| High Street | |
| Location: | Delaware and Franklin counties, Ohio |
| Direction A: | North |
| Terminus A: | Columbus (northern boundary) |
| Direction B: | South |
| Terminus B: | Hamilton Township |
| West: | Wall or Front Street |
| East: | 3rd Street |
High Street is a major thoroughfare in Central Ohio, predominantly in Franklin County and Columbus. It stretches from the northern border of Columbus in Delaware County south to the southern boundary of Franklin County just past Columbus's municipal boundaries. The street is considered one of Columbus's two main roads, along with Broad Street.
High Street extends north and south far into Ohio, though it is named High Street starting at the northern end of Columbus (in Delaware County). North of this it is U.S. Route 23. Continuing south, the road quickly enters Franklin County and passes through some northerly suburbs in Columbus. The road enters Worthington and Riverlea, two municipalities that are enclaves of Columbus. The street is the primary corridor of Worthington's central business district. High Street resumes in Columbus, going through its Clintonville neighborhood. There it adjusts from running approximately due south to slightly southeast. It continues through Old North Columbus and then the University District, where it also passes by the Ohio State University. Immediately afterward, it enters the Short North Arts District, a historic and shopping district centered around High Street. The road continues into Downtown Columbus. There, the street enters Capitol Square, intersecting with Broad Street, the other main artery of the city.
The square is the cultural center of downtown, and includes the Ohio Statehouse, the state capitol building. High Street continues south out of Downtown through the Brewery District by German Village, and readjusts more south upon entering Merion Village. It continues through a large stretch of the city's South Side, where it terminates just south of the city borders in Hamilton Township, continuing on as U.S. Route 23.
High Street has been one of Columbus's two main corridors since its founding, along with Broad Street, meeting at a 100 percent corner downtown. The street (among other main corridors) was laid out from the city's founding in 1812 into the following year.[1] These streets and the entire grid were laid out 12 degrees off from a north-south and east-west alignment.
High Street is likely named for the high ridge along which it was laid out.[2]
Broad Street and High Street both traverse beyond the extent of the city; High Street is the longest in Columbus, running (23.4 across the county), while Broad Street is longer across the county, at .[3] The city's street plan follows a grid pattern with the intersection of Broad and High Streets at its center.[4] The address system begins its numbering at the intersection of Broad and High, with numbers increasing in magnitude with distance from Broad or High, as well as cardinal directions used alongside street names.[5]
The street has a relatively broad width; it was originally laid out to be wide. Only Broad Street was wider, at 120 feet, while most others were 82.5 feet, and alleys were 33 feet wide.[2]
For public transportation, numerous Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) routes utilize High Street. Routes 2 E Main / N High and 102, and the Night Owl run on a long extent of the street; the 102 is a limited-stop service, while the Night Owl provides late-night service.
Beside the historic landmarks listed below, the street has numerous cultural landmarks and attractions. These include Highbanks Metro Park, the Pontifical College Josephinum, the Newport Music Hall, the Ohio State University, the university's Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, the Lazarus Building, and the Franklin County Government Center.
See also: Columbus Register of Historic Properties and National Register of Historic Places listings in Columbus, Ohio.
Buildings on High Street can have one of several types of official landmark designations:
Below is a list of historic sites on High Street, from north to south. Historic districts are not included in this table, but are mentioned in . Buildings within historic districts, but no individual landmark designation, are not included in this table.
| Name | class=unsortable | Image | Address | City or neighborhood | width=20 | CRHP | width=20 | NRHP | class=unsortable | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 956 High Street | ||||||||||
| 773 High Street | ||||||||||
| 721 High Street | ||||||||||
| 700 High Street | ||||||||||
| 679-681 High Street | ||||||||||
| 649 High Street | ||||||||||
| 634 High Street | ||||||||||
| 633-635 High Street | ||||||||||
| 623 High Street | ||||||||||
| 5751 N. High Street | ||||||||||
| Northmoor Engine House / Station #19 | 3601 N. High Street | Northmoor (Clintonville) | ||||||||
| 2725 N. High Street | ||||||||||
| 1379 N. High Street | ||||||||||
| 1276 N. High Street | ||||||||||
| Union Station arcade | 370-400 N. High Street | Demolished in 1976, delisted in 1999 | ||||||||
| 161-167 N. High Street | ||||||||||
| 8 E. Long Street | ||||||||||
| 51 N. High Street | Also part of a national historic district | |||||||||
| 1 Capitol Square | Also a National Historic Landmark | |||||||||
| 167 S. High Street | ||||||||||
| 310 S. High Street | Also part of a city and national historic district | |||||||||
| 326 S. High Street | Also part of a city and national historic district | |||||||||
| 975-979 S. High Street | ||||||||||
| 1881 S. High Street |
There are numerous historic districts through which High Street passes. Buildings in these districts with individual landmark designations are described in . From north to south, the districts are: