Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia
State capital city
Downtown Columbiaskyline The Seibels House Five Points Williams-Brice Stadium Horseshoeat the University of South Carolina South Carolina State House Robert Mills House
Flag Seal
Nicknames: Cola, Capital City, River City, Soda City [1]
Motto(s): " Justitia Virtutum Regina" (Latin) (Justice, the Queen of Virtues) "We Are Columbia"
Interactive map of Columbia
Columbia Location within South Carolina Show map of South Carolina Columbia Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates:34°0′2″N81°2′5″W / 34.00056°N 81.03472°W /34.00056; -81.03472
Country	United States
State	South Carolina
County	Richland,Lexington
Approved	March 22, 1786
Chartered (town)	1805
Chartered (city)	1854
Named for	Columbia
Government
•Mayor	Daniel Rickenmann(R)
Area [2]
• Total	140.68 sq mi (364.37 km2)
• Land	137.81 sq mi (356.93 km2)
• Water	2.87 sq mi (7.44 km2) 1.68%
Elevation [3]	302 ft (92 m)
Population ( 2020) [4]
• Total	136,632
• Estimate (2023)	142,416
• Rank	205thin the United States 2ndin South Carolina
• Density	991.45/sq mi (382.80/km2)
•Urban	590,407 (US:74th)
• Urban density	1,606.6/sq mi (620.3/km2)
•Metro [5]	858,302 (US:70th)
Time zone	UTC−5(EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4(EDT)
ZIP code(s)	29044, 29201–29212, 29214–29230, 29240, 29250, 29260, 29290, 29292
Area code(s)	803, 839
FIPS code	45-16000
GNISfeature ID	1245051[6]
Website	columbiasc.gov

Columbiais thecapital cityof theU.S. stateofSouth Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the2020 census, it isthe second-most populouscity in South Carolina.^[7]The city serves as thecounty seatofRichland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboringLexington County. It is the center of theColumbia, SC Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 858,302 in 2023, and is the70th-most populous metropolitan statistical areain the United States.^[5]The nameColumbiais a poetic term used for the United States, derived from the name ofChristopher Columbus, who explored for the Spanish Crown. Columbia is often abbreviated as Cola, leading to its nickname as "Soda City".^[1]

The city is located just northwest of thegeographic center of South Carolina^[8]and was thecenter of population of South Carolinain 2020.^[9]It is also the primary city of theMidlandsregion of the state. It lies at the confluence of theSaluda Riverand theBroad River, which merge at Columbia to form theCongaree River. As the state capital, Columbia is the site of theSouth Carolina State House, the center of government for the state. In 1860, the South Carolina Secession Convention took place in Columbia; delegates voted for secession, making South Carolina the first state to leave theUnionin the events leading up to theCivil War.

Columbia is home to theUniversity of South Carolina, the state's flagship public university and the largest in the state. The area has benefited from Congressional support for Southern military installations. Columbia is the site ofFort Jackson, the largestUnited States Armyinstallation forBasic Combat Training. Twenty miles to the east of the city isMcEntire Joint National Guard Base, which is operated by theU.S. Air Forceand is used as a training base for the169th Fighter Wingof theSouth Carolina Air National Guard.

In May 1540, a Spanish expedition led byHernando de Sototraversed what is now Columbia while moving northward on exploration of the interior of the Southeast. The expedition produced the earliest written historical records of this area, which was part of the regionalCofitachequichiefdomof theMississippian culture.^[10]

During thecolonial era, European settlers encountered the Congaree in this area, who inhabited several villages along the Congaree River. The settlers established a frontier fort and fur trading post named after the Congaree, on the west bank of the Congaree River. It was at the fall line and the head of navigation in theSantee Riversystem.

In 1754 thecolonial governmentinSouth Carolinaestablished a ferry to connect the fort with the growing European settlements on the higher ground on the east bank.^[11]

Like many other significant early settlements in colonial America, Columbia is on thefall lineof thePiedmontregion. Thefall lineis often marked by rapids at the places where the river cuts sharply down to lower levels in the Tidewater or Low Country of the coastal plain. Beyond the fall line, the river is unnavigable for boats sailing upstream. Entrepreneurs and later industrialists established mills in such areas, as the water flowing downriver, often over falls, provided power to run equipment.

After theAmerican Revolutionary Warand United States independence, State SenatorJohn Lewis Gervaisof the town ofNinety Sixintroduced a bill that was approved by the legislature on March 22, 1786, to create a new state capital. Considerable argument occurred over the name for the new city. According to published accounts, Senator Gervais said he hoped that "in this town we should find refuge under the wings ofCOLUMBIA", for that was the name which he wished it to be called. One legislator insisted on the name "Washington", but "Columbia" won by a vote of 11–7 in the state senate.

The site was chosen as the new state capital in 1786 due to its central location in the state. The State Legislature first met there in 1790. After remaining under the direct government of the legislature for the first two decades of its existence, Columbia was incorporated as a village in 1805 and then as a city in 1854.

Columbia received a large stimulus to development when it was connected in a direct water route toCharlestonby theSantee Canal. This connected the Santee and Cooper rivers in a 22-mile-long (35 km) section. It was first chartered in 1786 and completed in 1800, making it one of the earliest canals in the United States. With competition later from faster railroad traffic, it ceased operation around 1850.

The commissioners designed a town of 400 blocks in a 2-mile (3 km) square along the river. The blocks were divided into lots of 0.5 acres (2,000 m²) and sold to speculators and prospective residents. Buyers had to build a house at least 30 feet (9.1 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide within three years, or face an annual 5% penalty. The perimeter streets and two through streets were 150 feet (46 m) wide. The remaining squares were divided by thoroughfares 100 feet (30 m) wide. As the capital and one of the firstplanned citiesin the United States, Columbia began to grow rapidly. Its population was nearing 1,000 shortly after the start of the 19th century.

The commissioners constituted the local government until 1797, when a Commission of Streets and Markets was created by the General Assembly. Three main issues occupied most of their time: public drunkenness, gambling, and poor sanitation.

In 1801, South Carolina College (now theUniversity of South Carolina) was founded in Columbia. The original building survives. The city was chosen as the site of the state college in an effort to unite residents of theUpcountryand theLowcountryafter the American Revolutionary War.^[12][13]The leaders of South Carolina kept a close eye on the new college: for many years after its founding, commencement exercises were held in December while the state legislature was in session.^[14]

Columbia received its first charter as a town in 1805. An intendant and six wardens governed the town.John Taylor, the first elected intendant, later served in both houses of the General Assembly, both houses of Congress, and eventually was elected as governor. By 1816, some 250 homes had been built in the town and a population was more than 1000.

