Columbus Metroplitan Area (Atlanta, Macon, LaGrange: construction, live in, shop)

[Georgia_Peach_95]

Metropolitan area includes: Muscogee(duh!), Harris, Chattahoochee, Marion, and Russell, AL. But shouldn't Lee County, AL count? Most people who live in Lee County, AL come over to Columbus anyway. Troup,Merriwether,Butler, and Taylor should also be included. What do you think?

[wisenhiemer]

I think your thread is meaningless....
Who cares?

[Dart03]

Originally Posted by Georgia_Peach_95

Metropolitan area includes: Muscogee(duh!), Harris, Chattahoochee, Marion, and Russell, AL. But shouldn't Lee County, AL count? Most people who live in Lee County, AL come over to Columbus anyway. Troup,Merriwether,Butler, and Taylor should also be included. What do you think?

Auburn/Opelika (Lee County) AL is its own metro area, but forms the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area. Counties have to meet certain qualifications to become part of a metropolitan statistical area, which includes a certain amount of the county population that commute to work there. Merirwether and Troup Counties I would say are more tied in with Metro Atlanta with work, shopping, etc. than with Columbus. As for Taylor County, it is almost an hour from Columbus, and I don't know that many people there commute to Columbus to work daily, maybe for an occasional weekly saturday shopping trip, but that would be the extent of it. They are just as close, if not closer to Macon-Bibb as they are Columbus, so saying Taylor Co. should be included in the Columbus MSA is a little far-fetched.

I possibly see Talbot (to the East of Muscogee County) and Stewart (South of Chattahoocee County/Ft. Benning) Counties both possibly become part of the Columbus MSA in the near future as they are directly tied to Columbus, more so than the other counties you named.

[Kissimmee_2_Georgia]

Yeah. But most people in the lee county nominal of phenix city and smiths station and even salem, commute to columbus, which is about half of the population already.

[WanderingImport]

As was stated before, this thread is pointless and opinionated. Check your statistics before you post stuff like this and say that "most people" from Lee County commute into Columbus. Not quite the case.

[Kissimmee_2_Georgia]

I meant, MOST people in salem, phenix city, and smiths station, would say they commute more to Columbus than Auburn, they probably feel like they are in the greater COLUMBUS area, not AUBURN.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Kissimmee_2_Georgia

I meant, MOST people in salem, phenix city, and smiths station, would say they commute more to Columbus than Auburn, they probably feel like they are in the greater COLUMBUS area, not AUBURN.

Phenix City is definitely a part of metro Columbus. It's part of the contiguous built-up area, and it is directly across the river from downtown Columbus.

Auburn and Opelika are large enough combined, and close enough, to be counted as their own metro area.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by Dart03

Auburn/Opelika (Lee County) AL is its own metro area, but forms the Columbus-Auburn-Opelika, GA-AL Combined Statistical Area. Counties have to meet certain qualifications to become part of a metropolitan statistical area, which includes a certain amount of the county population that commute to work there. Merirwether and Troup Counties I would say are more tied in with Metro Atlanta with work, shopping, etc. than with Columbus. As for Taylor County, it is almost an hour from Columbus, and I don't know that many people there commute to Columbus to work daily, maybe for an occasional weekly saturday shopping trip, but that would be the extent of it. They are just as close, if not closer to Macon-Bibb as they are Columbus, so saying Taylor Co. should be included in the Columbus MSA is a little far-fetched.

I possibly see Talbot (to the East of Muscogee County) and Stewart (South of Chattahoocee County/Ft. Benning) Counties both possibly become part of the Columbus MSA in the near future as they are directly tied to Columbus, more so than the other counties you named.

If I'm not mistaken, Chattahoochee County is already part of Metro Columbus. Stewart County is borderline, in my opinion, as being reasonably included in a metro area with Columbus.

Troup County is more connected with Columbus than with Atlanta. However, they more or less operate on their own within a micropolitan area that takes into account the areas of LaGrange, GA; West Point, GA; Valley, AL; and Lanette, AL. Perhaps to a lesser extent Hogansville, GA.

Meriwether County is a part of metro Atlanta, but it shouldn't be. While there are a few retirees and other individuals from metro Atlanta who have flocked there for the rural environment, it really is in no way connected to metro Atlanta and should be removed from the metro area, as it is truly a rural county.

[nortonguy]

West Point and Lagrange though, don't seem to be apart of Columbus at all. Atleast from driving down the interstate anyway. It was alot of construction on I-85, but its still rural.

[City Fanatic]

Originally Posted by nortonguy

West Point and Lagrange though, don't seem to be apart of Columbus at all. Atleast from driving down the interstate anyway. It was alot of construction on I-85, but its still rural.

I never argued that LaGrange and West Point are a part of Columbus. The area in between these cities and the northern end of Columbus is rural in nature.

My argument was that LaGrange, West Point, Valley, and Lannett operate much like their own mini metro area, of which the Georgia side (Troup County) is part of the LaGrange micropolitan area.

Alongside the interstate, it looks rural, with the exceptions of the spurs out to the interstate, or where Lannette and Valley flank both side of the interstate. The area from Lannett to Valley, on over to West Point in Georgia is contiguously built up, a span of maybe nine or ten miles, give or take. There is an undeveloped area of ten miles or so until you hit the southern built-up areas of LaGrange.This is along Highway 29. LaGrange is maybe contiguously built-up for eight miles or so in some directions.