 TRANSPORTATION
Motor Carrier:
| Federal | State | County |
|---|
| Number of INTERSTATE Highways Serving City..... | 0 | | |
| Number of Limited Access, Four-Lane Highways..... | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Number of Improved Two-Lane Highways..... | 0 | 0 | 5 |
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| Hwy. Name | | Miles |
|---|
| Miles to nearest Interstate highway..... | I-80 | | 51 |
|
| Miles to nearest four-lane highway..... | U.S. #81 and U.S. #30 | | 0 |
| Motor Freight Carriers: | |||||||
| | There are more than 8,000 licensed motor freight carriers with global connections
in Nebraska. These carriers can serve businesses throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. |
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Transit Time for Carload or Truckload Lots to:
| Destination | Days
by Railroad | | Days
by Motor Freight |
|---|
| Chicago.......... | 1-3 days | | 1-2 days |
| Dallas.......... | 3-4 days | | 2-3 days |
| Denver.......... | 1-3 days | | 1-2 days |
| Kansas City.......... | 1-3 days | | 1-2 days |
| Los Angeles.......... | 4-7 days | | 2-3 days |
| Minneapolis.......... | 1-3 days | | 1-2 days |
| New York.......... | 4-7 days | | 3-5 days |
| St. Louis.......... | 1-3 days | | 2-3 days |
| |
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| Work is underway to complete U.S. Highway 81 as a four-lane highway between Columbus and York. When finished, U.S. Highway 81 will be four-lane from Norfolk to Kansas border. Four-lane construction on U.S. Highway 30 from Columbus to Schuyler is complete. Construction from two-lane to four-lane continues on U.S. Highway 30 between Schuyler and Fremont. Highway 275 is nearing completion as a four-lane highway from Fremont to Omaha. |
Air:
| Distance to nearest public airport..... | 5 minute(s) | | Elevation..... | 1,444 feet | | Length of longest runway..... | 6,780 feet | | Runway lighted..... | Yes | | Private aircraft storage available..... | Yes | | Private aircraft maintenance available..... | Yes | | Distance to nearest commercial air transportation..... | 75 minute(s) |
Distance to nearest international airport:
| Name of Airport | Miles to Airport
from Community |
|---|
| Omaha Eppley International | 91 |
| Kansas City International | 257 |
| Denver International | 463 |
| The Columbus Municipal Airport is utilized by both commercial and private aircraft. Air freight and air express services are available. Commercial air service is available at the Lincoln Airport, 75 miles (75 minutes) southeast, and Omaha's Eppley Airfield, 84 miles (95 minutes) east of Columbus. |
| Barge service is available at 10 barge terminal facilities on the Missouri River in Nebraska. These river ports are navigable approximately eight months per year. The Omaha river port is 85 miles east of Columbus. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains a 9-foot deep, 300 foot wide channel for 735 navigable miles from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri River. Commodities transported by towing companies are grain and grain products, fertilizer, feed ingredients, cement, rock-aggregate and salt. |
Rail:
| Community Served by Railroad..... | Yes | | | Distance to Nearest Railroad..... | 0 mile(s) | | Number of Freight Trains Per Day..... | 85 | | Functional Piggyback Ramp Available..... | No | | Distance to Nearest Piggyback Service..... | 90 mile(s) |
| Name of Railroad(s) Serving Community: | Union Pacific Railroad
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Nebraska Central Railroad
|
|
| Columbus is served by the main line of the Union Pacific Railroad with 85 freight trains daily. Switching is done daily by a local switch crew. BNSF Railway Company has a branch line that serves Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) daily. The Nebraska Central Railroad, a short-line railroad, operates lines in Columbus and communities north of the city. |
UTILITIES
| Electricity:
State Electric Power Deregulated..... No
|
|
Electric System Operator: | Loup Public Power District |
| phone - | (402) 564-3171 |
| website - | www.loup.com |
| email - | loup@loup.com |
| comments - |
| Loup Power District, a wholesale power customer of Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD), is a full-service, public power electric utility in eastern-central Nebraska. Headquartered in Columbus, Neb., Loup's service area covers approximately 2,028 square miles. The District maintains 780 miles of transmission and distribution lines and has been generating electric power since March 5, 1937. Total population within Loup's service area is approximately 50,000. Loup purchases, sells and delivers approximately 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of electric power annually to wholesale and retail customers across a service area that spans four counties entirely and parts of three others. Loup promotes the economic and industrial development of its service area. For further specifics on your project needs, please contact David Bell, Vice President of Development-Marketing, by calling 402-564-3171 ext. 257. |