In 1828, theSouth Carolina FemaleCollegiateInstitutewas founded byElias Marksfor the higher education of young women.^[15](The wordCollegiatewas added to its charter in 1835.) Since the school was located on 500 acres in the Barhamville area of Columbia, it was often informally called Barhamville Institute or Barhamville Academy. "...it was the first and only school of its character at the South. It was of a very high class..."^[16]The Barhamville Institute closed in 1867 due to the economic dislocation of the Civil War.

Columbia became chartered as a city in 1854, with an elected mayor and six aldermen. Two years later, Columbia had a police force consisting of a full-time chief and nine patrolmen. The city continued to grow at a rapid pace, and throughout the 1850s and 1860s, Columbia was the largest inland city in the Carolinas. Railroad transportation served as a significant cause of population expansion in Columbia during this time. Rail lines that reached the city in the 1840s primarily transported cotton bales, not passengers, from there to major markets and the port of Charlestown. Cotton was the chief commodity of the state and lifeblood of the Columbia community; in 1850, virtually all of the city's commercial and economic activity was related to cotton. Cotton was sent to New York and New England's textile mills, as well as to England and Europe, where demand was high.

"In 1830, around 1,500slaveslived and worked in Columbia; this population grew to 3,300 by 1860. Some members of this large enslaved population worked in their masters' households. Masters also frequently hired out slaves to Columbia residents and institutions, including South Carolina College. Hired-out slaves sometimes returned to their owners' homes daily; others boarded with their temporary masters."^[17]

Columbia was of considerable importance to theConfederacyduring theAmerican Civil War. Columbia was the site of the first Southern secession convention, which assembled in theFirst Baptist Churchon December 17, 1860. Secession may have been declared in Columbia, were it not for a smallpox outbreak that moved the convention to Charleston, where South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union on December 20.^[18]A considerable military infrastructure sprung up in Columbia. The state arsenal was located in Columbia, along with the state military academy. The University of South Carolina grounds were converted into a military hospital since its role as an educational institution had been made moot after its entire student body volunteered for the Confederate Army.^[19]Numerous industrial facilities produced war materiel. By 1865, it was also the Confederacy's last breadbasket. All of these factors combined to make it the obvious next target for GeneralWilliam T. Shermanafter his successfulMarch to the SeacapturedSavannah, Georgia.^[20]

The Union Army, under Gen. Sherman, captured the city on February 17, 1865.^[21]Much of the city was destroyed by fire between the 17th and 18th. The idea that General Sherman ordered the burning of Columbia has persisted as part of theLost Cause of the Confederacynarrative. However modern historians have concluded that no one cause led to the burning of Columbia and that Sherman did not order the burning. Rather, the chaotic atmosphere in the city on the occasion of its fall led to the ideal conditions for a fire to start and spread. As a newspaper columnist noted in 1874, "the war burned Columbia."^[22]

During the Reconstruction era, when African-American Republicans were among the legislators elected to state government, Columbia became the focus of considerable attention. Reporters, journalists, travelers, and tourists flocked here to see a Southern state legislature whose members included freedmen (former slaves), as well asmen of colorwho had been free before the war. The city began to rebuild and recover from the devastating fire of 1865; a mild construction boom took place within the first few years of Reconstruction. In addition, repair of railroad tracks in outlying areas created more jobs for residents.

By the late nineteenth century, culture was expanding in the city. In 1897 the Columbia Music Festival Association (CMFA) was founded^[23]by Mayor William McB. Sloan and the city aldermen. It was headquartered in the Opera House on Main Street, which also served as City Hall. Its role was to book and manage concerts and events in the opera house for the city.^[24]

During the early 20th century, Columbia developed as a regional textile manufacturing center. In 1907, Columbia had six mills in operation:Richland,Granby,Olympia, Capital City, Columbia, and Palmetto. Combined, they employed over 3,400 workers with an annual payroll of $819,000, giving the Midlands an economic boost of over $4.8 million. Columbia had no paved streets until 1908, when 17 blocks of Main Street were surfaced. But, it had 115 publicly maintained street crossings, boardwalks placed at intersections to keep pedestrians from having to wade through a sea of mud between wooden sidewalks. As an experiment, Washington Street was once paved with wooden blocks. This proved to be the source of much local amusement when they buckled and floated away during heavy rains. The blocks were replaced with asphalt paving in 1925.

During the years 1911 and 1912, some $2.5 million worth of construction occurred in the city, as investors used revenues generated by the mills. New projects included construction of the Union Bank Building at Main and Gervais, thePalmetto National Bank, a shopping arcade, and large hotels at Main and Laurel (the Jefferson) and at Main and Wheat (the Gresham). In 1917, the city was selected by the US Army to be developed as the site ofCamp Jackson, a U.S. military installation that was officially classified as a "Field Artillery Replacement Depot". The first recruits arrived at the camp on September 1, 1917. In the first several decades of the 20th century, white Democrats of theSolid Southcontrolled an outsize amount of power in the House and Senate. The former Confederate states had effectivelydisenfranchisedmost blacks and many poor whites through passage of discriminatory laws and constitutions that made voter registration and voting more difficult. But they controlled all the seats in Congress related to the total state populations.

In 1930, Columbia was the hub of a trading area with about 500,000 potential customers. It had 803 retail establishments, 280 of them being food stores. The city also had 58 clothing and apparel outlets, 57 restaurants and lunch rooms, 55 filling stations, 38 pharmacies, 20 furniture stores, 19 auto dealers, 11 shoe stores, nine cigar stands, five department stores, and one book store. Wholesale distributors located within the city numbered 119, with one-third of them dealing in food.

In 1934, the federal courthouse at the corner of Main and Laurel streets was purchased by the city for use as City Hall. Built of granite from nearbyWinnsboro,Columbia City Hallis listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. Designed byAlfred Built Mullett, PresidentUlysses S. Grant's federal architect, the building was completed in 1876. Mullet, best known for his design of theExecutive Office Buildingin Washington, DC, had originally designed the courthouse with a clock tower. It was not constructed, perhaps because of large cost overruns on the project. Copies of Millet's original drawings can be seen on the walls of City Hall alongside historic photos of other Columbia beginnings. Federal offices were moved to the newJ. Bratton Davis United States Bankruptcy Courthouse.

