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Columbus is both the capital of Ohio and the county seat of Franklin County.

The city was first laid out in 1812 and incorporated in 1816. Columbus was not the original capital, but the state legislature chose to move the state government there after its location for a short time at both Chillicothe and Zanesville. Columbus was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access by way of major transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio's capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton, Dublin, Worthington, and Delaware.

Prior to the state legislature's decision in 1812, Columbus did not exist. The city was designed from the first as the state's capital, preparing itself for its role in Ohio's political, economic, and social life. In the years between first groundbreaking and the actual movement of the capital in 1816, Columbus grew significantly. The town was surveyed, and various city lots were put up for sale.

By 1813, a penitentiary had been built, and by the following year the first church, school, and newspaper had been established. The statehouse was built in 1814 as well. Columbus grew quickly in its first few years, having a population of seven hundred people by 1815. It officially became the county seat in 1824. By 1834, the population of Columbus was four thousand people, officially elevating it to "city" status. In that year, Columbus residents elected John Brooks as its first mayor.

Much of Columbus's growth can be attributed to its proximity to major transportation routes. Columbus was connected to the Ohio and Erie Canal by way of an eleven-mile feeder canal in September 1831. By 1836, the National Road extended from Cumberland, Maryland, to Columbus, and within the next several years eventually extended all the way to Illinois. In the 1840s and 1850s, railroads and telegraph lines connected the capital to other parts of the state as well.

As might be expected of a capital city, Columbus became a center of learning and social activities in the nineteenth century. A significant number of both private and public schools existed within the city. In addition, there were two colleges located in Columbus by the late nineteenth century -- The Ohio State University and Capital University. Ohio State was a state-supported school, while the Lutheran Church founded Capital University. Two medical schools also functioned at this time, Starling Medical College and the Columbus Medical College.

By the mid-nineteenth century, industries began to emerge in the Columbus area, and they really began to grow in the years following the Civil War. Columbus's industrial development benefited from the nearby transportation systems as well as the city's position as the state capital.

Originally an important industrial center, Columbus has changed through the 1900s as the United States economy changed. Nationwide Insurance, Chase Bank, The Limited, and numerous other prominent businesses employ the city's residents. The city has the largest population in Ohio, numbering 711,470 people in 2000, an increase of 7.5 percent since 1990. Symbolizing Columbus's growth, in 1990, one in every thirty people earned their living in construction industries. The city also experienced tremendous territorial growth as it annexed surrounding land and communities beginning in the 1950s. In 1950, Columbus consisted of just less than forty square miles of land. In 2000, the city's borders encompassed more than two hundred square miles of land.

Columbus also has a booming cultural life. The Columbus Museum of Art, the Ohio Historical Society, and the Center for Ohio Science and Industry are three of the city's important museums. Columbus also has one of the nation's finest zoos. Columbus was home of the 2003 NCAA football national champions, The Ohio State Buckeyes. The Columbus Blue Jackets, a member of the National Hockey League, and the Columbus Crew, the city's professional soccer team, and the Columbus Clippers professional baseball team provide residents with additional entertainment opportunities.