Bartholomew County is expecting 50,000-200,000 visitors traveling here to view the total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8. There will be several events starting Friday, April 5 through Monday, April 8.

What Should You Know?

City of Columbus and Bartholomew County offices and buildings will be closed on Monday, April 8 as employees will be providing support to our first responders and events. There will be no City of Columbus curbside collections on Monday, April 8. All curbside collections will be delayed by one day, with Friday’s pickups occurring on Saturday, April 13.

Columbus City Utilities will be drive-up only on Monday, April 8. Their lobby will be closed. If you have a problem with your water or sewer service, please call 812-372-8861 and follow the prompts.

Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, Flat Rock – Hawcreek Schools, IU Columbus, Ivy Tech, Purdue Polytechnic, and the Columbus Learning Center will be closed on Monday, April 8.

Visitors to our area will likely be traveling through the county to get to their final viewing destination. Traffic will be congested throughout the weekend, and specifically on Monday, April 8.

If you are an employer, please consider adjusting shifts or shutdowns. It will be difficult for employees to travel to and from work in a timely manner. For more information on business logistics during the eclipse, please contact Jody Coffman, eclipse coordinator: jcoffman@columbus.in.gov or (812) 669-5305.

Extra traffic will make everyday tasks, such as grocery shopping, pharmacy runs, refueling vehicles, medical appointments, and more, difficult to complete. Community members are encouraged to complete errands in advance of the weekend.

Please consider other modes of transportation to local events, such as walking or riding bikes on the People Trail. This will help with traffic congestion.

ColumBUS will run limited routes from Saturday, April 6 through Monday, April 8. Please plan accordingly. Special routes will be established to events downtown and at AirPark Columbus.

When choosing a spot to watch, please find an area away from roads. Do not stop in the road or park along a road. This can be extremely dangerous, especially on highways and interstates. Do not trespass! Make sure you have permission to be at a location. Traffic will increase immediately following the eclipse, and it may be gridlocked for hours. Make sure you have plenty of gas and a fully stocked vehicle emergency kit, including a first aid kit, jumper cables, a portable phone charger, spare food and water.

Keep in mind that weather changes may prompt people to change locations on the day of the eclipse.

Residents are reminded to avoid calling 911 unless it is an emergency.

For inquiries on events, area information, traffic, and more, please call (812) 669-5305.

For the lodging and event information, visit the Columbus Visitors Center website, and follow us on Facebook for up-to-date information throughout the weekend.