Photo: Paul Wasneski · Public domainLiving in Columbus, OH: what to set up and who to call
Columbus runs its own electric utility, City of Columbus; its homes paid 13.0¢ per kWh in 2025. For recycling, Columbus has Waste and Reuse Convenience Center (Alum Creek) at 2100 Alum Creek Drive; OpenStreetMap lists it open Tue–Sat 10 am–6 pm.
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 City of Columbus
City of Columbus (City of Columbus - (OH)), a municipal utility, serves all of Columbus. Its homes paid an average of 13.0¢ per kWh in 2025, about $77 a month (its average across Ohio).
Service territory: HIFLD Electric Retail Service Territories (map dated Aug 2023). Prices and customers: EIA-861, 2025.
Water comes from Columbus Public Water System
Columbus Public Water System supplies almost all of Columbus. It draws surface water and serves 1,305,946 people in all.
No health-based violations reported to EPA in the five years to October 2026, like 82% of the 27 systems serving more than 1,000,000 people.
The latest lead result on file, the 90th percentile of homes sampled in Jan 2021–Dec 2023, was 1.2 ppb, below the 15 ppb action level that applied. That’s lower than 68% 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. OH2504412.
7 home internet providers serve Columbus
99% of 231,846 addresses can get 100/20 Mbps; 35% can get fiber.
| Provider | Technology | Addresses | Fastest (Mbps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectrum | Cable, Fiber | 98% | 1,000/35 |
| Breezeline | Cable, Fiber | 91% | 1,000/50 |
| AT&T | DSL, Fiber, Fixed wireless | 91% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Bresco Broadband | Fixed wireless, Fiber, DSL | 2% | 1,000/1,000 |
| lumos | Fiber | 2% | 5,000/5,000 |
| Verizon | Fixed wireless | 68% | 300/20 |
FCC National Broadband Map, as of December 2025. Availability as providers report it, not speeds people get.
Curbside recycling in Columbus: every week, same day as trash
Pickup days, the drop-off and recycling in Columbus, from the town’s own site.
Waste and Reuse Convenience Center (Alum Creek)
2100 Alum Creek Drive, Columbus, Ohio, 43207
- Tue10 am–6 pm
- Wed10 am–6 pm
- Thu10 am–6 pm
- Fri10 am–6 pm
- Sat10 am–6 pm
Hours from OpenStreetMap. They can change with the season, so check with the town before you go.
Com-Til, the City's compost facility (no grass clippings)
7000 Jackson Pike, Columbus
From columbus.gov, the town’s official site, checked Oct 23, 2026. Rules change: the town’s page is the last word. . Drop-off hours: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Where your child goes to school
Public school districts and the school path by grade.
Most of Columbus (58%) is in Columbus City School District; parts are in South-Western City School District (9%) and Hilliard City School District (6%) and Groveport Madison Local School District (5%) and Worthington City School District (5%) and Westerville City School District (4%) and Dublin City School District (3%) and Hamilton Local School District (3%).
CSchool gradeSee 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 Aug 2019; jurisdictions: EAC EAVS 2024. Registration rules and links: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
Columbus spans 36 ZIP codes
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43229 | Columbus, OH | 6% | 100% |
| 43228 | Columbus, OH | 5% | 74% |
| 43235 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 89% |
| 43204 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 94% |
| 43207 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 84% |
| 43224 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 89% |
| 43201 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 100% |
| 43232 | Columbus, OH | 4% | 78% |
| 43219 | Columbus, OH | 3% | 98% |
| 43214 | Columbus, OH | 3% | 98% |
| 43081 | Westerville, OH | 3% | 40% |
| 43026 | Hilliard, OH | 3% | 40% |
| 43110 | Canal Winchester, OH | 3% | 61% |
| 43230 | Columbus, OH | 3% | 41% |
| 43223 | Columbus, OH | 3% | 85% |
| 43227 | Columbus, OH | 3% | 94% |
| 43211 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 95% |
| 43206 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 100% |
| 43119 | Galloway, OH | 2% | 71% |
| 43016 | Dublin, OH | 2% | 47% |
| 43215 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 100% |
| 43202 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 100% |
| 43231 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 89% |
| 43004 | Blacklick, OH | 2% | 58% |
| 43213 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 47% |
| 43068 | Reynoldsburg, OH | 2% | 27% |
| 43123 | Grove City, OH | 2% | 23% |
| 43220 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 52% |
| 43210 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 100% |
| 43209 | Columbus, OH | 2% | 50% |
| 43054 | New Albany, OH | 1% | 47% |
| 43017 | Dublin, OH | 1% | 28% |
| 43205 | Columbus, OH | 1% | 100% |
| 43221 | Columbus, OH | 1% | 35% |
| 43212 | Columbus, OH | 1% | 48% |
| 43085 | Columbus, OH | 1% | 40% |
A few homes fall in 43203, 43240, 43065, 43035, 43125, 43147, 43222, 43217, 43002, 43137, 43082, 43109. 43216, 43218, 43226, 43234, 43236, 43251, 43260, 43266, 43268, 43270, 43271, 43272, 43279, 43287, 43291 are P.O. box or single-organization ZIPs with no homes.
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
When is the Waste and Reuse Convenience Center (Alum Creek) open?
Tue–Sat 10 am–6 pm, according to OpenStreetMap (as of Oct 9, 2026). Check new.columbus.gov before you go: the town sets the hours and who may use it.
Who supplies Columbus’ drinking water, and has it had violations?
Columbus Public Water System (EPA ID OH2504412). It reported no health-based violations to EPA in the five years to October 2026; 82% of systems its size had none. Its latest lead 90th percentile was 1.2 ppb (Jan 2021–Dec 2023), against a 15 ppb action level.
Who provides electricity in Columbus?
City of Columbus (City of Columbus - (OH)), a municipal utility. Its homes paid about 13.0¢ per kWh in 2025 (EIA).
What internet providers serve Columbus?
Spectrum, Breezeline, AT&T, Bresco Broadband, lumos, Verizon (FCC, as of December 2025).
What ZIP codes are in Columbus?
43229 (6%), 43228 (5%), 43235 (4%), 43204 (4%), 43207 (4%), 43224 (4%), 43201 (4%), 43232 (4%), 43219 (3%), 43214 (3%), 43081 (3%), 43026 (3%), 43110 (3%), 43230 (3%), 43223 (3%), 43227 (3%), 43211 (2%), 43206 (2%), 43119 (2%), 43016 (2%), 43215 (2%), 43202 (2%), 43231 (2%), 43004 (2%), 43213 (2%), 43068 (2%), 43123 (2%), 43220 (2%), 43210 (2%), 43209 (2%), 43054 (1%), 43017 (1%), 43205 (1%), 43221 (1%), 43212 (1%), 43085 (1%), by share of residents. Census 2020 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas.
What school district is Columbus in?
Columbus City School District. Parts of the city are in South-Western City School District and Hilliard City School District and Groveport Madison Local School District and Worthington City School District and Westerville City School District and Dublin City School District and Hamilton Local School District.
How do I register to vote in Columbus?
In Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before). Elections here are run by the Director, Franklin County Board of Elections. Check your registration at voterlookup.ohiosos.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: Columbus’ own website (columbus.gov), read Oct 23, 2026, pickup and drop-off facts extracted and checked against the page they came from. Drop-off hours: 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 Aug 3, 2026 (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.