Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in the Arena District of Columbus, Ohio. Since its completion in 2000, it has served as the home of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The seating capacity of Nationwide Arena varies depending on the event. For basketball games, the capacity is 19,500. For concerts, the capacity is 20,000. For ice hockey games, the capacity is 18,500.

Nationwide Arena was built near the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary, which had an eastern border of West Street. The arena itself is built over the prison’s former parking lot. The arena’s parking lot and an apartment complex are built where the prison formerly stood. The first game played at Nationwide Arena was on October 7th, 2000, where the Blue Jackets played against the Chicago Blackhawks.

In May 2012, Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman made a pitch to the National Basketball Association (NBA) requesting an expansion or relocated team be moved to Nationwide Arena, but no team has been moved there yet.

Columbus Blue Jackets Nationwide Arena
Columbus Airport

How to Get to Columbus

The nearest airport to Nationwide Arena is John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) which is approximately 7 miles away from Nationwide Arena. Columbus Rickenbacker Airport (LCK) is also nearby, approximately 17 miles from the stadium. There are currently no direct flights to Columbus from the United Kingdom, but there are several options available including a layover.

If you are already in the US and looking to travel to/from Ohio, then you have the choice of most US domestic airlines including Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, American Eagle, Frontier Airlines, Jet Blue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airways and WestJet.

Public Transport

There are several public transportation options available around Nationwide Arena in Columbus. The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) provides bus service throughout the Greater Columbus region. The nearest bus stops to Nationwide Arena in Columbus are Nationwide Blvd & Mcconnell Blvd and N Front St & Nationwide Blvd, both of which are a 4-minute walk away. You could also make use of apps such as Moovit to get directions to the arena using public transportation.

Rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft are also available in the vicinity. Nationwide Arena has designated pick-up and drop-off zones on West Street.

Columbus Mass Transit Map
Columbus City Map

Staying in Columbus

Beyond the Airbnb and Sonder options there are many hotels nearby to suit all budgets, which can be booked directly or via one of the hotel reservation booking sites.

Downtown Columbus has a lot to offer tourists. It is an artsy neighbourhood appreciated for its noteworthy cultural attractions such as the theatre and live music. You can explore your artistic side in the Short North Arts District or let loose with sports and entertainment in the Arena District. You can also kick back along the Scioto Mile downtown and admire the growing city skyline with a lunch or concert by the river.

Columbus Blue Jackets Tickets

The Columbus Blue Jackets sell their tickets via Ticketmaster.

The official ticket partner for the NHL is Ticketmaster.

Here are links to the main ticket resale sites. Click on the link, which will open up a new window, and you can compare the prices on the different ticket resell sites, bearing in mind that the prices shown are before the selling platform fees are added, so take time to have a read of my tips to Buying Tickets in North America.

I recommend downloading the team’s Mobile App to your phone as it contains much Gameday information for the stadium.

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