Columbus, the 15th largest city (711,470) and the 33rd largest metropolitan market (1,540,157) in the country, is centrally located in Ohio. As the state capital, Columbus serves the state's population of 11,353,140, which is within a two-and-a-half hour driving radius of the city. The city ranks first in land area in the state, having surrounded its older, established suburbs by a farsighted program of annexation. Thus, Columbus has largely avoided the political and economic strangulation that has hindered the development of other major cities. The Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area is growing. This growth is in direct contrast to state and regional trends in which other areas lost population. Since the mid-1940's, Columbus is the only city in the northeast quadrant of the United States that has grown consistently. Columbus is innovative. Through steady growth, Columbus has become a center for high technology research and is presently one of the leading research centers in the world. The city is known worldwide for the large presence of progressive businesses in its economy and for its quality work force. In fact, Fortune Magazine rates Greater Columbus among the top five cities by numbers of innovative firms and by quality of the labor force. Corporations with reputations for excellence such Cardinal Health, The Limited, Nationwide Insurance, American Electric Power, Borden, Abercrombie & Fitch, Intimate Brands, Battelle Memorial Institute, Wendy's International, Bob Evans, OCLC, Chemical Abstracts, Worthington Industries, and The Scotts company are headquartered in Columbus. Columbus is an interesting, as well as a comfortable and pleasant, place to live, retaining the manageability and convenience of a smaller city, yet providing the diversity and opportunities of a major population center. A wide range of educational and cultural activities is provided by The Ohio State University and the many private colleges and universities in the central Ohio area. The Columbus area also supports a symphony orchestra, a professional ballet company, a professional opera company, both professional and amateur theaters, and several art galleries and museums. The City offers both collegiate and professional sports. As of 2000, Columbus has been the proud home of the Blue Jackets, an NHL Hockey Team that plays in our new downtown facility, the 18,600-seat Nationwide Arena. The Columbus Crew, our major league soccer team, plays in the only pro soccer stadium in the country. Ohio Stadium and The Schottenstein Center at Ohio State rank among the nation's premier collegiate sports facilities. Columbus' sports and entertainment facilities also serve as year round venues for international performers ranging from Pavarotti to the Rolling Stones.