Editing Columbus, Nebraska

{{short description|City in and county seat of Platte County, Nebraska, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Columbus, Nebraska
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
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|image_caption            = Bridge carrying [[U.S. Route 30 in Nebraska|U.S. Route 30]] and [[U.S. Route 81 in Nebraska|U.S. Route 81]] across the [[Loup River]] at Columbus,<br>February 2010
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| subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Nebraska]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Nebraska|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Platte County, Nebraska|Platte]]
|subdivision_type3        = [[List of townships in Nebraska|Township]]
|subdivision_name3        = [[Columbus Township, Platte County, Nebraska|Columbus]]

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|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_total         = 24028
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|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]s
|postal_code              = 68601-68602
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|area_code                = [[Area code 402|402]]
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|website                  = [http://www.columbusne.us/ columbusne.us]
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'''Columbus''' is the county seat of [[Platte County, Nebraska]], situated at the confluence of the [[Loup River|Loup]] and [[Platte River|Platte]] rivers roughly 85 miles (137&nbsp;km) west-northwest of [[Omaha, Nebraska|Omaha]] and 75 miles (121&nbsp;km) northwest of [[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]] by road, near the county's southern edge. With an estimated population of 24,464 as of 2024, it is the 10th-most populous city in Nebraska.

Initially settled in May 1856 along the historic [[Great Platte River Road]], the city was named for [[Columbus, Ohio]]; its location along the proposed transcontinental railroad made it especially attractive to early settlers. Despite the construction of a hydroelectric plant, the Great Depression hit the region especially hard. Since, its economy has pivoted to one based on agriculture, manufacturing, and services such as healthcare.

Today, Columbus is governed by a mayor and a city council. The city is located in the Omaha media market, and has 6 radio stations licensed to it; it is also home to the ''[[Columbus Telegram]]'', a newspaper published five days per week. A campus of [[Central Community College]] is located 4 miles (6&nbsp;km) outside Columbus; its sports teams are the Raiders.  
[[File:Sunset in Columbus.jpg|thumb|The sun sets in Columbus along 23rd Street.]]

==History==

===Native Americans and Exploration===
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 people|Pawnee]], [[Otoe tribe|Otoe]], [[Ponca]], and [[Omaha (tribe)|Omaha]].<ref>Olson, James C. and Ronald C. Naugle.  ''History of Nebraska''.  University of Nebraska Press.  1997.  p. 32.</ref>
The Pawnee are thought to have descended from the Protohistoric Lower Loup Culture;<ref>[http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/stories/0301_0101.html "Emergence of Historic Tribes: The Lower Loup Culture".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308143236/http://nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskastudies.org%2F0300%2Fstories%2F0301_0101.html |date=2016-03-08 }}  NebraskaStudies.Org.  Retrieved 2010-01-09.</ref> 
the Otoe had moved from central Iowa into the lower Platte Valley in the early 18th century;<ref>[http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/stories/0301_0105.html "Emergence of Historic Tribes: The Oto & Missouria Tribes".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225070518/http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskastudies.org%2F0300%2Fstories%2F0301_0105.html |date=2016-12-25 }}  NebraskaStudies.Org.  Retrieved 2009-01-09.</ref> 
and the closely related Omaha and Ponca had moved from the vicinity of the Ohio River mouth, settling along the Missouri by the mid-18th century.<ref>[http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/stories/0301_0104.html "Emergence of Historic Tribes: The Omaha & Ponca Tribes".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227192755/http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskastudies.org%2F0300%2Fstories%2F0301_0104.html |date=2016-12-27 }}  NebraskaStudies.Org.  Retrieved 2009-01-09.</ref>
In 1720, Pawnee and Otoe allied with the French massacred the Spanish force led by [[Villasur expedition|Pedro de Villasur]] just south of the present site of Columbus.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20040821080107/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/markers/texts/villasur_expedition_1720.htm "The Villasur Expedition—1720".]}}  Nebraska State Historical Society.  Retrieved 2010-01-09.</ref><ref>[http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/stories/0301_0113.html "Villasur Sent to Nebraska".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525202818/http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0300/frameset_reset.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskastudies.org%2F0300%2Fstories%2F0301_0113.html |date=2017-05-25 }}  NebraskaStudies.Org.  Retrieved 2010-01-09.</ref> In 1739, the French traders Pierre and Paul Mallet stayed at the Pani-Maha village near this site while making the first known French voyage to Spanish-ruled [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/20630397 |title=Before Lewis and Clark : documents illustrating the history of the Missouri, 1785-1804 |date=1990 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |others=Abraham Phineas Nasatir |isbn=0-8032-3322-1 |location=Lincoln |pages=28 |oclc=20630397}}</ref>

In the 19th century, the "[[Great Platte River Road]]"—the valley of the Platte and North Platte Rivers running from [[Fort Kearny]] to [[Fort Laramie]]— was the principal route of the westward expansion.<ref>Mattes, Merrill J. (1969).  ''The Great Platte River Road''.  Nebraska State Historical Society.  p 6.</ref>
For travellers following the north bank of the Platte, the Loup River, with its soft banks and quicksands, represented a major obstacle.  In the absence of a ferry or a bridge, most of these followed the Loup for a considerable distance upstream before attempting a crossing: the first major wave of Mormon emigrants, for instance, continued up that river to a point about three miles downstream from present-day [[Fullerton, Nebraska|Fullerton]].<ref name="Mattes 1969, p. 132">Mattes (1969), p. 132.</ref>

===Settlement and early history===
[[File:Columbus Nebraska aerial view.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Columbus, seen from an airplane, looking south]]
The site of Columbus was settled by the Columbus Town Company on May 28, 1856.  The group took its name from [[Columbus, Ohio]], where most of the settlers had originally lived.  The townsite was selected for its location on the proposed route of the [[First Transcontinental Railroad|transcontinental railroad]].<ref name=evans>Evans, Marion Reeder (1936).  "80 Years of Progress".  ''Columbus 1856-1936''.  The Art Printery.</ref>{{rp|5}}

Just west of the Columbus site, the Elk Horn and Loup Fork Bridge and Ferry Company, headed by James C. Mitchell, had laid out the townsite of Pawnee.  In 1855, Mitchell had obtained from the [[First Nebraska Territorial Legislature]] the right to operate a ferry across the Loup River.  The two companies consolidated in November 1856.<ref name=curry />{{rp|27–28}}

At the time of its initial settling, the land Columbus occupied still belonged to the [[Pawnee people|Pawnee]].  However, in 1857, the Pawnee signed a treaty whereunder they gave up the bulk of their Nebraska lands, save for a reservation on what is now [[Nance County, Nebraska]].<ref name=hyde>Hyde, George E. (1951).  ''Pawnee Indians''.  University of Denver Press.  p. 183.</ref>

In 1858, the Platte County Commissioners passed an act of incorporation making Columbus a town;<ref name=andreas-part2>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030510103013/http://www.kancoll.org/books/andreas_ne/platte/platte-p2.html#organize Platte County, Part 2].  ''Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska''.  Retrieved 2009-12-13.</ref> 
at this time there were 16 citizens.  It became the county seat shortly thereafter.<ref name=evans />{{rp|5}}
In that same year, at the recommendation of the U.S. Army, a ferry across the Loup was installed;<ref name="Mattes 1969, p. 132"/> contemporary documents suggest that the Mitchell company had failed to act on its right to operate such a ferry.<ref name=curry />{{rp|30–31}}

===Railroads and growth===
Growth of the town was slow until 1863.  In that year, construction began in Omaha on the transcontinental railroad. The [[Homestead Act of 1862|Homestead Act]], passed the previous year, attracted a host of settlers to the Plains and gave rise to increased emigrant traffic business. The ferry across the Loup was replaced by a seasonal pontoon bridge, used in the summer and taken up in the winter.<ref name=evans />{{rp|5}}
The railroad reached Columbus in June 1866, when the city's population was about 75.<ref name=andreas-part2 />

[[File:Columbus, Nebraska RR depot from SE.JPG|thumb|Union Pacific depot in Columbus]]

The energetic and eccentric promoter [[George Francis Train]] envisioned building "a magnificent highway of cities" from coast to coast along the Union Pacific route; Columbus was to be one of these.<ref>Larsen, L. H., B. J. Cottrell, H. A. Dalstrom, and K.C. Dalstrom. (2007) ''Upstream Metropolis: An Urban Biography of Omaha and Council Bluffs.'' University of Nebraska Press. p 62.</ref>
In 1865, he bought several hundred lots in the city. In the following year, seeing the nearby townsite of Cleveland as a threat to his plans for Columbus, he bought the only building on the site, a hotel, and moved it to Columbus.  He renamed the building the Credit Foncier Hotel, after his land company, [[Credit Foncier of America]];<ref name=curry>Curry, Margaret.  [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/topic/resources/OLLibrary/Platte/index.htm ''History of Platte County''].  Culver City, California: Murry & Gee, Inc., 1950.</ref>{{rp|45}} 
in it, he set aside a room permanently reserved for the President of the United States.<ref name=evans />{{rp|6}}
Train believed that the capital of the United States should be in the geographic center of the nation,<ref name=andreas-part2 /> 
and promoted Columbus as "...the new center of the Union and quite probably the future capital of the U.S.A."<ref name="autogenerated1">Howard, R. W. (1962) ''The Great Iron Trail: The Story of the First Transcontinental Railroad.'' Putnam. p. 206.</ref>

Columbus grew and prospered during the 1870s, as a result of both expanding agriculture in Platte County and traffic on the railroad. During the decade, the population of the county grew threefold, and Columbus became the trade center for an eight-county area. The [[Black Hills Gold Rush]] in 1875 led the city's merchants to promote it as a staging and outfitting area for gold seekers, who could ride the railroad to Columbus and then travel overland to the gold fields.<ref name=columbuscommercialreg />

In 1879, Columbus became the focus of a war between railroad companies. The [[Burlington and Missouri River Railroad|Burlington and Missouri]] proposed to develop a line from [[Lincoln, Nebraska|Lincoln]] through Columbus and into northwestern Nebraska, and urged the citizens of Platte County to vote a bond of $100,000 for construction expenses. [[Union Pacific Railroad|Union Pacific]] financier [[Jay Gould]], displeased at the prospect of competition, informed the voters of the county that if the measure passed, he would do his best to ruin Columbus. After a heated campaign, the measure passed despite Gould's threats. The Burlington and Missouri built a line from Lincoln to Columbus, but stopped there; for their diagonal route across Nebraska, they chose one that crossed the Union Pacific at [[Grand Island, Nebraska|Grand Island]] rather than Columbus.<ref name=curry />{{rp|324}}

Gould sought to make good on his threat. When the Union Pacific developed its subsidiary [[Omaha, Niobrara and Black Hills Railroad]], he directed that it cross the Loup River at Lost Creek, then run south to join the Union Pacific's main line at Jackson (since renamed [[Duncan, Nebraska|Duncan]]), bypassing Columbus.  Fortunately for Columbus, an ice jam destroyed the Lost Creek bridge in the spring of 1881.  Railroad officials agreed to reroute the line down the north bank of the Loup to Columbus in exchange for a $25,000 contribution from the city.<ref name=curry />{{rp|325}}

===Automobile age===
[[File:Columbus, Nebraska 2304 13th St from SE.JPG|thumb|alt=One-story building on street corner with garage entrances on south and east sides|Lincoln Highway Garage, built in downtown Columbus in 1915]]

In 1911, the [[Meridian Highway]] project was launched with the formation of a Meridian Road association in Kansas.  Later that same year, John Nicholson, originator of the highway, spoke at a meeting in Columbus, at which the Nebraska Meridian Road Association was organized.  The proposed north–south transcontinental highway crossed the Platte and the Loup rivers at the Columbus bridges.  In 1922, it was designated a state highway.  The completion of the [[Meridian Highway Bridge|Meridian Bridge]] in 1924, replacing a seasonal ferry across the [[Missouri River]] at the Nebraska-South Dakota border, made the highway a year-round route from Canada to Mexico.  In 1928, the route became [[U.S. Route 81|U.S. Highway 81]].<ref name=meridianreg>Slattery, Christina, Chad D. Moffett, and L. Robert Puschendorf (2001).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620230030/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/pierce/PC00-Meridian_Highway.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Meridian Highway.]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>

In 1913, the [[Lincoln Highway]] was established as an east–west transcontinental highway.  It followed the Platte River route across Nebraska; ultimately, about half of its mileage was on the Union Pacific right-of-way.<ref name=lincolnhwyreg>Puschendorf, L. Robert (2007).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620220455/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/platte/PT00-280-LincolnHwyDuncan.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lincoln Highway-Duncan West.]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>
It also crossed the Loup on the bridge at Columbus.<ref name=columbusloupbridgereg>Fraser, Clayton D. (1991).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620215900/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/platte/PT00-068-ColumbusLoupBridg.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbus Loup River Bridge.]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>
In 1926, the route became [[U.S. Route 30|U.S. Highway 30]].<ref>Puschendorf, L. Robert (2000).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620212741/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/hall/HL08-066_Gloe_Brothers_Svc.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Gloe Brothers Service Station]}}.  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-23.</ref>

Traffic on the two transcontinental auto routes through and near central Columbus spurred a burst of commercial construction.  Hotels were expanded and new ones built; service garages were opened.  To make the route through Columbus more attractive to motorists, the city undertook to illuminate and pave the downtown streets.  By 1925, all of the city's major commercial thoroughfares were paved, and almost every lot along 13th Street (the Lincoln Highway) between 23rd and 29th Avenues was occupied by a commercial building.<ref name=columbuscommercialreg>Kooiman, Barbara M. and Elizabeth A. Butterfield (1996).  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100620215338/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/platte/PT01-ColumbusComHD.pdf National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Columbus Commercial Historic District.]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>

Rural Platte County suffered badly from the [[Great Depression]].  Grain and livestock prices had been high during [[World War I]], engendering a [[Economic bubble|bubble]] in farmland; to acquire additional acres, farmers had secured them with mortgages not only on the newly purchased land, but also on their older holdings.  The fall in the prices of agricultural commodities, combined with drought-induced crop failures in 1934 and 1936, forced many such farmers to abandon their lands.<ref name=olson>Olson, Ralph Eugene (1937).  [http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geographythesis/1/ ''Water Power Development on the Lower Loup River: A Study in Economic Geography.'']  Master's thesis, Department of Geography, University of Nebraska at Lincoln.  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>{{rp|44–5}}

The civic and commercial leaders of Columbus aggressively sought federal and state funds for local construction projects during this time.  In 1931, the Meridian Viaduct was completed, carrying the combined Meridian and Lincoln highways across the Union Pacific tracks and eliminating a grade-level crossing.<ref name=curry />{{rp|328}}
In 1930–31, the aging and inadequate bridge across the Platte was replaced; in 1932–33, a new bridge was built at the Loup crossing.<ref name=columbusloupbridgereg />

===Hydro power===
The most expensive and ambitious of Columbus's Depression-era public-works efforts was the construction of the [[Loup Canal|Loup Project]].  This was a {{convert|35|mi|adj=on}} canal running from a diversion weir on the Loup River in [[Nance County, Nebraska|Nance County]] to the Platte River about {{convert|1|mi}} below the mouth of the Loup.<ref name=publicpower>Firth, Robert E. (1962).  ''Public Power in Nebraska''.  Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.</ref>{{rp|130–33}}
The waters of the canal run through two [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] generating stations: one north of [[Monroe, Nebraska|Monroe]] with a capacity of 7,800&nbsp;kW; and one at Columbus with a capacity of 45,600&nbsp;kW.<ref>[http://www.loup.com/aboutus/hydroelec.asp "Hydroelectric system".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100605025101/http://www.loup.com/aboutus/hydroelec.asp |date=2010-06-05 }}  [http://www.loup.com/ Loup Power District.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060612203332/http://www.loup.com/ |date=2006-06-12 }}  Retrieved 2010-04-14.</ref>

[[File:Columbus hydroelectric plant (Nebraska) 2.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Powerhouse with tailrace canal running out of base; electrical transformers on canal bank at right|Loup Canal hydroelectric plant and tailrace canal at Columbus]]

Initially financed with a loan and grant of $7.3 million from the [[Public Works Administration]],<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|124}}
construction of the diversion structure, canal, and powerhouses began in August 1934<ref name=lpdbook>Farritor, Sharon (2006).  ''Power and Progress: The History of Loup Power District 1933-2006''.  Published by Loup Power District.</ref>{{rp|78}}
and was finished, apart from some final details, in September 1938.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|129}}
At its peak, in October 1936, the project directly employed 1,352 people.<ref name=olson />{{rp|222}}

To make payments on the Loup Project bonds, the Loup River Public Power District had to find a market for its electricity.  Rural electrification was not expanding rapidly, and private power companies in Nebraska were only willing to buy a small fraction of the project's power.  Although the provisions of the [[Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935]] gave East Coast holding companies an incentive to sell off their Nebraska subsidiaries, bankers were unwilling to finance their sale to the Loup District because of its debts from the canal project.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|139–40}}

In 1939, Consumers Public Power District was formed in Columbus.  The new organization's purpose was to buy power from the Loup Project and from the Tri-County and Sutherland projects on the Platte in central Nebraska, and to market it to consumers and municipal utilities.  To this end, it was authorized to issue revenue bonds for the purchase of privately held power companies.  By 1942, it had purchased all of the private electrical utilities in Nebraska outside of the immediate vicinity of Omaha;<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|139–47}} 
by 1949, the last of the private utilities had been bought up, making Nebraska the only state in the nation to be served entirely by public power.<ref>[http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0800/frameset_reset.html?http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0800/stories/0801_0505.html "The Tri-County Project: Public Power in Nebraska".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227193218/http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0800/frameset_reset.html?http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nebraskastudies.org%2F0800%2Fstories%2F0801_0505.html |date=2016-12-27 }}  [http://www.nebraskastudies.org/ NebraskaStudies.org.]  Retrieved 2010-04-15.</ref>

===World War II to 2000===
With the arrival of [[World War II]], Columbus's boosters sought a war plant for Columbus.  They persuaded the federal government to purchase {{convert|90|acre}} in northeastern Columbus, and to build a railroad line to the site.  Before construction of the projected aluminum-extrusion plant could begin, however, it became clear that the war would end soon and that the plant would not be needed.<ref name=sites>[http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/FactsBook/Columbusbook.pdf "Community Facts: Columbus, Nebraska".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714211148/http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/FactsBook/Columbusbook.pdf |date=2011-07-14 }}  [http://sites.nppd.com/ Nebraska Public Power District.]  Retrieved 2010-04-15.</ref>
The site was sold as surplus property to the Loup District for a fraction of its original cost; the district turned it into an industrial site.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|137–38}}
In 1946, [[Walter Behlen|Behlen Manufacturing]] built a factory on the site;<ref name=curry />{{rp|389}}
the rest of the available land was occupied soon thereafter.<ref name=publicpower />{{rp|138}}

Columbus Public Schools in 1968 cut off non-resident students in order to become financially solvent, leaving students north of town without an education.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=ZACH ROTH The Columbus|title=Lakeview begins to ramp up renovations|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/lakeview-begins-to-ramp-up-renovations/article_8397a56e-fc8d-564f-a317-8e1f58c73319.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=March 14, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> In response, Lakeview Community Schools was formed. There are also several Catholic schools in Columbus, including Scotus Central Catholic High School.

Columbus made headlines in 1997 when 25 million pounds of beef from a Hudson Foods plant in the city were [[Product recall|recalled]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|last=Janofsky|first=Michael|date=1997-08-22|title=25 Million Pounds of Beef Is Recalled|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/22/us/25-million-pounds-of-beef-is-recalled.html|access-date=2021-10-03|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> At the time, it was the largest recall in United States history.<ref name=":2" />

In 1999, the East-Central District Health Department was formed as the Platte-Colfax County District Health Department.<ref>{{Cite web|title=East-Central District Health Department : About Us : Mission and History|url=https://ecdhd.ne.gov/who-we-are/mission-and-history.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=ecdhd.ne.gov|language=en}}</ref> Platte County, including Columbus, is one of four counties served by the [[Health departments in the United States|health department]], which is located in Columbus along with the Good Neighbor Community Health Center.

=== 2000-present ===
Over 20% of Columbus residents are Hispanic or Latino, as of the 2020 census.<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-06-24}}</ref> In 2009, Fernando Lopez, Karen Gomez and Maria Davila founded Columbus-based Centro Hispano Comunitario de Nebraska which provides immigration, education and business services in three counties.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=ZACH ROTH The Columbus|title=Gala to celebrate Centro Hispano's decade|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/gala-to-celebrate-centro-hispanos-decade/article_eef147d3-3048-5f35-85aa-eb0d8f1fded7.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=October 11, 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=https://www.centrohispanos.com/|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Centro Hispano|language=en}}</ref>

A Columbus man died during the Midwestern flooding in 2019.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=Zaveri|first=Mihir|date=2019-03-17|title=Record-High Floods in Nebraska Breach Levees and Isolate Towns|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/16/us/nebraska-flooding.html|access-date=2021-10-04|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He had been trying to help someone stranded in the floodwaters when the bridge he was crossing collapsed.<ref name=":1" />

During [[COVID-19 pandemic|the COVID-19 pandemic]], the Columbus City Council passed a mask mandate in a special meeting held in late November.<ref>{{Cite web|last=STAFF|first=TELEGRAM|title=Columbus City Council approves mask mandate|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/columbus-city-council-approves-mask-mandate/article_5600f660-d38e-562c-935c-d9958a887573.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=November 24, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The council voted four to four on the mandate and Mayor Jim Bulkley broke the tie in favor of the mandate. In January 2021, the council voted on an amended ordinance which required masks only if cases hit a certain level.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=CAROLYN KOMATSOULIS The Columbus|title=Columbus mask mandate to be lifted|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/columbus-mask-mandate-to-be-lifted/article_dee7aa76-5ada-52fe-854a-71a8384f148e.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=January 6, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The ordinance expired on Feb. 23, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=CAROLYN KOMATSOULIS The Columbus|title=Columbus' mask mandate to end in a week|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/columbus-mask-mandate-to-end-in-a-week/article_4566589d-13f4-59e8-a2cd-058845c51abf.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=February 16, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

Voters in [[2020 United States elections|the 2020 election]] approved a community building project, with space for a library, a potential children's museum, an art gallery, coffee shop, community room and City Hall. A previous library ballot measure had failed in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=CAROLYN KOMATSOULIS The Columbus|title=WATCH NOW: Getting the ball rolling: Voters approve issuing bonds Community Building Project|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/watch-now-getting-the-ball-rolling-voters-approve-issuing-bonds-community-building-project/article_91ea62f4-b9b6-5359-ab7d-6e3f8cd16b76.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=November 5, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Demolition of the library began in May 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=TELEGRAM|first=MOLLY HUNTER, THE COLUMBUS|title=WATCH NOW: Columbus Public Library demolition underway|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/national/watch-now-columbus-public-library-demolition-underway/video_0c924915-620b-5d3c-80eb-b9e418d9f1cf.html|access-date=2021-10-03|website=Columbus Telegram|date=May 18, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The Columbus Community Building held its grand opening in July 2023 with the Library and City Hall moving into the building immediately, followed by the Columbus Arts Council, Children's Museum, and a coffee shop.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YEAR IN REVIEW: #1 Columbus Community Building opens! |url=https://www.columbusne.us/civicalerts.aspx?aid=1419|access-date=2024-03-21|website=Columbus Nebraska website |language=en}}</ref>

A fire smoldered at the Columbus [[ADM (company)|Archer Daniels Midland]] facility for several weeks in summer 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=MOLLY HUNTER The Columbus|title=Nebraska ADM facility's fire continues smoldering for weeks|url=https://herald-review.com/business/local/nebraska-adm-facilitys-fire-continues-smoldering-for-weeks/article_3afa64cd-3dd7-55ed-8e7c-5679dff75734.html|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Herald-Review.com|date=August 2, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Columbus' fire chief resigned less than a week after the public found out about the [[fire]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Columbus fire chief resigns less than one week after ADM fire|url=https://central.newschannelnebraska.com/story/44443437/columbus-fire-chief-resigns-less-than-one-week-after-adm-fire|access-date=2021-10-04|website=central.newschannelnebraska.com|language=en}}</ref>

== Government ==
Columbus is governed by a [[mayor]] and city council, which has eight members who represent four wards.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Government {{!}} Columbus, Nebraska - Official Website|url=https://www.columbusne.us/27/Government|access-date=2021-10-04|website=www.columbusne.us}}</ref> The council members are elected for four-year terms on a staggered basis. Columbus' mayor is also elected for a four-year term. The current mayor is Jim Bulkley and the current council members are Council President Rich Jablonski, Ron Schilling, Hope Freshour, J. Prent Roth, Troy Hiemer, Cynthia Alarcón, Katherine Lopez, and Charlie Bahr.<ref>{{Cite web|title=City Council {{!}} Columbus, Nebraska - Official Website|url=https://www.columbusne.us/89/City-Council|access-date=2024-03-21|website=www.columbusne.us}}</ref>

Evelyn Kusek was the first female city council member and served as the first female council president in 1967 and 1968.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Telegram|first=CAROLYN KOMATSOULIS The Columbus|title=WATCH NOW: Beth Augustine-Schulte elected third female council president|url=https://columbustelegram.com/news/local/watch-now-beth-augustine-schulte-elected-third-female-council-president/article_cb5fb7c1-840a-5004-b465-21410e6945a9.html|access-date=2021-10-04|website=Columbus Telegram|date=December 9, 2020 |language=en}}</ref> Sandra Riley served as the second female city council president in 1991, 1992 and 1993.<ref name=":0" /> Beth Augustine-Schulte served as the third female city council president in 2021, 2022, and 2023.<ref>{{Cite web|title=14 YEARS STRONG - Augustine-Schulte announces resignation from Columbus City Council {{!}} Columbus, Nebraska - Official Website|url=https://www.columbusne.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1368|access-date=2024-03-21|website=www.columbusne.us}}</ref>

==Geography==
Columbus is located {{convert|85|mi}} west of Omaha and {{convert|75|mi}} northwest of Lincoln. It is on the north side of the Loup River near its confluence with the Platte River.  U.S. Highways [[U.S. Route 30|30]] and [[U.S. Route 81|81]] intersect in the city, and the main line of the Union Pacific railroad passes through it.<ref name=sites />
[[File:Snow in Columbus.jpg|thumb|Columbus saw snow in November 2020]]
The city lies at an elevation of {{convert|1447|ft}}.  It is built on the flat terrain of the Platte River valley; rolling hills rise to the north of the city.<ref name=sites />

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|10.08|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|9.85|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.23|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-06-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>

=== Climate ===
Columbus has a monsoonal hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dwa'') typical of this part of Nebraska, characterized by cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers. Precipitation is concentrated between April and October with a maximum during the late spring and early summer, and averages {{convert|26.87|in|mm|abbr=on}} annually.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ne1825|title=COLUMBUS 3 NE, NEBRASKA - Climate Summary|website=wrcc.dri.edu|access-date=2018-07-19}}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Columbus, Nebraska (1991–2020, extremes 1893–present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 70
|Feb record high F = 77
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 100
|May record high F = 103
|Jun record high F = 109
|Jul record high F = 115
|Aug record high F = 111
|Sep record high F = 105
|Oct record high F = 96
|Nov record high F = 85
|Dec record high F = 78
|year record high F = 115

|Jan avg record high F = 55.2
|Feb avg record high F = 60.6
|Mar avg record high F = 74.4
|Apr avg record high F = 84.5
|May avg record high F = 91.8
|Jun avg record high F = 95.9
|Jul avg record high F = 97.8
|Aug avg record high F = 95.8
|Sep avg record high F = 92.2
|Oct avg record high F = 84.2
|Nov avg record high F = 70.1
|Dec avg record high F = 56.1
|year avg record high F = 99.2

