Columbus

Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Platte County, in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. It is the 10th largest city in Nebraska, with 24,028 people as of the 2020 census. In the 18th century, the area around the confluence of the Platte and the Loup Rivers was used by a variety of Native American tribes, including Pawnee, Otoe, Ponca, and Omaha. The town was settled by the Columbus Town Company on May 28, 1856. It took its name from Columbus, Ohio, where most of the settlers had originally lived. During the Gold Rush, Columbus became the center for an eight-county Black Hills area. The city grew prospered during the 1870s, as a result of expanding agriculture and traffic on the railroad. It became the U.S. capital of the Black Hills in 1870, and the city's population grew to 22,111 at the 2010 census. It was named after the city of Columbus in Ohio, which had been the site of the first recorded European settlement in the area in the 17th century. It has a population of 22,000, making it one of the most populous cities in the United States, with the largest population of any city in the Midwest. The population of Columbus is expected to grow to 24,000 by the end of the decade, and to 25,000 in the 2030s, according to the 2010 Census.

History

Columbus is the primary city name, but also Richland are acceptable city names or spellings. Columbus, Nebraska, was founded in 1856. It was named for Columbus, Ohio, where most of the settlers had originally lived. The town was selected for its location on the proposed route of the transcontinental railroad. Columbus grew as a result of expanding agriculture in Platte County and traffic on the railroad. The Black Hills Gold Rush in 1875 led the city's merchants to promote it as a staging area for gold seekers who could ride the railroad to the gold fields. Columbus became the focus of a war between a railroad line between Missouri and Illinois in 1879. The city was named after the Columbus Town Company, which had settled the site on May 28, 1856, and took its name from the Ohio town where most settlers had first lived. It became the county seat in 1858, and was incorporated as a town in 1866. Columbus was the site of the first U.S. presidential hotel, which was opened by George Francis Train in 1865. It is now the center of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which opened its doors to the public in 1881. It has a population of about 2,000. It also is home to the U.N. World Heritage Center. The U.K. Embassy in Washington, D.C. is based in Columbus, and has a consulate in the city, which is open to visitors from around the world. The United States Embassy is located in the town of Omaha, Nebraska. It opened in 1883.

Government

Columbus is governed by a mayor and city council, which has eight members who represent four wards. The council members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis. The current mayor is Jim Bulkley. Beth Augustine-Schulte was elected as the city's third female city council president in December 2020.Evelyn Kusek was the first female cityCouncil member. Sandra Riley served as the second female city Council president in 1991, 1992 and 1993. John Lohr, Dennis Kresha, Charlie Bahr, Troy Hiemer, J. Prent Roth, Richard Jablonski and Ron Schilling are the current council members. The city council will meet for its first meeting of the year in December. The meeting will take place at the Ohio State University campus in Columbus. It will be followed by a meeting at the University of Ohio in Columbus in January. The Columbus City Council will meet again in December 2019 for the first time since the 2010 municipal elections. The next meeting will be in January 2020. The last meeting was held in December 2010 for a special meeting to be held in Columbus for a single-term mayor. The mayor's term is four years, and the council members' terms are four years. It is the third time the city has had a female mayor and three female council members in its history. The first female council member was Evelyn Kusedk. The second female council president was Sandra Riley in 1991. The third female council leader was Beth Augustine Schulte in 1993.

Geography

Columbus is located at 41°2558N 97°2131W (41.432785, -97.358530), 85 miles (137 km) west of Omaha and 75 miles (121 km) northwest of Lincoln. It is on the north side of the Loup River near its confluence with the Platte River. U.S. Highways 30 and 81 intersect in the city, and the main line of the Union Pacific railroad passes through it.Columbus has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa), with cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. Precipitation is highest in the late spring and summer months, with an annual average of 26.87 in (682 mm) The city has a total area of 10.08 square miles (26.11 km²), of which 9.85 square miles is land and 0.23 square miles are water. The city lies at an elevation of 1,447 feet (441 m) It is built on the flat terrain of the Platter River valley; rolling hills rise to the north of the city. It has a temperature of °C (°F) (°C) (°C) in the summer, and °F in the winter, and°F (°S) in summer, in the fall, and in the spring, April, and July, and September, respectively. It was founded in 1836. It had a population of 1.2 million in 1838.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 22,111 people, 8,874 households, and 5,811 families residing in the city. There were 9,322 housing units at an average density of 946.4 per square mile (365.4/km²) The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 0.5% African American, 0,9% Native American, 8.2% Asian, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.3% of the population. The median income for a household in theCity was $38.874, and the median income. for a family was $48,669. The per capita income for the city is $18,345. About 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5%. of those 65 or over are living below the poverty line. The city has a population of 20,971, with 8,302 households. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04. The population of theCity has a median age of 37.1 years, with 26.4% of residents under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8%. of residents were from 25 to 44; 25.4%. were from 45 to 64; and 15.3%. were 65 years of age or older. In the city, the median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there are 94.1 males.

