About Columbus, Indiana

We are Columbus, Indiana—a town of 50,000 that nurtures the virtues of small in the most ambitious of ways—to be the best city of its size in America. Small in number, we are purposefully large in community; giant in manufacturing; monumental in culture, art, architecture and design; and most importantly, big on quality of life.

We are a small community, with a growing global presence representing 41 countries, with more than one of every 10 an international resident. Our top-ranked schools give voice to 54 different languages. Our community strives to be inclusive and respectful of our differences to create equitable outcomes for all our residents.

Honored by the American Institute of Architects as one of the top six architecture cities in the nation, Columbus welcomes the tens of thousands each year who make the cultural pilgrimage to tour our city’s iconic, midcentury destinations, while we who dwell here are fortunate to be inspired by them daily in our places of learning, business, worship and community.

 We are comfortably cosmopolitan, choosing first-name familiarity over the anonymity of metropolitan life. Home to a Fortune 500 company as well as 37 foreign companies, our work is never more than minutes from our children’s schools, family parks, recreational trails, and the natural landscape of the two rivers that border town. The Robert N. Stewart suspension bridge is a dynamic gateway to a variety of cultural experiences in three major cities and three states—Indianapolis, Louisville, and Cincinnati—all within an easy drive.

We believe we can better know ourselves by understanding others. Journeying beyond our Midwestern roots, institutions such as the Columbus Chinese Language School and the Hindu Association of Southern Indiana’s Sri Ganesh Mandir Temple enrich our local perspective with educational opportunities and a world of cultural
events for all to experience.

We are a powerhouse of innovative makers with the highest concentration of mechanical and industrial engineers in the country. While Columbus is the headquarters for Cummins, we also produce more than one million nuts and bolts daily. With 40% percent of our residents employed in manufacturing, Columbus ranks in the top 2% of U.S. manufacturing cities, with manufacturers focused on powerful technologies for the world’s future. That’s huge for small.

We embrace our legacy of curiosity and learning, and believe our future success begins each and every day in the Columbus schools. As the school district of choice in Indiana, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation is recognized for its innovative Pre-K through 12 programs. AirPark Columbus brings three of Indiana’s most prestigious colleges to one, local campus. A wealth of learning opportunities promises Columbus full-circle empowerment—superior education leading to local career opportunities that enrich our city’s growth and success. 

Our downtown is a quaint, 36-block grid intersecting numbered streets with those honoring Presidents and our favorite trees. A robust and cultural hub, the city center welcomes visitors and locals on a leisurely stroll to experience the best of Columbus—international cuisine, creative retail, galleries, a historic ice cream parlor open since 1900, coffee shops, breweries, public art, architectural landmarks, civic buildings, churches, a Visitors Center, and businesses.

We champion the spirit of competition, coming together to inspire the best in each other. Every summer, Columbus parks and fields come alive with more than 300 amateur, state and regional sports tournaments. We are also here for the long run, hosting and cheering on more than 5000 runners who descend upon Indiana’s fastest marathon course for the annual Mill Race Marathon—a Boston Marathon qualifying event—as well as a half marathon and 5K run/walk.

We have never been ones to idly sit by. A legacy of achieving civic excellence inspires our community to explore creative forums of discussion and action. Exhibit Columbus is an internationally recognized, biennial program created by Landmark Columbus Foundation. Spanning three months each biennial year, the Exhibit Columbus Exhibition draws thousands to engage with installations and programming by international artists, architects and designers exploring solutions to the issues of our day, from sustainability and climate change to equity in the built environment.

We are Columbus, Indiana. Designed for Living. Different by Design.