|Jan high F = 32.3
|Feb high F = 36.6
|Mar high F = 49.6
|Apr high F = 61.7
|May high F = 72.8
|Jun high F = 83.1
|Jul high F = 86.9
|Aug high F = 84.2
|Sep high F = 77.4
|Oct high F = 63.0
|Nov high F = 47.7
|Dec high F = 35.5
|year high F = 60.9
|Jan mean F = 23.1
|Feb mean F = 27.2
|Mar mean F = 38.9
|Apr mean F = 50.4
|May mean F = 61.9
|Jun mean F = 72.4
|Jul mean F = 76.4
|Aug mean F = 73.9
|Sep mean F = 65.9
|Oct mean F = 52.0
|Nov mean F = 37.7
|Dec mean F = 26.6
|year mean F = 50.5
|Jan low F = 13.8
|Feb low F = 17.7
|Mar low F = 28.2
|Apr low F = 39.0
|May low F = 51.0
|Jun low F = 61.7
|Jul low F = 66.0
|Aug low F = 63.6
|Sep low F = 54.5
|Oct low F = 41.1
|Nov low F = 27.7
|Dec low F = 17.7
|year low F = 40.2

|Jan avg record low F = -7.6
|Feb avg record low F = -2.9
|Mar avg record low F = 7.8
|Apr avg record low F = 23.1
|May avg record low F = 35.6
|Jun avg record low F = 48.9
|Jul avg record low F = 55.1
|Aug avg record low F = 52.7
|Sep avg record low F = 38.7
|Oct avg record low F = 23.3
|Nov avg record low F = 10.1
|Dec avg record low F = -2.5
|year avg record low F = -11.3

|Jan record low F = −29
|Feb record low F = −29
|Mar record low F = −15
|Apr record low F = 4
|May record low F = 22
|Jun record low F = 34
|Jul record low F = 41
|Aug record low F = 37
|Sep record low F = 24
|Oct record low F = 6
|Nov record low F = -14
|Dec record low F = −25
|year record low F = -29
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.65
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.73
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.39
|Apr precipitation inch = 2.93
|May precipitation inch = 4.57
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.69
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.46
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.27
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.48
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.35
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.22
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.93
|year precipitation inch = 28.67
|Jan snow inch = 6.6
|Feb snow inch = 6.0
|Mar snow inch = 3.8
|Apr snow inch = 1.1
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.7
|Nov snow inch = 1.8
|Dec snow inch = 5.6
|year snow inch = 25.6
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 5.0
|Feb precipitation days = 5.1
|Mar precipitation days = 6.9
|Apr precipitation days = 8.5
|May precipitation days = 11.1
|Jun precipitation days = 10.2
|Jul precipitation days = 8.6
|Aug precipitation days = 8.8
|Sep precipitation days = 7.0
|Oct precipitation days = 7.3
|Nov precipitation days = 4.7
|Dec precipitation days = 5.6
|year precipitation days = 88.8
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.4
|Feb snow days = 3.3
|Mar snow days = 1.5
|Apr snow days = 0.5
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.3
|Nov snow days = 1.3
|Dec snow days = 3.4
|year snow days = 13.7
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name=nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=oax
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|access-date = November 14, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00251825&format=pdf
| title = Station: Columbus 3 NE, NE
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = November 14, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population|align=left
|1870= 526
|1880= 2131
|1890= 3134
|1900= 3522
|1910= 5014
|1920= 5410
|1930= 6898
|1940= 7632
|1950= 8884
|1960= 12476
|1970= 15471
|1980= 17328
|1990= 19480
|2000= 20971
|2010= 22111
|2020= 24028
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=October 16, 2013}}</ref><br />2018 Estimate<ref name="2018 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://census.gov/data/tables/2018/demo/popest/total-cities-and-towns.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 8, 2018}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
The [[2020 United States census]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov| access-date=2023-12-18 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref> counted 24,028 people, 9,535 households, and 5,732 families in Columbus. The population density was 2,323.8 per square mile (897.2/km{{sup|2}}). There were 10,028 housing units at an average density of 969.8 per square mile (374.5/km{{sup|2}}). The racial makeup was 74.64% (17,935) [[White (U.S. Census)|white]], 1.48% (355) [[African American (U.S. Census)|black or African-American]], 1.14% (273) [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.75% (180) [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% (4) [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 12.35% (2,967) from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 9.63% (2,314) from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race was 23.0% (5,401) of the population.

Of the 9,535 households, 28.4% had children under the age of 18; 45.9% were married couples living together; 27.4% had a female householder with no husband present. 36.0% of households consisted of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 3.2.

25.1% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 100.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 100.6 males.

The 2016-2020 5-year [[American Community Survey]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov|access-date=2023-12-18|website=data.census.gov}}</ref> estimates show that the median household income was $57,919 (with a margin of error of +/- $4,391) and the median family income $75,696 (+/- $4,083). Males had a median income of $40,580 (+/- $2,797) versus $30,000 (+/- $2,355) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $33,573 (+/- $2,403). Approximately, 5.2% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.8% of those under the age of 18 and 6.0% of those ages 65 or over.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="wwwcensusgov"/> of 2010, there were 22,111 people, 8,874 households, and 5,811 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|2244.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 9,322 housing units at an average density of {{convert|946.4|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.9% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.5% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 8.2% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.8% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 16.3% of the population.

There were 8,874 households, of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.5% were non-families. 29.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.04.

The median age in the city was 37.1 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 25.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

===2000 census===
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,971 people, 8,302 households, and 5,562 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|2,337.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 8,818 housing units at an average density of {{convert|982.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 87.19% White, 1.45% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.49% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races.  Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.65% of the population.