In 1940 Camp Jackson was reactivated after war started in Europe, and was designated as Fort Jackson. City leaders and the congressional delegation had lobbied to gain such a permanent military installation. In the early 1940s, shortly after theattack on Pearl Harbor, which catalyzed the entry of the US intoWorld War II, Lt. ColonelJimmy Doolittleand his group of now-famous pilots began training for the 1942Doolittle Raidover Tokyo at what is nowColumbia Metropolitan Airport.^[25]They trained inB-25 Mitchellbombers, the same model as the plane that is installed at Columbia'sOwens Fieldin theCurtiss-Wrighthangar.^[26]

During the 1940s African Americans increased activism for their civil rights: seeking to reverseJim Crow lawsandracial discriminationthat pushed them into second-class status in Columbia and the state. In 1945, a federal judge ruled that the city's black teachers were entitled to equal pay to that of their white counterparts. But, in following years, the state attempted to strip many blacks of their teaching credentials. Other issues in which the blacks of the city sought equality concernedvoting rightsandsegregation(particularly regarding public schools). In 1954, inBrown v. Board of Education, the US Supreme Court ruled that segregated public schools were unconstitutional.

On August 21, 1962, eight downtown chain stores served blacks at their lunch counters for the first time. The University of South Carolina, a public institution, admitted its first black students in 1963. Around that same time, many vestiges of segregation began to disappear from the city: blacks attained membership on various municipal boards and commissions, and the city adopted a non-discriminatory hiring policy. These and other such signs of racial progress helped earn the city the 1964All-America City Awardfor the second time (the first being in 1951). A 1965 article inNewsweeklauded Columbia as a city that had "liberated itself from the plague of doctrinalapartheid".^[27]

Since the late 20th century, historic preservation has played a significant part in the city. The historicRobert Mills Housewas restored in 1967, which inspired the renovation and restoration of other historic structures, such as theHampton-Preston Houseand others associated with PresidentWoodrow Wilson,Maxcy Gregg,Mary Boykin Chesnut, and noted free black Celia Mann. In the early 1970s, the University of South Carolina initiated the refurbishment of its "Horseshoe". Several area museums also benefited from the increased historical interest of that time, among them the Fort Jackson Museum, the McKissick Museum on the campus of the University of South Carolina, and most notably theSouth Carolina State Museum, which opened in 1988.

MayorKirkman Finlay Jr., was the driving force behind the refurbishment of Seaboard Park, now known asFinlay Park, in the historic Congaree Vista district. His administration developed the $60 million Palmetto Center package, which resulted in construction of an office tower, parking garage, and the Columbia Marriott hotel, which opened in 1983. In 1980, the Columbia metropolitan population reached 410,088, and in 1990, this figure had hit roughly 470,000. During the 1970s and 1980s skyscrapers were constructed and other real-estate development took place throughout Columbia. To meet demand of businesses, the city constructed TheTower at 1301 Gervaisin 1973. In 1983, Hub at Columbia was constructed. In 1987, theCapitol Centerwas built, which became the tallest building in South Carolina. TheBank of AmericaPlaza was built in 1989.

During the 1990s and early 2000s the city worked to revitalize the downtown, as businesses had been pulled out to the suburbs. TheCongaree Vistadistrict along Gervais Street, once known as a warehouse district, became an area of art galleries, shops, and restaurants. TheColonial Life Arena(formerly known as the Colonial Center) opened in 2002, and brought several major entertainers and shows to Columbia.EdVenture, the largest children's museum in the Southeast, opened in 2003. TheVillage at Sandhillshopping center opened in 2004 in northeast Richland County.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center opened in 2004, and a new convention center hotel opened in September 2007. A public-private City Center Partnership has been formed to implement the downtown revitalization and boost downtown growth. In 2009, Columbia's most recent skyscraper, the Tower at Main and Gervais, was completed. MayorStephen K. Benjaminstarted his first term in July 2010, elected as the first African-American mayor in the city's history.

Founders Park, home of USC baseball, opened in 2009. The South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team won two NCAA national championships in 2010 and in 2011. The2010 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, under coachSteve Spurrier, earned their first appearance in the SEC championship. Historic flooding in the city in October 2015 forced the Gamecocks football team to move their October 10 home game.Segra Park(formerly Spirit Communications Park), home of theColumbia Fireflies, opened in April 2016. In April 2017, the Gamecocks women's basketball team (under coachDawn Staley) won their first NCAA championship, and the men's basketball team went to the Final Four for the first time. They won their second national championship in 2022 and third in 2024.^[28]

AMast General Storewas opened in 2011. TheMusic Farm(now called The Senate) opened a location in Columbia on Senate Street in 2014. In 2000, the Confederate battle flag was moved from the South Carolina State House to the Confederate monument. On July 10, 2015, the flag was removed from the monument to a museum in the wake of theCharleston church shootinga month before by Columbia-born residentDylann Roof. In August 2017, the central path of atotal solar eclipsepassed directly over the city and state capitol.

In March 2019, themurder of Samantha Josephsongained national attention. InFive Points, a neighborhood in Columbia known for its late-night bars, Samantha Josephson mistakenly entered into a car she believed was herUber. The driver, Nathaniel Rowland, killed Josephson, sparking laws around the United States to further regulate rideshare companies. In South Carolina, the Samantha L. Josephson Ridesharing Act requires rideshare drivers to display identifying lights and prohibits the misrepresentation of non-rideshare drivers as such.^[29][30]Similar laws passed inNew Jersey,North Carolina, andNew York State.^[31][32][33]Rowland was caught, convicted, and sentenced to two life sentences without the possibility of parole.^[34]On December 28, 2022, federal legislation authorizing a study of ride-sharing safety practices, with passage by the US House and Senate, was sent to President Biden's desk.^[35][36]

In May 2019, 10,000 people marched at theStatehousein the "All Out Rally" to protest issues surrounding education, including low teacher pay, high student-to-teacher ratios, and the general underfunding of education. The protest was led bySC for Ed, aleft-learningstate advocacy group for teachers.^[37][38]

Following themurder of George Floydin May 2020, protests and riots spread toSouth Carolina and Columbia, which included the burning of several police cars and the breaking of business windows.

In 2021,RepublicanDaniel Rickenmannwas electedmayor of Columbia, defeating DemocratTameika Isaac Devine. He succeededStephen K. Benjamin, who did not seek reelection, in January 2022.^[39][40]

On April 16, 2022, amass shootingat theColumbiana Centremall resulted in the injuries of 14 people. 10 were struck by gunfire while four sustained stampede-related injuries. Three men were arrested; Columbia police declared that the shooting was the result of an argument, not a random attack orterrorism.^[41][42][43]

One of Columbia's more prominent geographical features is the fall line, the boundary between the uplandPiedmont regionand theAtlantic Coastal Plain, across which rivers drop as falls or rapids. Columbia developed at the fall line of the Congaree River, which is formed by the confluence of the Broad and Saluda rivers. The Congaree was the farthest inland point of river navigation. The energy of falling water also powered Columbia's earlymills.

The city has capitalized on this location, which includes three rivers, by identifying as "The Columbia Riverbanks Region". Columbia is located roughly halfway between the Atlantic Ocean and theBlue Ridge Mountains, at an elevation around 292 ft (89 m).^[44]

Soils in Columbia are well drained in most cases, with grayish brown loamy sand topsoil. The subsoil may be yellowish-red, sandy clay loam (Orangeburg series), yellowish-brown sandy clay loam (Norfolk series), or strong brown sandy clay (Marlboro series). All belong to theUltisolsoil order.^{[45][46][47][48]}

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 140.68 square miles (364.4 km²), of which 137.81 square miles (356.9 km²) is land and 2.87 square miles (7.4 km²) (1.68%) is water.^[2]Approximately ⅔ of Columbia's land area, 81.2 square miles (210 km²), is contained within the Fort Jackson Military Installation, much of which consists of uninhabited training grounds. The actual inhabited area for the city is slightly more than 50 square miles (130 km²).^[7]

Columbia has ahumid subtropical climate(KöppenCfa), with relatively cool to mild winters and hot and humid summers. The area averages 55 nights below freezing and is subject to temporarycold spellsduring the winter, but extended cold or days where the temperature fails to rise above freezing are both rare.^[49]These cold snaps usually result from atmospherictroughsthat bring in cold air from Canada across the Eastern part of the country. TheUSDAplaces Columbia in the 8aHardiness Zone.^[50]

With an annual average of 5 days with 100 °F (38 °C)+ and 72 days with 90 °F (32 °C)+ temperatures,^[49]the city's current promotional slogan describes Columbia as "Famously Hot".^[51]In the summer months, Columbia usually has the greatest high temperature in the state.^[52]One reason for this is its lowelevationin comparison to other cities at similar latitudes.^[53]For example,Atlantahas a significantly higher elevation, which helps to moderate its summer temperatures. Secondly, the city lies in the heart of theSandhillsregion. Since the region's soils are more sandy, they contain less water and can warm up more quickly.^[54]This explains why usually only the high temperatures and not the low temperatures are much different from across the state. Thirdly, because of its distance from theAtlantic Ocean, it does not receive the same moderating effects of coastal cities likeCharleston. Lastly, the city experiences theurban heat islandeffect, making it significantly warmer than some surrounding towns and cities.

Precipitation, at 44.6 inches (1,130 mm) annually, peaks in the summer months largely because of afternoon thunderstorms, and is the least during spring and fall.^[49]Snowfall averages 1.5 inches (3.8 cm), but is largely variable depending on the year.^[49]Snow flurries usually do fall at least once during the winter season during its coldest periods. Like much of the southeastern U.S., the city is prone toinversions, which trap ozone and other pollutants over the area.

Official extremes in temperature at the main weather station have ranged from 109 °F (43 °C) onJune 29 and 30, 2012down to −2 °F (−19 °C), set onFebruary 14, 1899. Only one other sub-zero temperature has been recorded in Columbia: −1 °F (−18 °C) onJanuary 21, 1985. A weather station at theUniversity of South Carolinacampus measured a reading of 113 °F (45 °C) on June 29, 2012, which is the highest temperature ever recorded in South Carolina.^[49][55]

Themetropolitan statistical areaof Columbia is thesecond-largestin South Carolina, and had an estimated population of 858,302 in 2023.^[5]

Columbia's metropolitan counties include:

• Calhoun
• Fairfield
• Kershaw
• Lexington
• Richland
• Saluda

Columbia's suburbs and environs include:

• Blythewood
• Camden
• Cayce
• Dentsville
• Forest Acres
• Irmo
• Lexington
• Lugoff
• Oak Grove
• Red Bank
• Seven Oaks
• St. Andrews
• West Columbia
• Woodfield

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	3,310		—
1840	4,340		31.1%
1850	6,060		39.6%
1860	9,052		49.4%
1870	12,298		35.9%
1880	10,036		−18.4%
1890	15,353		53.0%
1900	21,108		37.5%
1910	26,319		24.7%
1920	37,524		42.6%
1930	51,581		37.5%
1940	62,396		21.0%
1950	86,914		39.3%
1960	97,433		12.1%
1970	112,542		15.5%
1980	108,208		−3.9%
1990	110,852		2.4%
2000	116,278		4.9%
2010	129,272		11.2%
2020	136,632		5.7%
2023 (est.)	142,416	[7]	4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[58][4]

Columbia city, South Carolina – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000[59]	Pop 2010[60]	Pop 2020[61]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
Whitealone (NH)	55,993	64,062	67,238	48.15%	49.56%	49.21%
Black or African Americanalone (NH)	53,052	53,948	52,038	45.63%	41.73%	38.09%
Native AmericanorAlaska Nativealone (NH)	260	363	301	0.22%	0.28%	0.22%
Asianalone (NH)	1,977	2,846	4,152	1.70%	2.20%	3.04%
Pacific Islanderalone (NH)	87	150	113	0.07%	0.12%	0.08%
Some Other Race alone (NH)	140	162	409	0.12%	0.13%	0.30%
Mixed race or Multiracial(NH)	1,249	2,119	4,278	1.07%	1.64%	3.13%
Hispanic or Latino(any race)	3,520	5,622	8,103	3.03%	4.35%	5.93%
Total	116,278	129,272	136,632	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the2020 census, there were 136,632 people, 45,474 households, and 22,243 families residing in the city.

At the2010 census, there were 129,272 people, 52,471 total households, and 22,638 families residing in the city. The population density was 928.6 people per square mile (358.5 people/km²). There were 46,142 housing units at an average density of 368.5 per square mile (142.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 51.27%White, 42.20%Black, 2.20%Asian, 0.25%Native American, 0.30%Pacific Islander, 1.50% fromother races, and 2.00% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 4.30% of the population.

There were 45,666 households, out of which 22.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.7% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.4% were nonfamilies. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 22.9% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 16.6% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $31,141, and themedian incomefor a family was $39,589. Males had a median income of $30,925 versus $24,679 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,853. About 17.0% of families and 22.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.7% of those under the age of 18 and 16.9% ages 65 or older.

TheSouthern Baptist Conventionhas 241 congregations and 115,000 members. TheUnited Methodist Churchhas 122 congregations and 51,000 members. The Evangelical Lutheran Church has 71 congregations and 25,400 members. The PC (USA) has 34 congregations and 15,000 members; thePresbyterian Church in Americahas 22 congregations and 8,000 members. Columbia is see city of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral is located across the street from the state capitol. The Catholic Church has 14 parishes, including the Basilica of Saint Peter, the state's only minor basilica and the 85th church in the U.S. to receive this designation from the Vatican.^[62]There are three Jewish synagogues. There are three different Islamic masjids providing places of worship for more than 600 Muslim families living in Columbia. There is one Greek Orthodox Church in Columbia. There are two Hindu Temples in the city, Hindu Temple of South Carolina and BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Columbia.

Columbia has a diversified economy, with the major employers in the area being the South Carolina state government, thePrisma Healthhospital system,Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, Palmetto GBA, and theUniversity of South Carolina. Other major employers in the Columbia area includeComputer Sciences Corporation,Fort Jackson, theU.S. Army's largest and most active initial entry training installation,^[63]Richland School District One,Humana/TriCare, and theUnited Parcel Service, which operates its Southeastern Regional Hub at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. Major manufacturers such asSquare D, CMC Steel, Spirax Sarco,Michelin,International Paper,PirelliCables,Honeywell,Westinghouse Electric,HarscoTrack Tech,Trane, Intertape Polymer Group,Union Switch & Signal,FN Herstal,Solectron, andBoseTechnology have facilities in the Columbia area. There are over 70 foreign affiliated companies and fourteenFortune 500companies in the region.

Several companies have their global, continental, or national headquarters in Columbia, includingColonial Life & Accident Insurance Company, the second-largest supplemental insurance company in the nation; the Ritedose Corporation, apharmaceutical industryservices company;AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, the largest bank headquartered in the state with over $30 billion in assets (the non-commercial bank is part of theFarm Credit System, the largest agricultural lending organization in the United States which was established byCongressin 1916); South State Bank, the largest commercial bank headquartered in South Carolina;Nexsen Pruet, LLC, a multi-specialty business law firm in the Carolinas; Spectrum Medical, an international medical software company; Wilbur Smith Associates, a full-service transportation and infrastructure consulting firm; andNelson Mullins, a major national law firm. CSC's Financial Services Group, a major provider of software and outsourcing services to the insurance industry, is headquartered in the Columbia suburb of Blythewood.

The city of Columbia has recently accomplished a number of urban redevelopment projects and has several more planned.^[64]The historicCongaree Vista, a 1,200-acre (5 km²) district running from the central business district toward the Congaree River, features a number of historic buildings that have been rehabilitated since its revitalization begun in the late 1980s. Of note is theadaptive reuseof the Confederate Printing Plant on Gervais and Huger, used to print Confederate bills during theAmerican Civil War. The city cooperated withPublixgrocery stores to preserve the look. This won Columbia an award from the International Downtown Association.^[65]The Vista district is also where the region's convention center and anchorHiltonhotel with aRuth's Chris Steakhouserestaurant are located. Other notable developments under construction and recently completed include high-end condos and townhomes, hotels, and mixed-use structures.

The older buildings lining the Vista's main thoroughfare, Gervais Street, now house art galleries, restaurants, unique shops, and professional office space. Near the end of Gervais is theSouth Carolina State Museumand the EdVenture Children's Museum. Private student housing and some residential projects are going up nearby; the CanalSide development^[66]at the site of the old Central Correctional Institution, is the most high-profile. Completed in 2018, CanalSide is a 23-acre mixed-use development in the Vista on the Congaree River and is home to 750 residential rental apartments: townhomes, condominiums and lofts. Lady Street between Huger and Assembly streets in the Vista and theFive Points neighborhoodhave undergone beautification projects, which mainly consisted of replacing curbs and gutters, and adding brick-paved sidewalks and angled parking.

Special revitalization efforts are being aimed at Main Street, which began seeing an exodus of department and specialty stores in the 1990s. The goal is to re-establish Main Street as a vibrant commercial and residential corridor, and the stretch of Main Street home to most businesses—-from Gervais to Blanding streets—-has been streetscaped in recent years. Notable developments completed in recent years along Main Street include an 18-story, $60 million tower at the high-profile corner of Main and Gervais streets, the renovation of the 1441 Main Street office building as the new Midlands headquarters forWells FargoBank (formerlyWachoviaBank), a new sanctuary for the Holy TrinityGreek OrthodoxChurch, the location of Mast General store in the historicEfird's building, and the relocation of the Nickelodeon theater. A façade improvement program for the downtown business district, implemented in 2011, has resulted in the restoration and improvement of the façades of several historic Main Street shopfronts. One of the most ambitious development projects in the city's history is currently underway which involves old state mental health campus downtown on Bull Street. Known formally as Columbia Common, this project will consist of rehabbing several historic buildings on the campus, as well as constructing new buildings, for residential, hospitality, and retail use.^[67]A minor league baseball stadium was built on the campus in 2016. NamedSegra Park, it is home to theColumbia Fireflies.^[68]

In November 2005, the Soda City Market, an outdoor market, was established as part of Main Street's revitalization. Every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m., Main Street is closed to vehicular traffic. On average, 150 vendors sell at the market each week, and it is estimated that approximately 5,000 shoppers attend.^[69]The market contributes approximately 5 million dollars in sales annually.^[70]Items sold are typically handmade and local, including produce, cuisine, paintings, jewelry, and other crafted items.

• Fort Jacksonis the U.S. Army's largest training post.^[71]
• McEntire Joint National Guard Stationis under command of the South Carolina Air National Guard.

• Alternacirque, professional circus that produces variety shows and full-scale themed productions. Formed in 2007, Alternacirque is directed by Natalie Brown.^[72][73]
• Busted Plug Plaza, location of Busted Plug, the world's largestfire hydrant. Thesculpturewas erected in 2001 by Columbia artist known asBlue Sky. The sculpture is located on Taylor Street in downtown Columbia.
• Columbia Choral Society, performing throughout the community since 1930. Under the direction of William Carswell, the group strives to stimulate and broaden interest in musical activities and to actively engage in the rehearsal and rendition of choral music.
• Columbia City Ballet, Columbia's ballet company, offering more than 80 major performances annually. Artistic director William Starrett, formerly of the Joffrey Ballet and American Ballet Theatre, runs the company.^[74]
• Columbia City Jazz Dance Company, formed in 1990 by artistic director Dale Lam, was named one of the "Top 50 Dance Companies in the USA" by Dance Spirit magazine. Columbia City Jazz specializes in modern, lyrical, and percussive jazz dance styles and has performed locally, regionally, and nationally in exhibitions, competitions, community functions, and international tours in Singapore,Plovdiv, Bulgaria, andAustria.^[75]
• Columbia Marionette Theatre, only free standing theatre in the nation devoted entirely to marionette arts.
• Columbia Museum of Art, features changing exhibits throughout the year. Located at the corner of Hampton and Main Streets, the museum offers art, lectures, films, and guided tours.
• EdVenture, one of the South's largest children's museums and the second largest in South Carolina. It is located next to theSouth Carolina State Museumon Gervais Street. The museum allows children to explore and learn while having fun.
• McKissick Museum, located on theUniversity of South Carolinacampus. The museum features changing exhibitions of art, science, regional history, and folk art.
• Nickelodeon Theater, a 2-screen, store front theater located on Main Street between Taylor and Blanding Streets. In operation since 1979, "the Nick", run by theColumbia Film Society, is home to two film screenings each evening and an additional matinée three days a week. The Nick is the only non-profit art house film theater in South Carolina and is the home for 25,000 filmgoers each year.
• Palmetto Opera, debuted in 2003 with a performance of "Love, Murder & Revenge," a mixture of scenes from famous operas. The organization's mission is to present professional opera to the Midlands and South Carolina.^[76]
• Pocket Productions, an arts organization devoted to inspiring and expanding the arts community in Columbia, SC, through ArtRageous,^[77]Playing After Dark^[78]and other community-based collaborative events.^[79]
• Richland County Public Library, named the 2001 National Library of the Year, serves area citizens through its main library and nine branches. The 242,000-square-foot (22,500 m²) main library has a large book collection, provides reference services, utilizes the latest technology, houses a children's collection, and displays artwork.
• South Carolina Confederate Relic Room & Military Museum, an artifact collection from the Colonial period to the space age. The museum houses a diverse collection of artifacts from the South Carolina confederate period. It is located in the South Carolina State Museum building.
• South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, Columbia's resident orchestra. The Philharmonic produces a full season of orchestral performances each year. Renowned musicians come to Columbia to perform as guest artists with the orchestra.^[80]In April 2008Morihiko Nakaharawas named the new music director of the Philharmonic.
• South Carolina Shakespeare Company, performs the plays of Shakespeare and other classical works throughout the state.
• South Carolina State Museum, a comprehensive museum with exhibits in science, technology, history, and the arts. It is the state's largest museum and one of the largest museums in the Southeast.
• South Carolina State Library, provides library services to all citizens of South Carolina through the interlibrary loan service utilized by the public libraries located in each county.
• Town Theatre, oldest community theatre in continuous use. Located a block from theUniversity of South Carolinacampus, its playhouse is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places. Since 1917, the theatre has produced plays and musicals of wide general appeal.
• Trustus Theatre, Columbia's professional theatre company. Founded more than 20 years ago, Trustus brought a new dimension to theatre in South Carolina's capital city. Patrons have the opportunity to watch new shows directly from the stages of New York as well as classic shows rarely seen in Columbia.
• Workshop Theatre of South Carolina, opened in 1967 as a place where area directors could practice their craft. The theatre produces musicals and Broadway fare and also brings new theatrical material to Columbia.

Movies filmed in the Columbia area includeThe Program,Renaissance Man,Chasers,Death Sentence,A Guy Named Joe, andAccidental Love/Nailed.

The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center, which opened in September 2004 as South Carolina's only downtown convention center,^[81]is a 142,500-square-foot (13,240 m²), modern, state-of-the-art facility designed to host a variety of meetings and conventions. Located in the historic Congaree Vista district, this facility is close to restaurants, antique and specialty shops, art galleries, and various nightlife venues. The main exhibit hall contains almost 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²) of space; the Columbia Ballroom over 18,000 square feet (1,700 m²); and the five meeting rooms ranging in size from 1500 to 4,000 square feet (400 m²) add another 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²) of space. The facility is located next to the Colonial Life Arena.

Koger Center for the Artsprovides Columbia with theatre, music, and dance performances that range from local acts to global acts.^[82]The facility seats 2,256 persons. The center is named for philanthropists Ira and Nancy Koger, who made a substantial donation from personal and corporate funds for construction of the $15 million center. The first performance at the Koger Center was given by theLondon Philharmonic Orchestraand took place on Saturday, January 14, 1989. The facility is known for hosting diverse events, from the State of the State Address to the South Carolina Body Building Championship and the South Carolina Science Fair.

Carolina Coliseum, which opened in 1968, is a 12,401-seat facility which initially served as the home of the USC Gamecocks' basketball teams. The arena could be easily adapted to serve other entertainment purposes, including concerts, car shows, circuses, ice shows, and other events. The versatility and quality of the coliseum at one time allowed the university to use the facility for performing arts events such as theBoston Pops,Chicago Symphony, Feld Ballet, and other performances by important artists. An acoustical shell and a state-of-the-art lighting system assisted the coliseum in presenting such activities. The coliseum was the home of theColumbia Inferno, anECHLteam. However, since the construction of the Colonial Life Arena in 2002, the coliseum now is the center for the men's and women's basketball programs, with the center arena now housing the two main practice courts.

Township Auditoriumseats 3,099 capacity and is located in downtown Columbia. TheGeorgian Revivalbuilding was designed by the Columbia architectural firm of Lafaye and Lafaye and constructed in 1930. The Township has hosted thousands of events from concerts to conventions to wrestling matches. The auditorium was listed in theNational Register of Historic Placeson September 28, 2005, and has recently undergone a $12 million extensive interior and exterior renovation.^[83]

Columbia sports teams

Club	Sport	Founded	League	Venue	Capacity
SC Gamecocks football	American football	1892	SEC	Williams-Brice Stadium	80,250
SC Gamecocks women's basketball	Basketball	1974	SEC	Colonial Life Arena	18,000
SC Gamecocks men's basketball	Basketball	1908	SEC	Colonial Life Arena	18,000
Columbia Fireflies	Baseball	2016	Carolina League	Segra Park	9,077
SC United Bantams	Soccer	2011	USL2	Southeastern Freight Lines Soccer Center	2,000
Columbia Olde Grey	Rugby Union	1967	USA Rugby	Patton Stadium

The most popular sports in Columbia are the sports programs at the University of South Carolina. Columbia also offers minor league, semi-pro, and amateur sports. In April 2017, the women's Gamecocks basketball team wonthe NCAA national championship, defeatingMississippi State67–55.^[84]

Columbia has also hosted the women's U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 1996 and 2000^[85]and the 2007 Junior Wildwater World Championships, which featured many European canoe and kayak racers.^[86]The Colonial Life Arena has also hostedNBAexhibition games.^[87]

Williams-Brice Stadiumis the home of the USC Gamecocks' football team and is the 24th largest college football stadium in the nation.^[88]It seats 80,250 people and is located just south of downtown Columbia. The stadium was built in 1934 with the help of federal Works Progress Administration funds, and initially seated 17,600. The original name was Carolina Stadium, but on September 9, 1972, it was renamed to honor the Williams and Brice families. Mrs. Martha Williams-Brice had left much of her estate to the university for stadium renovations and expansions. Her late husband, Thomas H. Brice, played football for the university from 1922 to 1924.

