.

Performing Arts

Columbus is the home of many renowned performing arts institutions, including Opera Columbus, BalletMet, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCo), Shadowbox Cabaret and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. Throughout the summer, the Actors' Theatre offers free performances of Shakespearean plays in an open-air amphitheatre located in German Village.

There are numerous large concert venues in Columbus, including arenas such as Nationwide Arena, Value City Arena, and Germain Amphitheatre. The Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (the LC for short) (formerly the PromoWest Pavilion), Veterans Memorial auditorium, and the Newport Music Hall, round out the city's music performance spaces. Recently, funding has been allocated to renovate the Lincoln Theatre, which was formerly a center for Black culture in Columbus. [cite news | last =Siegel | first =Jim | title =THEATER'S FUTURE ABOUT MORE THAN POLITICS, MAYOR SAYS | pages =News 05D
language =English | publisher =The Columbus Dispatch | date =2006-08-19 ] [cite news | last =Siegel | first =Jim | title =STATE READIES PROJECTS BUDGET | pages =News 01D | language =English | publisher =The Columbus Dispatch | date =2006-12-05 ] Not far from the Lincoln Theatre is the King Arts Complex, which hosts various cultural events. The city also has a number of theatres downtown, including the historic Palace Theatre, the Ohio Theatre, the Southern Theatre, and the Riffe Center which houses The Capitol Theatre as well as two studio theatres. Much of the growth in entertainment capacity in Columbus has been recent. The construction of the Crew Stadium, Nationwide Arena, Value City Arena, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and the Lifestyle Communities Pavilion are all projects completed since 1990.

joyUNSPEAKABLE Productions, located in Hillard, provides various live entertainment for special events, including Mimes, Living Statues, and live theatre. The city of Dublin hosts an especially active cultural scene. The Abbey Theatre, (not to be confused with the venue of the same name in Dublin, Ireland) hosts a number of amateur and semi-professional theatre and music events.

Families can enjoy a variety of productions put on throughout the year by the Columbus Children's Theater and the Phoenix Theater, two different theater companies oriented toward children.

Fairs and Festivals

Events taking place within the Greater Columbus area include the Ohio State Fair, one of the largest state fairs in the United States, as well as the Little Brown Jug, a world-famous harness racing event taking place in Delaware. Comfest (officially The Community Festival) is arguably the largest free, non-corporate urban music and arts festival in the United States featuring 6 stages of music over 3 days in downtown's Goodale Park and has occurred annually in late June since 1972. Each year, Dublin hosts the Dublin Irish Festival, which attracts tens of thousands of people for a weekend of Irish food, music, and dance. Upper Arlington hosts its own arts festival annually on Labor Day, taking up a large portion of Northam Park. The Franklin County Fair is held annually in Hilliard.

The Columbus Arts Festival is a huge arts festival held each summer that attracts well-known and talented artists from all around the country. The fair features hundreds of artists of all types, several stages with musical performances, art-related activities for children, and traditional fair food as well as food from area restaurants.

Columbus also hosts a Latino Festival, Jazz & Rib Festival, International Festival, Asian Festival, a huge Fourth of July celebration (Red, White & Boom), and a Greek Festival. You can find fun outdoor festivals almost any summer weekend in Columbus!

Parks and recreation

In addition to numerous city parks, the Columbus Metro Parks operate 14 large parks mostly focused on preserving and protecting the natural environment. There are many State Parks with unique natural features, including Blackhand Gorge, Clifton Gorge, Alum Creek, Hocking Hills State Park, and Rockbridge State Nature Preserve. The Hocking Hills region also includes parts of the Wayne National Forest, which makes for good Leaf peeping in the autumn. The city of Westerville's Parks and Recreation department has won the National Gold Medal for outstanding parks and recreation in its last two years of eligibility (2001 and 2007). [ [http://www.westerville.org/FullNews/tabid/314/ArticleID/318/CBModuleId/870/Default.aspx Full News ] ] Westerville is a suburb of Columbus.

All cities, villages, townships, and communities

Delaware County

*Ashley *Columbus (partial) *Delaware *Galena *Lewis Center, unincorporated

*Ostrander *Powell *Shawnee Hills *Sunbury *Westerville

Fairfield County

*Amanda *Baltimore *Bremen *Buckeye Lake *Canal Winchester *Carroll *Columbus (partial) *Fairfield Beach *Lancaster

*Lithopolis *Millersport *Pickerington *Pleasantville *Reynoldsburg *Rushville *Stoutsville *Sugar Grove *Thurston *West Rushville

Franklin County

*Bexley *Blacklick Estates *Brice *Brown Township *Canal Winchester *Columbus *Driving Park *Dublin *Gahanna *Galloway *Grandview Heights *Grove City *Groveport *Harrisburg *Hilliard *Huber Ridge

*Lake Darby *Lincoln Village *Lockbourne *Marble Cliff *Minerva Park *New Albany *Obetz *Prairie Township *Reynoldsburg *Riverlea *Upper Arlington *Urbancrest *Valleyview *Westerville *Whitehall *Worthington

Licking County

*Alexandria *Beechwood Trails *Granville *Granville South *Gratiot *Hanover *Harbor Hills *Hartford *Heath

*Hebron *Johnstown *Kirkersville *Newark *Pataskala *Reynoldsburg *St. Louisville *Utica

Madison County

Morrow County

*Mount Gilead

Pickaway County

*Ashville *Circleville *Commercial Point *Darbyville *Logan Elm Village *Orient *South Bloomfield *Tarlton *Williamsport

Union County

*Dublin "(part)" *Magnetic Springs *Marysville *Milford Center

*Plain City "(part)" *Richwood *Unionville Center

References

External links

* [http://www.morpc.org/ Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission]