Columbus is located in Muscogee County and it is the county seat. It lies southwest of Macon along Highway 80, on the banks of the Chattahoochee River near the Alabama state line in the Southern Rivers Region of the state.

Columbus was one of the last planned cities in the original 13 Colonies. Surveyors came to the banks of the Chattahoochee River in the early 1800s. The river's power helped make Columbus the South's first city to become an industrial center. And, although nearly two centuries have passed, Columbus is still a river town. Today, it serves as a trading center for the Chattahoochee Valley. A large army base, Fort Benning, lies nine miles south of Columbus. The Columbus Metropolitan Airport is the local gateway to Atlanta Hartsfield International and the Charlotte Douglas International airports.

There are nearly 20 attractions and the city is home to the Columbus State University campus.