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Wholesale Supplier: | Loup Public Power District |
| |
| Additional Comments: |
Loup Power District, a wholesale power customer of Nebraska Public Power District, provides retail electric service to Columbus. Columbus has two 37 MVA and three 56 MVA transformers that feed into eight 34.5 kV subtransmission lines, which form a 34.5 kV grid around and through the city and adjacent industrial areas. The distribution system voltage throughout Columbus and the surrounding area is 12,470 volts. Loup Power provides power to 20 other communities in the four-county area of Colfax, Nance, Boone, Platte and portions of Madison Counties and wholesale service to the communities of Leigh and Schuyler. Cornhusker Power provides service to rural areas in six counties surrounding Columbus. Loup Power District, Nebraska Public Power District, and Cornhusker Public Power District are headquartered in Columbus. |
Natural Gas:
| Natural Gas Service Available..... | Yes | | | Supplier in Community..... | Black Hills Energy | |
|
| Black Hills Energy the retail supplier of natural gas in Columbus. The community is served by a four-inch line at 80 pounds of pressure. Northern Natural Gas company is the pipeline company. |
Water:
| Provider..... | City of Columbus | | | Major Source..... | 12 active wells | | | If Wells, Average Depth..... | 125 feet | | Rated Capacity..... | 22.824 mgd | | Average Capacity..... | 5.045 mgd | | Peak Demand..... | 14.160 mgd | | Storage Capacity..... | 5,915,000 gallons | | Hardness..... | 318 ppm | | Treated..... | Yes | | | Temperature Range..... | 52° winter; 55° summer (degrees Fahrenheit) |
|
| The city of Columbus obtains its water from the aquifer beneath the city. The aquifer has an effective saturated thickness of approximately 150 feet in the Columbus area and the water table is within a few feet of the surface. The annual water quality report for Columbus is available at www.hhs.state.ne.us or www.columbusne.us/waterprod or call Public Works/Enviornmental Service Department in Columbus at (402)562-4234. |
Sanitation/Waste Water:
| Name of Provider..... | City of Columbus | | | Type of Service..... | Activated Slude Wastewater Treatment Facility | | | Rated Capacity..... | 7.500 (mgd) | | Average Daily Demand..... | 3.500 (mgd) | | Peak Demand..... | 7.500 (mgd) | | Sewer Connection Fee..... | Yes | |
|
| The City's wastewater facility is classified as an activated sludge wastewater treatment facility. It was constructed and placed in operation in 1969, expanded in 1989, and in 2004 additional capacity and treatment to meet additional permit requirements was added. These improvements have increased the overall capacity of the plant to 7.5 million gallons and loadings of pounds of 16,000 BOD and 8,700 pounds of TSS per day. Columbus has a separated municipal sanitary sewerage system and storm sewer system. |
Telecommunications:
| Name of Local Service Provider..... | Frontier Communications | | | Number of Long Distance Service Providers..... | 5 | |
|
| Frontier Communications is the local exchange carrier in the Columbus area with a Lucent GTD-5 digital central office, served via an OC48 and an OC3 fiber optic system. Frontier is capable of providing T3’s, T1’s, Ethernet, ISDN, frame relay, voice mail, equal access which can service all long distance companies and digital “class” calling features. The call switching capacity is 56,000 calls per hour. Customer premise equipment and network management records can be provided. |
|
TAX STRUCTURE
| Actual Valuation of City: $1,127,500,720 (year 2009) |
| |
Real Property Tax Rates ($ per $100 of actual value):
For Year: 2009
| City....... | | $0.3286920 | | County....... | | $0.2138750 | | School....... | | $1.1616000 | | Other....... | | $0.1669890 | | Total Real Property....... | | $1.8711560 |
|
|
| Bond Indebtedness:
For Year: 2009
|
General Obligation......... | $8,710,000.00 | | Revenue......... | $20,475,000.00 | | County......... | $3,060,000.00 | | School......... | $22,800,000.00 |
|
| All real property is required to be appraised at its actual value. Agricultural land is valued at 70 percent of its actual value. Personal property that is used in a trade or business and is depreciable is subject to tax at its "net book value." All other personal property is exempt from taxation. The tax rate at the industrial sites outside the city limits varies from $1.569750 to $1.383661 per $100 of actual value. |
