Phenix City is a city in Lee and Russell counties in the State of Alabama, and the county seat of Russell County. As of the 2010 census, the population of the city was 32,822. Phenix City is sometimes called a Hub City, as it lies immediately west of Columbus, Georgia, which is a much larger city. It is included in the Columbus, Georgia-Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, but a section is located in Lee County, and is, therefore, in the Auburn, Alabama metropolitan area in Alabama.