Colonial Life Arena, opened in 2002; it has 18,000 seats for college basketball, it is the largest arena in the state of South Carolina,^[89]serving as the home of the men's and women's USC Gamecocks basketball teams. Located on the University of South Carolina campus, this facility features 41 suites, four entertainment suites, and the Frank McGuire Club, a full-service hospitality room with a capacity of 300. The facility has padded seating, a sound system, and a four-sided video scoreboard.^[90]

The $13 millionCharlie W. Johnson Stadiumis the home ofBenedict Collegefootball and soccer. The structure was completed and dedicated in 2006 and seats 11,000 with a maximum capacity of 16,000.

TheFounders Parkopened in 2009. Seating 8,400 permanently for college baseball and an additional 1,000 for standing room only, it is the largest baseball stadium in the state of South Carolina. It serves as the home of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks' baseball team. Located near Granby Park near downtown Columbia, this facility features entertainment suites, a picnic terrace, and a dining deck. The facility also features a sound system and scoreboard.^[91]

On January 6, 2015, developers broke ground on the $37 millionSegra Park. The stadium is the home for theColumbia Fireflies, aMinor League Baseballteam playing in theLow-A East. It opened in April 2016 and can seat up to 7,501 people. Columbia had been without minor league baseball since theCapital City Bombersrelocated toGreenville, South Carolina, in 2004.^[92]

Finlay Parkhas hosted events from festivals and political rallies to road races and Easter Sunrise services. This 18-acre (73,000 m²) park has had two lives; first dedicated in 1859 as Sidney Park, named in honor of Algernon Sidney Johnson, a Columbia City Councilman, the park experienced an illustrious but short tenure. The park fell into disrepair after the Civil War and served as a site for commercial ventures until the late 20th century. In 1990, the park was reopened. It serves as the site for such events as Kids Day, The Summer Concert Series, plus many more activities. In 1992, the park was renamed Finlay Park, in honor of Kirkman Finlay, by former mayor of Columbia,T. Patton Adams, who had a vision to reenergize the historic Congaree Vista district, between Main Street and the river, and recreate the site that was formerly known as Sidney Park. In 2023, the city broke ground on a $24 million redesign of the park which will include a rebuilt central fountain, a new band stage, public art, enhanced lawn areas, and new amenities such as strolling gardens and an overlook plaza.^[93]

Memorial Park is a 4-acre (16,000 m²) tract of land in the Congaree Vista between Main Street and the river. The property is bordered by Hampton, Gadsden, Washington, and Wayne Streets and is one block south of Finlay Park. This park was created to serve as a memorial to those who served their country and presently has monuments honoring theUSS Columbiawarship and those that served with her duringWorld War II, the China-Burma-India Theater Veterans of WWII, casualties of thePearl Harborattack of December 7, 1941, who were from South Carolina,Holocaust survivorswho live in South Carolina as well as concentration camp liberators from South Carolina, and the StateVietnam WarVeterans. The park was dedicated in November 1986 along with the unveiling of the South Carolina Vietnam Monument. In June 2000, theKorean WarMemorial was dedicated at Memorial Park. In November 2014, Columbia native and resident of Boston, Henry Crede, gave a bronze statue and plaza in the park dedicated to his WWII comrades who served in the Navy from South Carolina.

Granby Park opened in November 1998 as a gateway to the rivers of Columbia, adding another access to the many river activities available to residents. Granby is part of the Three Rivers Greenway, a system of green spaces along the banks of the rivers in Columbia, adding another piece to the long-range plan and eventually connecting to the existing Riverfront Park. Granby is a 24-acre (97,000 m²) linear park with canoe access points, fishing spots, bridges, and ½ mile of nature trail along the banks of the Congaree River.

In the Five Points district of downtown Columbia is the park dedicated to the legacy and memory of civil rights leader,Martin Luther King Jr.Formerly known as Valley Park, it was renamed in the late 1980s. The park features a water sculpture and a community center. An integral element of the park is the Stone of Hope monument, unveiled in January 1996. The monument is inscribed with a portion of King's 1964Nobel Peace Prizeacceptance speech: "History is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued that self-defeating path of hate. Love is the key to the solutions of the problems of the world."

One of Columbia's greatest assets isRiverbanks Zoo & Garden. Riverbanks Zoo is a sanctuary for more than 2,000 animals housed in natural habitat exhibits along the Saluda River. Just across the river, the 70-acre (280,000 m²) botanical garden is devoted to gardens, woodlands, plant collections, and historic ruins. Riverbanks has been named one of America's best zoos^[94]and the No. 1 travel attraction in the Southeast.^[95]It attracted over one million visitors in 2009.^[96]

Situated along the meandering Congaree River in central South Carolina,Congaree National Parkis home to champion trees, primeval forest landscapes, and diverse plant and animal life. This 22,200-acre (90 km²) park protects the largest contiguous tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the United States. The park is an internationalbiosphere reserve. Known for its giant hardwoods and towering pines, the park's floodplain forest includes one of the highest canopies in the world and some of the tallest trees in the eastern United States. Congaree National Park provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place to walk and relax in a tranquil wilderness setting.

Sesquicentennial State Parkis a 1,419-acre (6 km²) park, featuring a 30-acre (120,000 m²) lake surrounded by trails and picnic areas. The park's proximity to downtown Columbia and three major interstate highways attracts both local residents and travelers. Sesquicentennial is often the site of family reunions and group campouts. Interpretive nature programs are a major attraction to the park. The park also contains a two-story log house, dating back to the mid 18th century, which was relocated to the park in 1969. This house is believed to be the oldest building still standing in Richland County. The park was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Evidence of their craftsmanship is still present today.

In November 1996, the River Alliance proposed that a 12-mile (19 km) linear park system be created to link people to their rivers. This was named the Three Rivers Greenway, and the $18 million estimated cost was agreed to by member governments (the cities ofCayce, Columbia, andWest Columbia) with the proviso that the Alliance recommend an acceptable funding strategy.