There were 8,302 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.7% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 36 years.  For every 100 females, there were 94.1 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the city was $38,874, and the median income for a family was $48,669.  Males had a median income of $30,980 versus $22,063 for females.  The [[per capita income]] for the city was $18,345. About 4.5% of families and 6.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

==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]], a medical products company that 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<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nfpahub.com/news/nfpa-welcomes-new-manufacturer-member-columbus-hydraulics/|title=NFPA Welcomes New Manufacturer Member: Columbus Hydraulics|first=Leslie|last=Miller|date=December 10, 2015}}</ref> The company designs and manufactures hydraulic cylinders for agriculture, construction, turf, utility,  and railroad,;<ref>https://ioadvisors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/2016-Hydraulic-Cylinders-Industry-Report.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sandhillsexpress.com/local-news/city-council-approves-grant-for-columbus-hydraulics/|title=Columbus Hydraulics Building New Facility, City Council Approves Grant}}</ref> CAMACO, a manufacturer of automotive seat frames; [[Cargill]], which operates 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 Public Schools; and Columbus Community Hospital.<ref>[http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/fastfacts.asp?city=Columbus "Community Fast Facts Profile: Columbus, Nebraska".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002020843/http://sites.nppd.com/aedc/fastfacts.asp?city=Columbus |date=2011-10-02 }}  [http://sites.nppd.com/ Nebraska Public Power District.]  Retrieved 2011-07-21.</ref>

==Media==
Columbus has one newspaper, the ''[[Columbus Telegram]]''.  The newspaper is published five days a week.<ref>[http://www.columbustelegram.com/ Columbus Telegram] official website. Retrieved 2017-10-28.</ref>

There are 6 radio stations in Columbus. [[KTLX]] at FM 91.3 is a religious station; [[KKOT]] at FM 93.5 plays [[classic hits]]. [[KZEN]] at FM 100.3 broadcasts [[country music]]; the station is licensed in [[Central City, Nebraska|Central City]], but the studio is in Columbus. [[KLIR]] at FM 101.1 plays [[adult contemporary]] music; [[KJSK]] at AM 900 is a [[news talk]] station; and [[KTTT]] at AM 1510 is a polka and oldies country station.

==Education==
A [[Carnegie library]] was built in 1913–15; the current [[Columbus Public Library (Columbus, Nebraska)|Columbus Public Library]] replaced it in 1977.

===Central Community College===
A campus of [[Central Community College (Nebraska)|Central Community College]] is located four miles (6&nbsp;km) northwest of the city. Its athletic teams are the Raiders.<ref>[http://www.cccneb.edu/ Central Community College-Columbus]. Retrieved 2008-04-11.</ref>

===Primary and secondary schools===
[[Columbus Public Schools (Nebraska)|Columbus Public Schools]] operates [[Columbus High School (Nebraska)|Columbus High School]], a middle school and five elementary schools: Centennial, West Park, North Park, Lost Creek, and Emerson.<ref>[http://www.columbuspublicschools.org/schools.htm Columbus Public Schools] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313000526/http://www.columbuspublicschools.org/schools.htm |date=2009-03-13 }}. Retrieved 2009-03-24.</ref> 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.<ref>[http://www.columbustelegram.com/articles/2008/05/21/news/local/doc4834481b8382d542901826.txt "School marks final days with open house"] ''Columbus Telegram''.  2008-05-21. Retrieved 2009-03-24.</ref> Columbus High, with 1,100 students is the largest area high school. Its athletic teams are the Discoverers.<ref>[http://www.columbuspublicschools.org/ColumbusHigh/ColumbusHigh.htm Columbus High School] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521230035/http://www.columbuspublicschools.org/ColumbusHigh/ColumbusHigh.htm |date=2006-05-21 }}. Retrieved 2008-04-11.</ref>

[[Scotus Central Catholic High School]] is a Catholic school named after [[John Duns Scotus]]; it serves grades 7 through 12. Its teams are the Shamrocks.<ref>[http://www.scotuscc.org/ Scotus Central Catholic Jr.-Sr. High School]. Retrieved 2008-04-11.</ref>

[[Lakeview Community Schools]], including [[Lakeview High School (Nebraska)|Lakeview High School]], serves a rural community north of the city. The school district is located just north of Lake Babcock, and its teams are the Vikings.

==Attractions==
[[File:Glur Tavern from E.JPG|thumb|alt=Two-story wooden building with "Glur's Tavern" signs and several modern beer signs|Glur's Tavern]]

The Andrew Jackson Higgins National Memorial in Pawnee Park features a life-sized replica of a [[LCVP (United States)|Higgins boat]] with bronze statues of soldiers exiting into the sand.  The memorial includes sand samples from 58 beaches of historic significance: D-Day beaches of World War II, and beaches in Korea and Vietnam.  The site is also home to the Freedom Memorial, which incorporates steel from the remains of the [[World Trade Center (1973-2001)|World Trade Center]], destroyed by [[September 11 attacks|terrorist attacks]] on September 11, 2001.<ref>[http://www.higginsmemorial.com/ Higgins Memorial] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119125833/http://www.higginsmemorial.com/ |date=2005-11-19 }}. Retrieved 2008-04-11.</ref>

[[Glur's Tavern]], built in 1876, is the oldest tavern west of the Missouri River still in operation. The tavern was patronized by "Buffalo Bill" Cody during his frequent visits to Columbus.<ref name=frear>Frear, Shelley. [http://www.truewestmagazine.com/stories/buffalo_bill_s_columbus_adventure/920/ "Buffalo Bill's Columbus Adventure"].  ''True West Magazine''.  2006-07-01.  Retrieved 2009-12-14.</ref>  The tavern is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000411035732/http://nebraskahistory.org/histpres/nebraska/platte.htm "Nebraska National Register Sites in Platte County".]}}  {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/19990129073714/http://www.nebraskahistory.org/index.htm Nebraska State Historical Society.]}}  Retrieved 2010-04-15.</ref>

