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58-475: Tuscaloosa National Airport had 2,400 commercial passenger boardings (enplanements) in calendar year 2017. Most of this traffic was athletic charters from the University of Alabama . The Tuscaloosa Industrial Park is next to the airport. Much of the airport property is bordered by the city limits of Northport, Alabama . In fact, the airport and the neighboring Industrial Park are the only areas included in

116-551: A Strategic Air Command (SAC) base (earning Columbus a spot in Soviet Union target lists), CAFB returned to its original role. Today, it is one of only four basic Air Force flight training bases in the United States, and prized as the only one where regular flight conditions may be experienced. Despite this, CAFB has repeatedly hung in the balance during Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) hearings. Columbus boasted

174-630: A charter. Baseball, basketball, gymnastics, softball, and volleyball charters are typically operated on a Boeing 737 , CRJ200 , CRJ700 , ERJ 135/145 , EMB 120 , or Saab 2000 . There are also freight charters commonly operated by McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and Boeing 727s to supply the automotive companies which support the Mercedes Benz manufacturing plant. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Calendar year Too Many Requests If you report this error to

232-475: A day into the airport in 1985 operated by ASA as Delta Connection flights on behalf of Delta Air Lines with nonstop service from Atlanta, Memphis, Columbus, GA and Gadsden, AL with all service flown with Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante commuter turboprops. In late 1989, two airlines were serving Tuscaloosa according to the OAG: American Eagle with three direct flights a day from Nashville via

290-471: A female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.07. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

348-516: A few cannons. Because of this, the Union ordered the invasion of Columbus, but was stopped by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest . This is substantiated in the book The Battle of West Point: Confederate Triumph at Ellis Bridge by John McBride. Many of the casualties from the Battle of Shiloh were brought to Columbus. Thousands were eventually buried in the town's Friendship Cemetery . One of

406-418: A half mile. In the year ending June 30, 2022 the airport had 38,697 aircraft operations, average 106 per day: 76% general aviation , 16% military, 7% air taxi , and <1% airline. 108 aircraft were then based at the airport: 74 single-engine, 17 multi-engine, 12 jet and 5 helicopter . The airport has two full-service FBOs : Hawthorne Global Aviation Services and Dixie Air Services. In 1939 Oliver Parks

464-537: A home, established a farm, and transacted Choctaw Agency business. After the Battle of New Orleans , Andrew Jackson recognized the urgent need for roads to connect New Orleans to the rest of the country. In 1817 Jackson ordered a road be built to provide a direct route from Nashville to New Orleans . His surveyor, Captain Hugh Young, chose a place on the Tombigbee River where high ground approached

522-452: A nonstop Martin 4-0-4 flight from Tupelo, MS and three direct Martin 4-0-4 flights a day from Memphis via Columbus or Tupelo for a total of eight flights on weekdays. In 1979 Southern and North Central Airlines merged to form Republic Airlines . According to the OAG, in 1981 Republic was operating four flights a day into the airport including two Douglas DC-9-10 jet nonstops from Atlanta plus

580-780: A number of industries during the mid-20th century, including the world's largest toilet seat manufacturer, Sanderson Plumbing Products, and major mattress, furniture and textile plants. Most of these had closed by 2000. A series of new plants at the Golden Triangle Regional Airport , including the Severstal mill, the American Eurocopter factory, the Paccar engine plant and the Aurora Flight Sciences facility, are revitalizing

638-571: A program to help restore airline service to smaller cities. The city matched the grant with $ 100,000 of local funding. In 2006 the city authorized paying $ 8500 to a consulting firm to court airlines in an effort to revive service to the airport. City and airport officials stated their belief that the area was in a different economic picture with the Mercedes-Benz plant in the city (the only one in North America) and new developments around

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696-591: A result of Forrest preventing the Union Army from reaching Columbus, its antebellum homes were spared from being burned or destroyed, making its collection second only to Natchez as the most extensive in Mississippi. These antebellum homes may be toured during the annual Pilgrimage, in which the Columbus residences open their homes to tourists from around the country. When Union troops approached Jackson,

