The Columbus Region, known locally as the Chattahoochee Valley, is comprised of seven counties: six in Georgia, and one in Alabama. Collective efforts continue to strengthen the region’s economy. The impact is clear in recent projects, such as the allocation of more than $100 million to fund cultural arts projects, vital infrastructure support, the 22-mile RiverWalk, and the Columbus RiverCenter. Over the last decade, the region has experienced the benefits of more than $2.8 billion in new capital investment and 18,000 new jobs.
OUR AMAZING HISTORY
We’re proud of our history as one of the greatest cities in the Southeast.
We were founded in 1827 along the mighty Chattahoochee River which served as our highway to the world, enabling abundant cotton to be transported to New Orleans then shipped around the globe. When the railroad arrived, textile mills emerged all along the river, and by the late 1800s, we were one of the most important industrial centers in the South.
In 1871 the Springer Opera House was constructed and quickly garnered national attention as the finest theater between New York and New Orleans—eventually becoming the State Theatre of Georgia in 1992.
By 1918 a military training site was established, named Camp Benning after Columbus native: Brigadier General Henry L. Benning. This modest camp quickly expanded to what we know today as Fort Benning, supporting more than 120,000 military and civilian personnel.
In 1958 city leaders founded Columbus College, a two-year institution that evolved into Columbus State University, a comprehensive center of higher learning enrolling over 8,000 students from around the world.
In 1996, the Olympics brought the eyes of the world to our home. We have always been a community that dreams big and our public/private partnerships are more than capable of making those dreams a reality.
With our industrial past and entrepreneurial spirit, Columbus has become home to noteworthy businesses such as Aflac, Synovus, TSYS, A Global Payments Company, Pratt & Whitney, and W.C. Bradley Co. But, we’ve never been a city that’s content with the status quo—we’re poised for growth as a leader in the 21st Century.