The Platte County Agricultural Society hosts a number of events at Agricultural Park.  The Platte County Fair is held there annually.<ref>[http://www.agpark.com/history.htm "Ag Park History."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526171529/http://www.agpark.com/history.htm |date=2010-05-26 }}  Platte County Agricultural Society.  Retrieved 2009-12-12.</ref>  Live thoroughbred horse racing takes place at the park every year from late July through mid-September; races from other tracks are simulcast throughout the year.<ref name=familyfun>[http://www.visitcolumbusne.com/?page_id=409 "Family Fun."]  Columbus/Platte County Convention and Visitors Bureau.  Retrieved 2011-06-22.</ref>
[[File:Frankfort Square in Columbus.jpg|thumb|Frankfort Square in downtown Columbus is a park in Columbus, Nebraska, where activities like Columbus Days and Lawn Chairs on the Square take place.]]
U.S. 30 Speedway stages weekly auto races from April to September.<ref name=familyfun />

The Columbus Marching Festival is held every September, hosting High School marching bands from in and outside of the state.<ref name=familyfun />

The Columbus Days Parade is held a week in August in downtown Columbus, NE.<ref name=familyfun />

===Pawnee Plunge===
Pawnee Plunge is an outdoor water park located in Columbus. It first opened in late May 2006, and features four main waterslides that include a tube slide, 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.visitcolumbusne.com/index.php/interior-pages/splash-n-play-the-pawnee-plunge-way/|title=Splash-n-play the Pawnee Plunge Way|website=visitcolumbusne.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515051054/http://www.visitcolumbusne.com/index.php/interior-pages/splash-n-play-the-pawnee-plunge-way/|archive-date=2012-05-15|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://maps.google.co.in/maps?gl=in&daddr=560+33rd+Ave,+Columbus,+NE+68601,+United+States&panel=1&f=d&fb=1&dirflg=d&geocode=0,41.422160,-97.368336&cid=0,0,12129563246088215539&hq=Pawnee+Plunge|title=Google Maps|website=Google Maps|access-date=2017-07-03}}</ref>

The park is funded by the City of Columbus with a {{frac|1|2}}-cent sales tax.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.columbusne.us/pawneeplunge|title=Columbus, Nebraska - Official Website - Pawnee Plunge Water Park|website=www.columbusne.us|language=en|access-date=2017-07-03}}</ref>

==Notable people==
Columbus is the birthplace of [[Andrew Higgins|Andrew Jackson Higgins]], creator/designer of the [[LCVP (United States)|Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP)]], or Higgins boat, used during [[World War II]].

Noteworthy current or former residents of Columbus include [[Chuck Hagel]], US Secretary of Defense from 2013 to 2015; actor [[Brad William Henke]]; world heavyweight boxing champion [[Leon Spinks]]; architect [[Emiel Christensen]]; and NFL football players [[Joe Blahak]], [[Cory Schlesinger]], and [[Chad Mustard]].

[[Lucas Cruikshank]], creator of [[YouTube]] series FRED and its main character [[Fred Figglehorn]], is a former Columbus resident.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2928381/bio "Biography for Lucas Cruikshank".]  [https://www.imdb.com/ Internet Movie Database.]  Retrieved 2009-12-26.</ref>

[[Lon Milo DuQuette]], occultist author and musician, is a graduate of Columbus High School.

[[Lotan Harold DeWolf]] (31 January 1905 – 24 March 1986), usually cited as '''L. Harold Dewolf''', was an American [[Methodist]] minister and professor of [[systematic theology]] at [[Boston University]] where he was [[Martin Luther King Jr.]]'s "primary teacher and mentor".DeWolf was born on 31 January 1905 in Columbus, Nebraska. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1924, then pursued theological studies at Boston University where, in 1926, he obtained a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree. His father was a minister at the First Methodist Church in Columbus.

[[Marion Van Berg]] (January 15, 1896 – May 3, 1971) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. He was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1970.[1] His son, Jack Van Berg, also went on to racing horse fame.  Van Berg Stables was headquartered in Columbus, NE at the location of the Van Berg Sales Pavilion.

[[Jack Van Berg]] John Charles "Jack" Van Berg, (June 7, 1936 in Columbus, Nebraska – December 27, 2017) was an American Hall of Fame horse trainer. Born into a horse racing family, his father was the Hall of Fame trainer, Marion Van Berg.[1] Both father and son have been inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.

[[Jim Pillen]] (born December 31, 1955) is an American politician, veterinarian and livestock producer serving as the 41st and current governor of [[Nebraska]] since 2023.[4] A member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], Pillen served on the [[University of Nebraska]] Board of Regents from 2013 to 2023.

[[Ernest Hausmann]] (born August 20, 2003) is an American football linebacker. A native of [[Uganda]], he played college football for [[Nebraska]] in 2022 and entered the [[NCAA]] transfer portal after the 2022 season where he was ranked the top player in the portal. He transferred to the [[Michigan Wolverines]], winning a national championship the next year.

==See also==
{{portal|Nebraska}}
* [[List of municipalities in Nebraska]]

==References==
{{reflist|22em}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Columbus, Nebraska}}
* {{official website|http://www.columbusne.us}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Columbus (Nebraska)|display=Columbus. A city and the county-seat of Platte County, Neb |short=x}}
* {{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Columbus (Nebraska)|display=Columbus, a city of Nebraska}}

{{Platte County, Nebraska}}
{{Nebraska county seats}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Nebraska]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of Nebraska]]
[[Category:Cities in Platte County, Nebraska]]
[[Category:County seats in Nebraska]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1856]]
[[Category:1856 establishments in Nebraska Territory]]