754-675: A stop in Columbus, MS or Tupelo, MS flown with Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter propjets and Atlantic Southeast Airlines operating as the Delta Connection with three direct flights a day from Atlanta via a stop in Anniston, AL or Columbus, MS flown with Embraer EMB-120 Brasilia commuter propjets. GP Express Airlines would continue service to Atlanta from June 6, 1992, through the elimination of its EAS subsidy on June 30, 1994. A GP Express route map in 1992 depicts nonstop flights to Atlanta, Anniston and Hattiesburg, MS with

812-674: A third direct DC-9-10 flight from Atlanta via Columbus as well as one direct Convair 580 turboprop flight from Memphis via Columbus, MS. Republic subsequently pulled out of Tuscaloosa on June 1, 1984, as most passengers were drawn to nearby Birmingham's airport. Briefly following the exit of Republic, Sunbelt Airlines provided two daily flights to Memphis from June 1 through its elimination of service on September 13, 1984. A Sunbelt Airlines route map in 1984 depicts direct service to Memphis flown via Tupelo with Embraer EMB-110 Bandeirante commuter turboprops. On April 15, 1986 American Eagle began flying between Tuscaloosa and Nashville . The service

870-608: A tornado hit Columbus and caused more damage to the city, including the Mississippi University for Women. In 2010, Columbus won a Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In February 2019, Columbus took a direct hit from an EF-3 tornado that caused devastating damage to homes and businesses and killed one woman after a structure fell on her. The city

928-494: Is also home to the oldest public elementary school in Mississippi, Franklin Academy Elementary , founded in 1821. Desegregated in 1970, Lee High School received a state award for the high school with the best race relations. Prior to desegregation, the school formed a race relations committee consisting of black and white students who could discuss issues and determine how to handle certain situations. For instance,

986-611: Is known as Mississippi's first public school. The territorial boundary of Mississippi and Alabama had to be corrected as, a year earlier, Franklin Academy was indicated as being in Alabama. In fact, during its early post-Mississippi-founding history, the city of Columbus was still referred to as Columbus, Alabama. During the American Civil War , Columbus was a hospital town. Its arsenal manufactured gunpowder, handguns and

1044-578: Is located approximately 10 mi (16 km) west of the Mississippi-Alabama state line along U.S. Route 82 , U.S. Route 45 , and numerous state highways. US 82 leads southeast 29 mi (47 km) to Reform, Alabama and west 25 mi (40 km) to Starkville . US 45 leads south 32 mi (51 km) to Macon and north 28 mi (45 km) to Aberdeen . According to the United States Census Bureau ,

1102-441: Is often not enough available hotel rooms to accommodate a football team's traveling party under one roof. In this case, although the team arrives at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport , they will usually depart from Tuscaloosa National Airport after the game. Sometimes more than one aircraft is used for larger games, with one flying the team and support staff and the other flying university alumni or fans that have paid for

1160-650: Is the market's ABC affiliate, and CW affiliate WLOV-TV 27. Radio Stations include: Columbus lies on U.S. Highways 82 and 45 . It is also served by state highways 12 , 50 , 69 , and 182 . Columbus is the eastern terminus of the Columbus and Greenville Railway ; it is also served by the BNSF Railway (on the original right-of-way of the St. Louis - San Francisco Railway ), the Norfolk Southern , and

1218-586: The Alabama Crimson Tide , or take the University of Alabama teams to their away games. Most Alabama football charters are operated by Delta Air Lines using the Boeing 757 . Visiting football charters are operated by many carriers typically using either Boeing 737s or Boeing 757s . Many visiting football teams fly into Birmingham and lodge there, commuting to Tuscaloosa on game day, since there

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1276-643: The Alabama Southern Railroad (using the original right-of-way of the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad ). The local airport is Golden Triangle Regional Airport . The airport currently has three flights a day to Atlanta . The city is located on the east bank of the Tombigbee River and the associated Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway . Columbus Lake , formed by the John C. Stennis Lock and Dam ,

1334-517: The Columbus Municipal School District ) is Columbus High School , located in the eastern part of town. It is the largest high school in the city and fifth largest in the state, enrolling approximately 1370 students. Columbus High School was formed by the merger of the city's two previous high schools, Stephen D. Lee High School and Caldwell High School; the schools were merged in 1992 and the campuses in 1997. Columbus

1392-491: The Luxapallila Creek , and the Tombigbee River with the John C. Stennis Lock and Dam impounding Columbus Lake . Columbus is a relatively flat place in the northern part of Lowndes County, as the land rises for a short period of time into hills and bluffs, in the southern/eastern part of the county, the land has rolling hills that quickly turn into flatland floodplains that dominate this county. This county lies in