Economy

Columbus's economy is based on agriculture and manufacturing, with many industrial companies attracted by cheap, plentiful hydroelectric power. Major manufacturing employers include Becton Dickinson, which operates two facilities in Columbus; Behlen Manufacturing, which produces steel buildings, grain bins, and agricultural equipment. Columbus Hydraulics Co. is an Hydraulic cylinder manufacturing company; CAMACO, a manufacturer of automotive seat frames; Cargill, which operating a ground-beef processing plant; Archer Daniels Midland, which runs a corn-milling facility; and Vishay Dale Electronics, a subsidiary of Vishay Intertechnology that produces electronic components. Major non-manufacturing employers include Nebraska Public Power District, which is headquartered in Columbus. Columbus City Schools; and Columbus Community Hospital. Columbus has a population of 1.2 million; it is the largest city in Nebraska with a population greater than 1 million. Columbus is home to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, which has an enrollment of more than 1.3 million. It is also the largest university in the state, with an enrollment exceeding 1.5 million. The city's population is about 1.4 million, and it has an unemployment rate of 0.7%. It is the second-largest university in Nebraska, after Nebraska State University-Nebraska, with a enrollment of about 1,800. It also has one of the nation's largest hospitals, with more than 100 beds. It has a large number of non-profit organizations, such as the Columbus School District and the Columbus Foundation.

Education

Columbus Public Schools operates Columbus High School, a middle school and five elementary schools. Central Community College is located four miles (6 km) northwest of the city. Columbus High, with 1,100 students is the largest area high school. Scotus Central Catholic High School is a Catholic school named after John Duns Scotus; it serves grades 7 through 12. Lakeview Community Schools, including Lakeview high school, serves a rural community north of theCity. The school district is located just north of Lake Babcock, and its teams are the Vikings. The district has closed several elementary schools within the past 10 years, most recently the nearby Duncan Elementary School, which had been in the district since 1967. The city is home to the Columbus Public Library, which was built in 191315 and replaced by the current library in 1977. It is located on the Ohio Turnpike, which runs between Columbus and the Ohio River. The town has a population of about 4,000 people, with the majority of its residents living in the central part of the town. It has one of the highest rates of obesity in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health. It also has the highest levels of obesity and diabetes, and the lowest levels of childhood obesity and childhood diabetes. The population of Columbus is about 3,000. The average age of a resident is 48 years old, and it has a high school graduation rate of 60%. The city has a low rate of obesity, and a high rate of diabetes, which is the highest in the state.

Attractions

The Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial in Pawnee Park features a life-sized replica of a Higgins boat with bronze statues of soldiers exiting into the sand. Glur's Tavern, built in 1876, is the oldest tavern west of the Missouri River still in operation. The Platte County Agricultural Society hosts a number of events at Agricultural Park. Live thoroughbred horse racing takes place at the park every year from late July through mid-September. U.S. 30 Speedway stages weekly auto races from April to September. The Columbus Marching Festival is held every September, hosting High School marching bands from in and outside of the state.The Columbus Days Parade is held a week in August in downtown Columbus, NE. The park is funded by the City of Columbus with a 12-cent sales tax. It first opened in late May 2006, and features four main waterslides that include a tube slide and a regular slide, a speed slide, and a unique splashbowl slide that visitors often refer to as the "toilet bowl" The park also has a small "lazy river"During its first week, the park attracted over 13,000 visitors. It is located in the central part of the city, near the downtown area of Columbus and the University of Nebraska-Columbus. It has been named one of the top 10 tourist attractions in the United States by the National Park Service. It was named the number one tourist attraction in the state in 2007 and 2008, and was ranked No. 1 in 2008 and 2009.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska = 88. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 50. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 40. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Columbus = 4 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,639 individuals with a median age of 36.5 age the population grows by 5.02% in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,323.79 residents per square mile of area (897.18/km²). There are average 2.76 people per household in the 1,157 households with an average household income of $56,832 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 4.00% of the available work force and has dropped -6.68% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 22.64%. The number of physicians in Columbus per 100,000 population = 83.6.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Columbus = 27.1 inches and the annual snowfall = 23.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 81. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 220. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 11.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 40, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Columbus, Platte County, Nebraska which are owned by the occupant = 73.07%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 29 years with median home cost = $115,930 and home appreciation of 0.72%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $15.75 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,715 per student. There are 12.9 students for each teacher in the school, 264 students for each Librarian and 427 students for each Counselor. 6.00% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.70% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.13% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).