Columbus is the biggest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the third largest metropolitan area behind Cleveland and Cincinnati. During 2008, Its resident population is approximately 800,000, making it the 16th largest city within the US and the 3rd most densely inhabited state capital within the country. According to the U.S. Census, the metropolitan area has a 1.7 million population and the Combined Statistical Area (which likewise includes Marion and Chillicothe) has a population of approximately 2 million.
Within the city today; people could find numerous museums including the The Columbus Museum of Art, which has a wonderful collection of European and American art up to early modernism. In addition, there is the Wexner Center for the Arts, that is an art gallery concentrating on modern pieces. This center is located on the campus of Ohio State University. The COSI, or the Center of Science and Industry, is a science museum that is located on the former Central High School. The Ohio Historical Society has a flagship museum named the Ohio Historical Center located north of downtown. The Kelton House Museum and Garden is a museum which features the Victorian life. The house belongs to three generations of the Kelton Family.
There are numerous outdoor attractions for people who like parks. Of the many to pick from are the Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District has the Battelle-Darby Creek Metro Park, Inniswood Metro Gardens, as well as the Highbanks Metro Park. Amongst the more popular is the Big Darby Creek within the southwestern portion of the town, which is noted for its ecological diversity and beauty. The Whetstone Park, that includes the Park of Roses, is a lovely rose garden situated in Clintonville. The Chadwick Arboretum showcases a big and diverse collection of plants. It is located on the OSU campus. The new Metro Park on the Whittier Peninsula includes an Audubon nature center which is focused on bird-watching.
There are likewise many popular performing arts institutions consisting of the BalletMet Columbus, Columbus Children's Theatre, the ProMUsica Chamber Orchestra, Shadowbox Cabaret, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO), Opera Columbus, and the Columbus Jazz Orchestra. The Actors' Theatre offers free performances of open-air ampitheatre located within the German Village. In addition, it likewise offers free performances of Shakespearean plays. The Columbus Youth Ballet Academy celebrates the artistic direction of Shir Lee Wu, a discovery of Martha Graham. Presently, Wu is the artistic director of the Columbus City Ballet School. For concert locations, the list consists of: Lifestyle Communities Pavilion, Nationwide Arena, Veterans Memorial auditorium, the Newport Music Hall, and Jerome Schottenstein Center. Theatre-enthusiasts could go to the Lincoln Theatre, previously a center for Black culture in Columbus. There is likewise the King Arts Complex, that hosts different cultural events. There are also various theatres within the downtown area, like the Palace Theatre, the Ohio Theatre, the Riffe Centre and the Southern Theatre.
The city of Columbus has a diverse and strong financial system, that has been ranked as high as 7th as the best place to operate a business within the United States, based on Market Watch during the year 2008. The magazine fDi, ranked the city in the 3rd position for "Cities of the Future" and ranked fifth in the country for being the headquarters for Fortune 500 companies. Among the largest companies in the Columbus MSA as of the year 2004 comprise: The Ohio State University, The State of Ohio Government, United States Government, JPMorgan Chase, OhioHealth, Nationwide, City of Columbus Government, Columbus City Schools, Honda of American manufacturing, Inc., Limited Brands Corp., Franklin County Government, Wal-Mart Stores, Mount Carmel Health System, Kroger Company, as well as Wendy's International, Inc.