Columbus Is Full of Surprises (Hometown surprises)
Think you really know Columbus? It's a city with Script Ohio that could dot your i twice and 60,000 people will lose their minds when the sousaphone player hits the spot, Jeni's ice cream that you'll have to devour to appreciate such as Brambleberry Crisp or Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks, and Topiary Park topiaries that are Seurat painting in shrub form, yes really, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte recreated in bushes. Let's run through the facts, stats, and cowtown couture that showcase what makes Columbus's High Street myth machine purr.
Heather, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Heather has lived in Ohio for 36 years, minus a brief three-year stint in Kentucky (thanks, parents). Born in Appalachian southeastern Ohio, she later moved to the city and spent years wondering where all the cows went and why everyone was suddenly in such a darn hurry. She's adapted...mostly. That culture shock taught her Ohio doesn't get enough credit for its range of flat farmland, Amish hills, and mini mountains all crammed into one state. When she's not writing copy while binging true crime podcasts, she's hunting down a "bubble" from Jackson County (if you know, you know) or stealing the last slice of pie from her husband at So Pizza in Miamisburg. She's telling you about So Pizza with reluctance, because long lines would ruin everything. At Snappy Scout, Heather writes Ohio guides that don't waste your time and occasionally drops puns that may or may not land. You've been warned.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Columbus Columbus?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Columbus
Cbus, Arch City, Cowtown, Cap City, 614, though locals mostly just say Columbus or the 614
Local Reality Check
Think cornfields. Reality: fashion labs, test market wizardry, indie eats, Big Ten brainpower.
You're most likely moving from
Chicago, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Detroit, and coastal grads chasing jobs who'd like to buy a house before they're 50.
Strangely large concentration of
fashion merchandisers and retail HQs orbiting Easton and Polaris, L Brands, Abercrombie, Big Lots, DSW all started or are headquartered here
Music scene
Newport Music Hall legend which is one of the longest continuously running rock venues in America, Twenty One Pilots roots (they're from here and still rep Columbus), DIY venues on High Street.
You'll have to see it to believe it
the Do-Dah Parade’s absurdist patriotism in Short North, think shopping carts decorated as floats, kazoo bands, and people mocking traditional parades every July 4th.
Unique Geography
Scioto and Olentangy meet (the rivers converge downtown creating the peninsula), ravines thread Clintonville, rebuilt Scioto Mile riverfront.
Columbus is home to
The Ohio State University (60,000+ students basically run this town) and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium which is consistently ranked top 10 in the country.
Well known for its
massive gamedays at The Shoe which holds over 100,000 people, scarlet and gray everything, you'll own something in these colors within six months of moving here whether you went to OSU or not.
Fun history fact
Wendy’s founded downtown in 1969 at 257 East Broad Street, the building's long gone but the square burger empire lives on.
Celebrity sightings
Arnold Schwarzenegger during the Arnold which brings 20,000 athletes to downtown, Jack Nicklaus around Muirfield, Twenty One Pilots hometown drop-ins where they show up at local shows sometimes.
Noteworthy Census stat
2010 to 2020 population grew 15.1 percent, now Ohio’s largest city, finally beating Cleveland and Cincinnati after years of being the underdog capital.
Most interesting sub-culture within Columbus
Nordecke soccer supporters crafting giant tifos for the Crew, the supporter section creates massive banners and choreographed displays that rival European soccer culture.
Population
largest city in OH, top 25 largest nationwide
Columbus is roughly the same geographic size as
Chicago, though way more sprawled out because we never met a suburb annexation we didn't like
A Local Event Worth Experiencing Once
ComFest in Goodale Park every June. It's this huge free community festival with live music on multiple stages, local vendors, food trucks, and almost the entire city shows up. Very Columbus energy: laid-back, eclectic, a little weird, and just...itself. Been going for decades.
— Heather Taylor
Ohio Local Expert
Ready to See If Columbus Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Columbus guide for the bigger picture.