Columbus is a city in the U.S. state of Georgia and is the county seat of Muscogee County, 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 theColumbus-Phenix City metropolitan area. The metro area joins the nearby Alabama cities ofAuburn 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. In 2013, Livability.com ranked Columbus #74 on the Top 100 Best Places to Live in America. In 2011, The Daily Beastranked Columbus #1 on the list of the 30 Brokest Cities in America. Security companySafemart rated Columbus the most dangerous city in 2013, while a Gallup well-being poll, published in 2014 on Yahoo!, ranked the Columbus area as the seventh-most miserable city in the U.S
Columbus, Georgia | ||
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Consolidated city | ||
City of Columbus | ||
![]() Top: Downtown Columbus. Left to right, descending: Chattahoochee RiverWalk, Columbus Consolidated Government Center, Springer Opera House, Columbus Civic Center, Church of the Holy Family, Downtown Columbus in the early 1950s
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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 |
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.
Below is the list of major venues in the city of Columbus: