Columbus, OH Metro Area
The Columbus, OH metro area is made up of 10 counties in Ohio; the largest are Franklin County, Delaware County, and Licking County. About 2,242,028 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 4.8% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 2,242,028 4.8% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 10: 3 central, 7 outlying
- Land area
- 4,797 sq mi (12,425 km²)
- Time zone
- Eastern TimeUTC-05:00 in January; UTC-04:00 in July
- State
- Ohio
- Combined statistical area
- Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH
- CBSA code
- 18140
Counties in the Columbus, OH metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | Central | 1,361,536 | 60.7% |
| Delaware County | Central | 242,032 | 10.8% |
| Licking County | Outlying | 185,564 | 8.3% |
| Fairfield County | Central | 169,752 | 7.6% |
| Union County | Outlying | 73,446 | 3.3% |
| Pickaway County | Outlying | 62,978 | 2.8% |
| Madison County | Outlying | 46,985 | 2.1% |
| Morrow County | Outlying | 36,305 | 1.6% |
| Perry County | Outlying | 35,918 | 1.6% |
| Hocking County | Outlying | 27,512 | 1.2% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central counties, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Columbus914,802 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 8 areas in this one, largest first:
- Zanesville, OH Micro Area87,014 people
- Chillicothe, OH Micro Area76,429 people
- Marion, OH Micro Area65,115 people
- Mount Vernon, OH Micro Area64,002 people
- Athens, OH Micro Area63,197 people
- Bellefontaine, OH Micro Area46,302 people
- Cambridge, OH Micro Area38,379 people
- Washington Court House, OH Micro Area28,552 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Mount Vernon, OH Micro Area39 mi northeast
- Washington Court House, OH Micro Area39 mi southwest
- Urbana, OH Micro Area42 mi west
- Marion, OH Micro Area43 mi north
- Springfield, OH Metro Area43 mi west
- Chillicothe, OH Micro Area45 mi south
- Bellefontaine, OH Micro Area49 mi northwest
- Zanesville, OH Micro Area52 mi east
- Bucyrus, OH Micro Area57 mi north
- Mansfield, OH Metro Area59 mi northeast
- Coshocton, OH Micro Area63 mi east
- Athens, OH Micro Area66 mi southeast
All 13
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.