| MUNICIPAL SERVICES |
| Type of Government..... | Mayor-Council | | | Comprehensive City Plan..... | Yes, 2005 (year) | | City Manager..... | Yes | | | City Engineer..... | Yes | | | City Zoning Ordinance in Effect..... | Yes | | | County Zoning Ordinance in Effect..... | No | | | Garbage Service Provider..... | Private | | | Public Library in City..... | Yes | |
| Percent of Streets Paved..... | 92 % | | Number Full-Time Fire Department Personnel..... | 12 | | Number Volunteer Fire Department Personnel..... | 89 | | Number Full-Time Police Officers..... | 36 |
| Inside City | | Outside City |
Fire Insurance Class..... | 4 | | 5-9 |
|
| Platte County has 18 townships and is governed by a seven-member Board of Supervisors. Columbus, a city of the first class, has a mayor-council with a full time city administrator. Columbus, Nebraska is the county seat of Platte County is located near the junction of the Platte and Loup rivers in east-central Nebraska. Columbus derived its name from its first settlers who came from Columbus, Ohio, and founded Columbus in 1856. Nine years after its founding, Columbus was incorporated as the "Town of Columbus." It grew to a city of the second class on February 7, 1877, and made the transition to a city of the first class on September 25, 1907. |
| EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES |
| |
| Public Schools | # of Schools | Enrollment | Teacher/Student Ratio |
|---|
| Elementary |
8 | 2,030 | 1:18 |
| Middle / Jr. High |
1 | 781 | 1:15 |
| Senior High |
2 | 1,516 | 1:18 |
| Trade & Tech Schools |
0 | 0 |
| Community College |
1 | 508 |
| Four-Year College |
0 | 0 |
| University |
0 | 0 |
| |
| Private Schools | # of Schools | Enrollment | Teacher/Student Ratio |
|---|
| Elementary |
9 | 855 | 1:15 |
| Middle / Jr. High |
1 | 140 | 1:12 |
| Senior High |
1 | 257 | 1:12 |
| Colleges |
0 | 0 | |
|
| School District No. 1 in Platte County covers 57.3 square miles and this Class 3, Type K-5, 6-8, 9-12 district is accredited by the State of Nebraska and North Central Association. Lakeview School District is also a Class 3, Type K-8, 9-12 and is accredited by the State of Nebraska. Lakeview School District includes Sun Rise Elementary, Shell Creek Elementary, and Platte Center Elementary. Enrollment at Central Community College - Platte Campus is 403 full-time students; however, almost 1,700 students attend part-time. |
|
| RECREATIONAL FACILITIES |
| |
| Type of facilities in city or within 30 minutes: |
| Public Golf Course(s)..... | 3 | | Private Golf Course(s)..... | 1 | | Public Tennis Court(s)..... | 18 | | Public Swimming Pool(s)..... | 4 |
| Public Park(s)..... | 14 |
| Public Camp Ground(s)..... | 7 |
|
| Nearest Public Access to Lake or River..... | 1 mile(s) |
| Camping..... | Yes | | Swimming..... | Yes | | Fishing..... | Yes | | Motorized Boats..... | Yes | | Water Skiing/Tubing..... | Yes |
|
| Columbus and the surrounding area enjoy numerous parks, museums, historical sites, live thoroughbred racing, hiking/biking on various trails, fishing, golfing, skating, swimming, bowling, wildlife management areas, stockcar racing, 'Lawn Chairs on the Square' featuring a variety of musical events, county fairs, and an abundance of other events throughout the year. The Pawnee Plunge Water Park, featuring various water slides, splash pad, and lily pad floating waterwalk opened in May of 2006. |
| HOUSING |
| Number of Single Units Built in Last 2 Years..... | 133 | | Number of Multiple Units Built in Last 2 Years..... | 12 | | Average Cost Per Square Foot of Single Units Built in Last 2 Years..... | $105 | | Average Monthly Rental - 3 Bedroom House..... | $750 | | Average Monthly Rental - 2 Bedroom Apartment..... | $502 | | Average Cost of Houses Sold (last 2 years)..... | $150,100 |
|
| Columbus has a wide selection of various priced homes, townhouses, apartments, and assisted & independent living facilities. Options are unlimited and always close to schools and parks. The cost of living is well below the national average. |
| HEALTH FACILITIES |
|
| Number of Hospitals in Community..... | 1 | Number of Beds in Hospital(s)..... | 65 | Number of Outpatient Clinics..... | 9 |
|
| Medical Personnel in or Serving Community: |
|
| Medical Doctor(s) / Physician Assistant(s)..... | 24 | | Dentist(s) / Orthodontist(s)..... | 14 |
| Nurse(s) (registered or practical)..... | 101 | | Veterinarian(s)..... | 4 |
|
| Columbus Community Hospital moved into a new four-story, 153,000 square foot building on 80 acres in 2002 with an attached one-story medical office building called Health Park, featuring local and visiting physicians, pharmacy, and hospital laboratory. The Columbus Cancer Center, also located in the medical building, treats area patients with blood disorders or cancer.
