Named after the Italian explorer who sailed under the Spanish flag (''In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue''), this city is the largest in Ohio in terms of population with 730,657 (1.7 million in the metropolitan area, which is third in size in Ohio behind Greater Cleveland and Greater Cincinnati) and the 15th largest in the country. A lot of growth has been fueled by government jobs (as the state capital), The Ohio State University (the largest student population in the nation) and numerous Fortune 500 companies headquartered here (Cardinal Health, Nationwide Insurance, Limited Brands, etc.). It is a day's drive from one half of the U.S. population and is located at the intersection of I-70 and I-71. Columbus will surprise you! A wholesome, slice of Mid-western pie, Columbus has an edge that many other "red" states don't. Columbus has the second largest gay/lesbian population in the country, and it is home to many "names" in the art and fashion world.Generally arranged in a ''really big wheel'', Columbus is the central hub to many nearby cities including (clockwise from the north): *Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Indianapolis.*{{ForecastNOAA|Columbus|39.96118|-82.99879}} http://wikitravel.org/en/Columbus