1450-527: The Tombigbee River , which is also part of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway . It is approximately 146 miles (235 km) northeast of Jackson , 92 miles (148 km) north of Meridian , 63 miles (101 km) south of Tupelo , 60 miles (97 km) northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama , and 120 miles (193 km) west of Birmingham , Alabama . The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census and 23,640 in 2010. The population in 2019

1508-604: The Black Prairie Geographic Region, and the Northeastern Hills Region of the state/area. Prairies, forests and floodplain forests lie here. The soil quality is poor in the eastern part of the county, otherwise the soil is relatively fertile. Columbus and the surrounding areas are listed as an Arbor Day Hardiness Zone 8a (10 to 15 °F or −12.2 to −9.4 °C); note that temperatures in 2010 reached 11 °F (−12 °C), but

1566-523: The Soil was completed in 1939 for the Columbus post office by WPA Section of Painting and Sculpture artist Beulah Bettersworth . Murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through "the Section" of the U.S. Treasury Department . Columbus has hosted Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB) since World War II . CAFB was founded as a flight training school. After a stint in the 1950s and 1960s as

1624-487: The Town of Columbus on December 6, 1819. Before its incorporation, the town site was referred to informally as Possum Town , a name which was given by the local Native Americans, who were primarily Choctaw and Chickasaw. The name Possum Town remains the town's nickname among locals. The town was settled where Jackson's Military Road crossed the Tombigbee River 4 miles south of John Pitchlynn's residence at Plymouth Bluff. In 1820

1682-550: The Tuscaloosa city limits west of Alabama Highway 69 and north of the Black Warrior River . Tuscaloosa National Airport covers 724 acres (293  ha ) at an elevation of 170 feet (52 m). It has two asphalt runways: 4/22 is 6,498 by 150 feet (1,981 x 46 m) and 11/29 is 4,000 by 100 feet (1,219 x 30 m). Runway 4 has an Instrument Landing System and approach lights, allowing landings in visibility as low as

1740-642: The USDA Hardiness Zones list the area as zone 7b (5 to 10 °F or −15.0 to −12.2 °C). As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 24,084 people, 9,572 households, and 5,348 families residing in the city. As of the 2010 United States Census , there were 23,640 people living in the city. 60.0% were African American , 37.4% White , 0.2% Native American , 0.7% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 0.6% from some other race, and 1.1% of two or more races . 1.4% were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Columbus' population has grown steadily since

1798-532: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 204526242 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:12 GMT Columbus, MS Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Lowndes County , on the eastern border of Mississippi , United States, located primarily east, but also north and northeast of

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1856-445: The beginning of the twentieth century. In 1900, 6,484 people lived in Columbus; in 1910, 8,988; in 1920, 10,501; and in 1940, 13,645. As of the census of 2000, there were 25,944 people, 10,062 households, and 6,419 families living in the city. The population density was 1,211.5 people per square mile (467.8 people/km ). There were 11,112 housing units at an average density of 518.9 per square mile (200.3/km ). The racial makeup of

1914-680: The campus of the University of Alabama , including an expansion to Bryant–Denny Stadium . Hopes of commercial service returning to West Alabama were revived again in 2019 as part of Tuscaloosa Mayor's Walt Maddox Elevate Tuscaloosa proposal included $ 15 million in funding that would receive matching funds to renovate the terminal at Tuscaloosa National to make the growing city more appealing to commercial airlines. DayJet announced per seat VLJ service on two pilot planes nonstop to 14 hubs in 3 states in July 2008 from Tuscaloosa. DayJet discontinued all passenger service operations on September 19, 2008, citing

1972-520: The city has a total area of 22.3 square miles (58 square kilometers), of which 21.4 square miles (55 square kilometers) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 square kilometers) is water. Large lakes and rivers are nearby, such as the Buttahatchee River in northern Lowndes County that defines the border between Lowndes and Monroe counties; in the middle of the City of Columbus and Lowndes County lies

2030-403: The city is 43.62% White , 54.41% African American , 0.10% Native American , 0.56% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 0.51% from other races , and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 10,062 households, out of which 29.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.0% were married couples living together, 21.7% had