The Dialysis Center of Columbus opened in 1997 as a satellite unit of the Dailysis Center of Lincoln, Inc. This 12-station facility provides outpatient hemodialysis to patients in Columbus and the surrounding areas. |
| COMMERCIAL SERVICES |
| Machine Shops in City....... | 9 | | Tool & Die Services in City....... | 4 | | Electric Motor Repair Services in City....... | 2 |
|
| Type of Newspaper in City....... | daily | | Local Radio Station(s)....... | 6 |
|
| Number of TV Channels Received without Cable....... | 6 | | Cable Antenna Television Serves City....... | Yes | | Maximum Number of Cable Channels Received....... | 345 |
|
| Number of Protestant Churches....... | 30 | | Number of Catholic Churches....... | 3 | | Number of Synagogues....... | 0 |
|
| Number of Motels & Hotels in Community....... | 11 | | Total Number of Rooms Available....... | 542 |
|
| Number of Banks in City....... | 12 | | | Number of Savings & Loan Firms....... | 0 | | Assets: | $0 |
|
| Chamber of Commerce....... | Yes | | Chamber Executive is Full-Time....... | Yes |
| Along with the banks, other financial companies include Union Loan, Inc. and Farm Credit Services. There are also three credit unions in Columbus. |
| LOCAL MANUFACTURING CHARACTERISTICS
|
| Number of Manufacturing Plants in Community..... | 79 | | Number of Manufacturing Plants with Unions..... | 0 | | Number of Manufacturing Employees..... | 6,400 |
|
| Nebraska locations have proven profitable for an increasing number of manufacturing firms -- so profitable that Nebraska now has more than 2,000 manufacturing establishments. Food processing is the leading type of manufacturing, followed by industrial machinery and electronic equipment. |
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LARGEST EMPLOYERS
|
| Leading Employers in Community: |
| #1. | Business Name: | BD Medical Pharmaceutical Systems |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 757 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1951 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Glass syringes |
| |
| #2. | Business Name: | BD Medical Surgical |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 911 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1949 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Hypodermic needles & syringes |
| |
| #3. | Business Name: | Behlen Mfg. |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 761 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1936 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Steel buildings, agricultural & livestock |
| |
| #4. | Business Name: | CAMACO |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 536 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1965 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Automotive seats & frames |
| |
| #5. | Business Name: | Cargill |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 400 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1995 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Ground beef processing |
| |
| #6. | Business Name: | Columbus City Schools |
| Service Sector: | Education & Health Services | | Employment Number: | Total: 532 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1860 | | Products/Service: | Education |
| |
| #7. | Business Name: | Columbus Community Hospital |
| Service Sector: | Education & Health Services | | Employment Number: | Total: 474 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1922 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Medical |
| |
| #8. | Business Name: | ADM Corn Processing - Columbus |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 350 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1992 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Wet corn milling, corn starch, fructose, ethanol |
| |
| #9. | Business Name: | Nebraska Public Power District (Columbus only) |
| Service Sector: | Transportation, Warehousing & Utilities | | Employment Number: | Total: 415 (Male: 81 Female: 8) | | Year Established: | 1941 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | General office of electric utility |
| |
| #10. | Business Name: | Vishay Dale Electronics |
| Service Sector: | Manufacturing | | Employment Number: | Total: 605 (Male: 0 Female: 0) | | Year Established: | 1951 | | Unions: | No | | Products/Service: | Electronic components |
| |
| The Columbus Economic Council maintains an inventory of vacant buildings from 7,060 to 158,435 square feet. |
| The Columbus Economic Council has sites of 5 acres up to 174 acres available on request. Most sites have all utilities and railroad access adjacent or near the sites. |
| COMMUNITY NOTES |
| Our Community: | The 2005 U.S. Census estimates 115,362 people live in Platte County and the contiguous counties of Boone, Butler, Colfax, Madison, Merrick, Nance, Polk, and Stanton. | | Suggested Sites: |
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| | |
Local
DevelopmentContact: |
David Bell
Columbus Economic Council
P.O. Box 988
2404 15th St.
Columbus, NE 68602-0988
Phone:402-564-3171, Ext. 257
Fax:402-564-0970
Email: dbell@loup.com
Website: www.loup.com |
| Joseph A. Mangiamelli
City of Columbus
P.O. Box 1677
2424 14th St.
Columbus, NE 68602-1677
Phone:402-562-4233
Fax:402-563-1380
Email: jmangia@columbusne.us
Website: www.columbusne.us |
| |
| State Contacts: | Richard Baier, Director
Neb. Dept. of Economic Development
PO Box 94666
301 Centennial Mall South
Lincoln, NE 68509
Phone: (402) 471-3111 or (800) 426-6505
Fax: (402) 471-3778
Email: richard.baier@nebraska.gov
Website: www.NebraskaAdvantage.org |
| Economic Development Team
Nebraska Public Power District
PO Box 499
1414 15th Street
Columbus, NE 68601
Phone: (402) 563-5534 or (800) 282-6773, ext. 5534
Fax: (402) 563-5090
Email: econdev@nppd.com
Website: sites.nppd.com |
Fast Facts Community Profiles sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Economic
Development and Nebraska Public Power District.
Copyright © 2001-2008 Nebraska Public Power District (sites.nppd.com). All rights reserved.
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