What county is Columbus, Ohio, in?

Columbus, the largest city in Ohio, is located in Franklin County. Columbus is the main city in the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes 10 counties.

Prior to being incorporated and named state capital in 1816, Columbus as a city did not exist. In 1812, the area where Columbus is situated was chosen and designed to be Ohio’s capital city because of its location in the center of the state. Between 1812 and 1816, the Columbus area grew to include a church, school, newspaper and penitentiary. Previously, the state capital had been in both Chillicothe and Zanesville. Franklin County was established in 1803 and is named after Benjamin Franklin.