2088-618: The closure of the Nashville hub in June 1996, with service being redirected to Dallas/Fort Worth on 34 seat Saab 340s via Jackson . Due to dwindling passenger counts, the city voluntarily removed itself from the Essential Air Service (EAS) program resulting in service being discontinued on April 18, 1997. Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) flew between Tuscaloosa and Atlanta from 1982 to June 1992. The OAG lists six flights

2146-553: The daily (except Saturdays) Commercial Dispatch , the weekly (Thursdays) Columbus Packet and the internet-only paper, Real Media (formerly The Real Story). One television station, WCBI-TV 4, the CBS affiliate, is located in the city's historic downtown area; it broadcasts FOX and MyNetworkTV programming on digital subchannels. Columbus is also served by television stations from the Columbus / Tupelo / West Point DMA. These include NBC affiliate WTVA 9, its DT2 subchannel which

2204-453: The early 1950s. A northeast–southwest runway (4/22) was built in 1970, along with a passenger terminal, to facilitate jet service. Airline service to Tuscaloosa began on June 10, 1949, on a 25-seat Douglas DC-3 as one of the original six destinations served by Southern Airways . Southern later served Tuscaloosa with Martin 4-0-4 piston-powered propeller aircraft and then introduced Douglas DC-9-10 jet service by 1972. Service would peak in

2262-429: The field was revamped to include a single main runway (the current 11/29). The rest of the field was usable as an all-way field. The Civil Aeronautics Administration designated van de Graff Field as an intermediate field (#59). It operated as a United States Army Air Forces primary (phase 1) pilot training field by a detachment of the 51st Flying Training Group, Greenville Army Airfield , Mississippi. In addition to

2320-458: The flights to Anniston continuing on to Atlanta. No airlines have served Tuscaloosa on a scheduled basis since the departure of American Eagle in 1997. In the 2000s (decade) the city and the airport tried to lure airlines back to the airport. Between 2002 and 2006 the airport received $ 2.2 million in federal, state, and local money to improve its facilities, including $ 400,000 from the FAA as part of

2378-456: The hospitals was located at Annunciation Catholic Church, built in 1863 and still operating in the 21st century. The decision of a group of ladies to decorate the Union and Confederate graves with flowers together on April 25, 1866, is an early example of what became known as Memorial Day . A poet, Francis Miles Finch , read about it in the New York newspapers and commemorated the occasion with

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2436-721: The inability to raise financing needed for continued operations. While visiting Tuscaloosa on April 29, 2011, to assess devastation reliefs efforts in the wake of the April 27th tornado disaster , President Barack Obama landed at then-Tuscaloosa Regional Airport in the Boeing C-32 presidential transport plane. The C-32 is the U.S. Air Force designation for the Boeing 757-200 jetliner. Jet charters appear at Tuscaloosa, but scheduled air service has eluded Tuscaloosa National to date. Many charters fly college football, basketball, baseball, softball, gymnastics, and volleyball teams visiting

2494-433: The local economy. On June 12, 1990, a fireworks factory in Columbus exploded, detonating a blast felt as far as 30 miles away from Columbus. Two workers were killed in the blast. On February 16, 2001, straightline winds measured at 74 miles per hour destroyed many homes and trees but resulted in no fatalities. The city was declared a federal disaster area the next day by President George W. Bush . On November 10, 2002 ,

2552-499: The main field, the following known sub-bases and auxiliaries were used: Pilot training was provided under contract by the Alabama Institute of Aeronautics, Inc. Flying training was performed primarily with Fairchild PT-19s , in addition to PT-17 Stearmans and a few P-40 Warhawks . Beginning in June 1943, Free French Air Force flight cadets began to arrive at the school for Primary flight training, having graduated from

2610-473: The mid-1970s with four daily departures to Atlanta , Memphis and New Orleans . According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG), in early 1976 Southern was operating four DC-9 jet flights a day into the airport with two nonstops from Atlanta as well as two nonstops from Columbus, MS in addition to a daily nonstop Martin 4-0-4 flight from Atlanta, two Martin 4-0-4 nonstops from Columbus, MS,

2668-653: The poem " The Blue and the Grey ". Bellware and Gardiner noted this observance of the holiday in The Genesis of the Memorial Day Holiday in America (2014). They recognized the events in Columbus as the earliest manifestation of an annual spring holiday to decorate the grave of Southern soldiers. While the call was to celebrate on April 26, several newspapers reported that the day was the 25th, in error. As

