Columbus Circle

Columbus Circle is a traffic roundabout at the southwest corner of Central Park in Manhattan, where Broadway, Eighth Avenue, and Central Park West meet. In the center stands a marble column with a statue on top, surrounded by low steps and fountains.

The roundabout opened in October 1892 when the column by sculptor Gaetano Russo was installed. In 1905 William Phelps Eno introduced the first organized circular traffic system in the city here.

The plaza takes its name from the explorer Christopher Columbus and was part of celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of his arrival in the Americas. Today you can see people sitting on the steps around the monument or meeting before a concert at the nearby hall.

The site serves as the reference point for measuring all highway distances from New York and offers several subway entrances beneath the plaza. Pedestrians can reach the central island through crosswalks controlled by traffic lights.

The column in the center is the only milestone in the city from which all official road distances are measured. This tradition makes the plaza the symbolic zero point of the New York road network.

Location: Manhattan

Location: Manhattan Community Board 4

Location: Manhattan Community Board 7

Inception: 1892

Creator: Gaetano Russo, William Phelps Eno

Official opening: October 12, 1892

Part of: Central Park

Website: https://nycgovparks.org/parks/central-park/monuments/299

GPS coordinates: 40.76806,-73.98194

Latest update: December 13, 2025 16:04