Timeline of Columbus, Ohio

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Columbus, Ohio, United States.

18th century

1797: Lucas Sullivant founds Franklinton, Central Ohio's first permanent white settlement and the oldest Columbus neighborhood.

19th century

1803

* Ohio becomes the first state formed from the Northwest Territory.
* Franklin County is formed from Ross County.1805: Postal service is established in Franklinton, and the settlement acquires its first preacher.1806: The first schoolhouse is built, a 16-foot-square log building.1811: The first church is constructed, by the present-day Old Franklinton Cemetery.1812
* Columbus is founded.
* Population: 300.
* Foundations for High Street laid out.1813: Columbus's first post office is established.1814
* William Ludlow is named "director of the town of Columbus" to supervise its construction.
* The first market house, later known as Central Market, is constructed.
* The first newspaper is established, The Western Intelligencer, after it moves from Worthington.1816
* Columbus becomes the capitol of Ohio and the legislature meets in Columbus's first statehouse.
* The Village of Columbus is organized, with Jarvis W. Pike elected as the first mayor.1817
* James Monroe visits Columbus, the first U.S. President to do so.
* The Ohio State Library is headquartered in Columbus.1824: The seat of Franklin County moves from Franklinton to Columbus.1826: The first public schools are opened in Columbus and Franklinton.1831: Columbus is connected to the Ohio and Erie Canal through the Columbus Feeder Canal.1832: The Ohio School for the Deaf is established.1833
* National Road in operation.
* A cholera epidemic kills 100 residents and causes 1,000 to move away.1834
* Columbus chartered as a city, population: 3,500.
* John Brooks becomes mayor.
* Ohio Penitentiary begins operating.1837: Ohio State School for the Blind established.1840: Population: 6,048.1845: Columbus Public Schools established.1849
* State Convention of the Colored Citizen held in city.
* Green Lawn Cemetery established.1850
* The Columbus and Xenia Railroad begins operating, and the first passenger train arrives in the city.
* Development of Franklin Park began.
* Population: 17,882.1851
* Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad begins operating.
* Union Station operates from 1851 to 1977.1853
* Saint Patrick Church founded.
* Columbus Athenaeum founded.1857: The Ohio Statehouse opens to the public and begins use.1861
* Ohio Statehouse fully completed.
* Camp Chase is established.1862: Fort Hayes is established.1865: Abraham Lincoln's funeral procession stops in Columbus.1868
* St. Mary's of the Springs school opens.
* Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Indianapolis Railway in operation.1870
* Columbus annexes, including Franklinton.
* The Ohio State University is founded, as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College.
* Columbus Circulating Library organized.1871
* The Daily Dispatch newspaper begins publication.
* Public water system first set-up.
* Population: 32,000.1872: Public Library & Reading Room established at Columbus City Hall.1873: The Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College opens.1874: The Ohio State Fair is permanently established in Columbus, after being held in cities throughout the state each year.1875: Union Station rebuilt.1878
* St. Joseph Cathedral building completed.
* Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts and Ohio State University Marching Band established.1879: Columbus Art School and Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery established.1880: Population: 51,647.1887: Franklin County Courthouse built.1890: Population: 88,150.1894: "Ugly law" approved.1895: Franklin Park Conservatory opens.1898: First Neighborhood Guild organized.1899
* Columbus Citizen newspaper begins publication.
* Masonic Temple built.
* Hocking Valley Railway operates from 1899 to 1930.1900
* Godman Guild House built.
* Population: 125,560.

