Population:  711,470

Elevation:  800 feet

Area:    210.3 square miles

Location: Columbus is centrally located at the intersection of I-70 from the west, I-71 from the north, I-670 from the east and I-71 from the south.  Conveniently located 111 miles NE of Cincinnati and 45 miles east of Springfield.

Nearest city with population over 1,000,000:   Chicago, IL, 346.6 miles

Time Zone:  Eastern Time Zone, Daylight Savings Time observed.

Local Seasons:  Columbus enjoys four distinct, colorful seasons of moderate weather.  Spring brings colorful wildflowers and lush greenery throughout the city’s parks.  Summer is warm and humid, with July’s average high temperatures peaking around 85 degrees.  Evenings are cooler, dropping from even the hottest days into the low 60’s.  Fall brings a dazzling display of color, perfect for a fall foliage tour.  Sunny days with highs of 66 degrees are the norm for October and by November; the nights are cooling down to 33.  Ski resorts in the region thrive on an annual 28 inches of snow, and cross-country skiing is popular in the city’s snow-covered parks.

Weather:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Average temp. (°F)

28.1

32.0

42.1

52.1

62.4

71.1

74.8

73.0

66.3

54.7

43.6

33.3

High temperature (°F)

36.1

40.9

52.1

63.7

73.8

82.0

85.4

83.8

77.6

66.0

52.6

40.9

Low temperature (°F)

20.1

23.1

31.9

40.6

51.0

60.1

64.0

62.2

55.0

43.3

34.5

25.5

Precipitation (in)

2.5

2.2

2.9

3.5

4.1

4.2

4.4

3.9

2.9

2.5

3.3

3.0

Climate:

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Days with precipitation

13

11

13

13

13

11

11

9

8

9

11

13

Wind speed (mph)

9.8

9.6

10.1

9.6

8.1

7.2

6.5

6.2

6.4

7.4

9.1

9.4

Morning humidity (%)

78

77

76

76

79

81

84

87

87

83

80

79

Afternoon humidity (%)

68

64

57

53

55

55

56

57

57

55

63

69

Sunshine (%)

36

42

44

51

56

60

60

60

61

56

37

31

Days clear of clouds

4

4

5

5

6

6

7

7

9

10

5

4

Partly cloudy days

6

6

7

8

10

11

13

13

9

8

7

6

Cloudy days

21

18

19

17

15

13

11

11

12

13

19

21

Snowfall (in)

8.8

5.9

4.4

0.9

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.1

2.2

5.4

How to get there

By Air

Port Columbus International Airport

4600 International Gateway, Columbus 43219

 614-239-4000 is 10 mi east of downtown Columbus.

Port Columbus International Airport is served by most national and some regional carriers.

By Car

Columbus is in the center of Ohio, at the intersection of I-70 and I-71.

By Bus

Greyhound (800-231-2222) provides service to Columbus from all U.S. destinations.

How to get around           

Downtown is fairly compact and easily walkable. Some government buildings are connected to each other and to nearby buildings through underground walkways. 

By Car

Two major interstates, east-west I-70 and north-south I-71, intersect near downtown. I-670 connects the airport to downtown, and I-270 loops around the outer boundaries of the city. I-70, I-71, and I-670 heading downtown are congested in the morning; in the evening they're clogged heading out of downtown. The Short North area and High Street are also very busy. Traffic usually flows smoothly in outlying suburbs (you do need a car in these areas because bus service is infrequent).

By Bus                        

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (614-228-1776) operates buses within Columbus.

National Holidays       

New Year's Day: Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: 3rd Mon. in Jan.

President's Day:  3rd Mon. in Feb.

Memorial Day: last Mon. in May

Independence Day: July 4

Thanksgiving Day:  4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve: Dec. 31