Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is the 15th largest city in the United States with a population of 822,553 (2013 estimate). It is the core city of the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which encompasses a ten county area. Under the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) model, it is the third largest metropolitan area in Ohio, virtually tied with the Cleveland MSA and only slightly behind the Cincinnati MSA (which includes portions of Kentucky and Indiana).Under the Combined Statistical Area (CSA) model, the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area was the 28th largest in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH Combined Statistical Area (which also includes Marion, Chillicothe, and Mount Vernon) has a population of 2,348,495, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Ohio behind Cleveland, Ohio. In addition, it is also the fourth most populous state capital in the United States and the third largest city in the Midwestern United States.