2726-435: The post office that had been at Pitchlynn's relocated in Columbus. Pitchlynn's which had been settled in 1810 became the town of Plymouth in 1836 and is now the location of an environmental center for Mississippi University for Women. Silas McBee suggested the name Columbus ; in return, a small local creek was named after him. The city's founders soon established a school known as Franklin Academy. It continues to operate and

2784-549: The preflight screening school at Craig Field . Military operations were inactivated on September 8, 1944, with the drawdown of AAFTC's pilot training program. Free French training was transferred to the Hawthorne School of Aeronautics , Orangeburg, South Carolina. The airfield was turned over to city control at the end of the war though the War Assets Administration . Runway 11/29 was paved in

2842-460: The river on both sides as the location for a ferry to be used for crossing the river when high water prevented fording the river. A military bridge was constructed where the present-day Tombigbee Bridge was later developed in Columbus, Mississippi. Jackson's Military Road opened the way for development in the area. Columbus was founded in 1819, and, as it was believed to be in Alabama, it was first officially recognized by an Alabama Legislative act as

2900-535: The site of Columbus in Western history is found in the annals of the explorer Hernando de Soto , who is reputed to have crossed the nearby Tombigbee River on his search for El Dorado . However, the site does not enter the main continuity of United States history until December 1810, when John Pitchlynn , the U.S. Indian agent and interpreter for the Choctaw Nation, moved to Plymouth Bluff , where he built

2958-750: The state capital was briefly moved to Columbus before moving to a more permanent home in Macon . During the war, Columbus attorney Jacob H. Sharp served as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army . After the war, he owned the Columbus Independent newspaper. He was elected to two terms in the State House, serving four years representing the district in the Mississippi House of Representatives . The mural Out of

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3016-456: The students decided to have both white and black homecoming courts so as to prevent sides being taken along racial lines. However, black students were allowed to vote for the white homecoming court and vice versa. The school went undefeated in football in 1970, which helped unite the student body. Students were ranked based on achievement score tests and divided into three groups, in order to allow each group to learn at their own pace. This practice

3074-447: Was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males. The median income for a household in the city was $ 27,393, and the median income for a family was $ 37,068. Males had a median income of $ 30,773 versus $ 20,182 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 16,848. Major Employers: Columbus is the birthplace of playwright Tennessee Williams , whose grandfather

3132-512: Was brought to Alabama to set up a Civilian Pilot Training Program , CPTP, for the University of Alabama . A brick hangar was built on the property and the first class of students were licensed before the end of 1939. The airport was opened in April 1940 as Van De Graaff Field . It originally consisted of four turf runways: 00/18 (2500 by 500 feet), 04/22 (3777 by 600 feet), 09/27 (4082 by 600 feet), 13/31 (5208 by 600 feet). During World War II ,

3190-598: Was estimated to be 23,573. Columbus is the principal city of the Columbus Micropolitan Statistical Area , which is part of the larger Columbus-West Point Combined Statistical Area . Columbus is also part of the area of Mississippi called The Golden Triangle , consisting of Columbus, West Point and Starkville , in the counties of Lowndes, Clay and Oktibbeha . Schools include Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science . The first record of

3248-519: Was in place prior to integration. It was continued after integration for a period, but such tracking was later ruled to be unconstitutional by a Federal court, because it was based on biased testing. It did not take into account differences in preparation in earlier grades. The Lowndes County School District operates three high schools—Caledonia, New Hope, and West Lowndes—fed by similarly named elementary and middle schools. Columbus has several private schools, including: Columbus' city newspapers are

3306-405: Was initially operated by Air Midwest and operated three times daily from Tuscaloosa with 19 seat Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner commuter propjets. According to the OAG, in 1994 American Eagle was operating three nonstop flights a day with British Aerospace BAe Jetstream 31 and Saab 340 commuter propjets from the Nashville hub operated at the time by American Airlines . Service ended with

3364-747: Was the priest of St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Williams was born in the rectory on Main Street, which is now the Tennessee Williams Home Museum and Welcome Center. Columbus is home to a state university, the Mississippi University for Women . The MUW campus is also home to the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science , a state-funded public boarding school for academically gifted high school juniors and seniors. The city's public high school (under

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