Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Living in Columbus, KY: what to set up and who to call
All of Columbus gets its mail under one ZIP code, 42032. The ER is a drive from Columbus: the closest is Baptist Memorial Hospital Union City, 24 miles away.
I’m new in town
What to set up in Columbus, and who provides it. Tap an answer for the details and where they come from.
Power, water and internet
Who to call to start service at a new address in Columbus.
Power comes from KU
KU (Kentucky Utilities Co.), an investor-owned utility, serves all of Columbus. Its homes paid an average of 11.9¢ per kWh in 2025, about $138 a month (its average across Kentucky).
Start or move service: lge-ku.com · (800) 981-0600
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Columbus Water Works
Columbus Water Works supplies almost all of Columbus. It draws ground water and serves 300 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 77% of the 15,074 systems serving 101–500 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2024–Dec 2026, was 1.3 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. The highest in five years was 3.9 ppb. That’s higher than 63% of similar systems’ latest results.
The system’s full record: EPA ECHO report
EPA SDWIS via Envirofacts (violations pulled Oct 9, 2026) and ECHO (lead samples, 2026Q3); service area: EPA Community Water System Service Area Boundaries v3.0. Violations are counted by the start of their compliance period. KY0530083.
3 home internet providers serve Columbus
100% of 96 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 100% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Connect | Fiber | 100% | 1,000/1,000 |
| Kinetic | DSL | 98% | 200/20 |
| AT&T | Fixed wireless | 27% | 100/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
We don’t have Columbus’ trash rules yet
Pickup rules, the dump and recycling in Columbus.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Columbus is in Hickman County School District.
Test scores and every school: see Schools →U.S. Department of Education, NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25. Enrollment rules and registration are the district’s.
Town hall and registering to vote
Who to call, and how to register.
Election office: FVAP local election office directory, updated Sep 2017; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Columbus is in ZIP code 42032
ZIP codes where Columbus residents live, with the share of the town in each.
| ZIP | Post office name | Share of Columbus | ZIP’s residents in Columbus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42032 | Columbus, KY | 100% | 73% |
Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, by census block; post office names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). ZIPs created since 2020 are missing.
Getting around, the ER and the library
One line each; the subject pages have the rest.
ER: CMS hospital data. Library: IMLS Public Libraries Survey, FY2024.
Questions about living in Columbus
Who supplies Columbus’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Columbus Water Works (EPA ID KY0530083). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 77% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.3 ppb (Jan 2024–Dec 2026), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Columbus?
KU (Kentucky Utilities Co.), an investor-owned utility. Its homes paid about 11.9¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Columbus?
Gibson Connect, Kinetic, AT&T (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Columbus?
42032. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Columbus in?
Hickman County School District.
How do I register to vote in Columbus?
In Kentucky you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before). Elections here are run by the Hickman County Clerk. Check your registration at vrsws.sos.ky.gov.
Sources & dates
Every answer above names its source. Here they are with their dates.
- Water: EPA SDWIS (Envirofacts, pulled Oct 9, 2026), ECHO SDWA 2026Q3, EPA CWS Service Area Boundaries v3.0.
- Power: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map Aug 2023); EIA-861 final 2025.
- Trash: OpenStreetMap, Geofabrik extract of Oct 9, 2026. © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
- ZIP codes: Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files; GeoNames postal codes (CC BY 4.0).
- Schools: NCES Common Core of Data, 2024–25.
- Registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024 (read Oct 10, 2026). Official sites and area codes: Wikidata.
- Election office: FVAP local election office directory (fetched Oct 10, 2026; each record dated), EAC EAVS 2024 jurisdictions; registration and lookup links from vote.gov’s state data, checked Oct 10, 2026.
- Internet: FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025.