20th century

1903: Columbus, Delaware and Marion Railway operated 1903 to 1933.1904: Governor's Mansion and Franklin County Memorial Hall built.1905: Indianola Park in business.1906: Columbus Public Library building constructed.1910

* Streetcar strike.
* Population: 181,511.1912: Woman Suffrage parade takes place.1913: The Great Flood of 19131914: The Columbus City Charter is adopted.1917: Women are granted the right to vote in municipal elections.1919: The Spring Street YMCA opens.1920
*Planning begins for buildings in the Columbus Civic Center.
*Population: 237,031.1922: Ohio State University's Ohio Stadium built.1924: Central High School is completed, the first building completed in the new Columbus Civic Center.1927: The American Insurance Union Citadel is completed, becoming the fifth-tallest building in the world at the time.1928
* Columbus City Hall is completed, replacing the Old City Hall destroyed by fire in 1921.
* Ohio Theatre opens.1929
*The present-day John Glenn Columbus International Airport is established.
*Battelle Memorial Institute founded.1933: Ohio State Office Building constructed.1934: U.S. Post Office and Courthouse built.1936: White Castle restaurant chain headquartered in city.1937: Spanish–American War Memorial dedicated.1940: Population: 306,087.1947: National Auto Theatre in business.1952: Ohio State University's Mershon Center for International Security Studies established.1954: Black Baptist Pastors' Conference organized.1954-1958: Columbus annexes numerous parcels, growing from to.1955
* Franklin Heights High School founded.
* Columbus begins planning its interstate highways along with state and federal agencies.
* Sister city relationship established with Genoa, Italy.1959: The Columbus Citizen-Journal newspaper in publication.1960: Population: 471,316.1964
* Northland Mall in business.
* Bank One Tower built.1969: First Wendy's founded by Dave Thomas.1970
*Columbus Free Press begins publication.
* Columbus surpasses Cincinnati in population. 1974: Rhodes State Office Tower built.1975: Columbus Monthly magazine begins publication.1976
* Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center established.
* Union Station demolished.1977
* QUBE television begins broadcasting.
* One Nationwide Plaza built.
* Clippers begin playing in Columbus.1978: Community Development Task Force formed.1980: Sister city relationship established with Tainan City, Taiwan.1982: Columbus surpasses Cleveland to become the largest city by population in Ohio.1984
* Huntington Center built.
* Ohio Penitentiary closes.1985: Contemporary American Theatre Company founded.1987
* King Arts Complex active.
* Union Station mural painted.1988
* Vern Riffe State Office Tower and Three Nationwide Plaza built.
* Sister city relationships established with Hefei, China; Odense, Denmark; and Seville, Spain.1989: Columbus City Center in business.1990
* The Other Paper begins publication.
* William Green Building constructed.
* Population: 632,910.1991
* City government computer network begins operating.
* Carriage Place Movies 12 in business.1992: Sister city relationship established with Dresden, Germany.1996
* Columbus Crew begins play with the newly established Major League Soccer.
* Sister city relationship established with Herzliya, Israel.
* Chamber of Commerce city portal online.1998: City government website online.1999
* The Columbus Crew moves to newly-built Columbus Crew Stadium.
* Easton Town Center opens.
* Columbus Ohio Temple built.2000
* Michael B. Coleman begins his first term as mayor of Columbus.
* Nationwide Arena opens, hosting the newly founded Columbus Blue Jackets.
* Population: 711,470.

21st century

2001

* Columbus Underground begins publication.
* Miranova Condominiums built.
* Arena Grand cinema and Polaris Fashion Place in business.2004: The Northland Mall on Morse Road, which closed in 2002, is demolished to make way for a new commercial development, ultimately to be called Northland Village.2008: Sister city relationship established with Ahmedabad, India.2009: Huntington Park opens in the Arena District, replacing Cooper Stadium as the home of Columbus Clippers baseball.2010
* Population: 787,033.
* Columbus City Center demolished.2011
* Columbus Commons opens.
* Steve Stivers becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 15th congressional district.2013
* Population: 822,553.
* Joyce Beatty becomes U.S. representative for Ohio's 3rd congressional district.2014: Sister city relationship established with Curitiba, Brazil.2016
* Columbus surpasses Indianapolis to become the second largest city in the Midwest.
* Andrew Ginther begins his first term as mayor.2018: Columbus surpasses San Francisco to become the 14th-largest city in America.2020
* The COVID-19 pandemic is introduced to Columbus.
* George Floyd protests take place in Columbus and most major U.S. cities.
*Population 905,748.2021: Lower.com Field, the new Columbus Crew stadium, opens.2023:Columbus Crew wins its third MLS Cup, its second in four years.