While the funding process was underway, an existing city of Columbia site located on theCongaree Riveroffered an opportunity to be a pilot project for the Three Rivers Greenway. The Alliance was asked to design and permit for construction by a general contractor this component. This approximately one-half-mile segment of the system was opened in November 1998. It is complete with 8-foot (2.4 m) wide concrete pathways, vandal-proof lighting, trash receptacles, water fountains, picnic benches, overlooks, bank fishing access, canoe/kayak access, a public restroom and parking. These set the standards for the common elements in the rest of the system. Eventually, pathways will run from Granby to the Riverbanks Zoo. Boaters, sportspeople, and fisherpeople will have access to the area, and additional recreational uses are being planned along the miles of riverfront.

Running beside the historicColumbia Canal, Riverfront Park hosts a two and a half-mile trail. Spanning the canal is an old railway bridge that now is a pedestrian walkway. The park is used for walking, running, bicycling, and fishing.Picnic tablesand benches dot the walking trail. Markers are located along the trail so that visitors can measure distance. The park is part of the Palmetto Trail, a hiking and biking trail that stretches the entire length of the state, fromGreenvilletoCharleston.

Other parks in the Columbia area include:

• W. Gordon Belser Arboretum
• Maxcy Gregg Park
• Hyatt Park
• Earlewood Park
• Granby Park
• Owens Field Park
• Guignard Park
• Southeast Park
• Harbison State Forest

The city of Columbia has acouncil-managerform of government. The mayor andcity councilare elected every four years, with noterm limits. Elections are held in the spring. Unlike other mayors in council-manager systems, the Columbia mayor has the power to vetoordinancespassed by the council; vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the council, which appoints acity managerto serve as chief administrative officer. The current mayor isDaniel Rickenmann, who succeededStephen K. Benjaminon January 4, 2022.

The city council consists of six members, four from districts and two electedat-large. The city council is responsible for making policies and enacting laws, rules, and regulations in order to provide for future community and economic growth, in addition to providing the necessary support for the orderly and efficient operation of city services.

At-large

• Tyler Bailey
• Aditi Bussells

Districts

• 1: Tina N. Herbert
• 2: Edward McDowell Jr.
• 3: Will Brennan
• 4: Peter Brown

Brown won^[97][98][99]the March 28, 2023 special election,^[100]to fill the District 4 seat vacated by the death of incumbent Joe E. Taylor Jr.^[101]

See related articlePast mayors of Columbia, South Carolina

The city's police force is the Columbia Police Department. The chief of police answers to the city manager. Presently, the chief of police is W.H. "Skip" Holbrook; Holbrook was sworn in on April 11, 2014.^[102]

TheSouth Carolina Department of Corrections, headquartered in Columbia,^[103]operates several correctional facilities in Columbia. They include theBroad River Correctional Institution,^[104]the Goodman Correctional Institution,^[105]theCamille Griffin Graham Correctional Institution,^[106]the Stevenson Correctional Institution,^[107]and the Campbell Pre-Release Center.^[108]Graham houses the state's female death row.^[109]The state of South Carolina's execution chamber is located at Broad River. From 1990 to 1997, Broad River housed the state's male death row.^[110]

Columbia is home to the main campus of theUniversity of South Carolina, which was chartered in 1801 as South Carolina College and in 1906 as the University of South Carolina.^[111]The university has 350 degree programs and enrolls 31,964 students throughout fifteen degree-granting colleges and schools.^[112]It is an urban university, located in downtown Columbia. It is home to theDarla Moore School of Business, which has had the No. 1 undergraduate international business degree for 20 consecutive years.^[113]

Columbia is also home to:

• Allen University– Founded in 1870 by theAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church. Allen University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award baccalaureate degrees.^[114]
• Benedict College– Founded in 1870, Benedict is an independent coeducational college. Benedict is one of the fastest growing of the 39United Negro College Fundschools. In addition to an increase in enrollment, Benedict has also seen an increase in average SAT scores, Honors College enrollee rates, capital giving dollars, and the number of research grants awarded.
• Columbia College– Founded in 1854, Columbia College is a private, four-year, liberal arts college for women with a coeducational Evening College and Graduate School. The college has been ranked since 1994 byU.S. News & World Reportas one of the top ten regional liberal arts colleges in the South.
• Columbia International University– Biblically based, private Christian institution committed to "preparing men and women to know Christ and to make Him known".
• Fortis College^[115]– Fortis College is part of the Educational Affiliates Inc, and offers many different career-based degrees.
• ECPI University– Specialized in student-centered technology, business, criminal justice, and health science for 47 years – A leading private university offering master's, bachelor's, associate degree and diploma programs. Continuing Education certification programs are also available. ECPI University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate, baccalaureate, and master's degrees and diploma programs. ECPI University Columbia campus also has programmatic accreditation for Medical Assisting with the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools.
• Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary– This institution, founded in 1830, is a seminary of theEvangelical Lutheran Church in America. One of the oldest Lutheran seminaries in North America, Southern is a fully accredited graduate school of theology preparing women and men for the ordained and lay ministries of the church. The wooded 17-acre (69,000 m²) campus is situated atop Seminary Ridge in Columbia, the highest point in the Midlands area, near the geographic center of the city.
• Midlands Technical College– Midlands Technical College is part of theSouth Carolina Technical College System. It is a two-year, comprehensive, public, community college, offering a wide variety of programs in career education, four-year college-transfer options, and continuing education. Small classes, individualized instruction, and student support services are provided. Most of the college's teaching faculty holds master's or doctoral degrees.
• South Carolina School of Leadership – Established in 2006, South Carolina School of Leadership (SCSL) is a post-secondary "gap year" school with an intense focus on Christian discipleship and leadership development.^[116]SCSL uses curriculum fromSoutheastern University.

Columbia is also the site of several extension campuses, including those forErskine Theological Seminary,South University, and theUniversity of Phoenix.

Most of the city of Columbia is withinRichland County School District One. Portions inFort Jacksonare served by theDepartment of Defense Education Activity(DoDEA) for elementary grades, withRichland County School District Twoserving that area for secondary grades. Small portions are within Richland County School District Two for grades K-12, andLexington & Richland County School District Five.^[117][118]

South Carolina Japanese Language Supplementary School (サウスカロライナ日本語補習校Sausu Karoraina Nihongo Hoshūkō)/Matsuba Gakuen (松葉学園) is aweekend school for Japanese children, operating with Japanese government funds, held on the USC Campus in Columbia.^[119]"Matsuba" means "Pine Needle". In April 1985 the school was established. In 1989 its students were ages 3–16.^[120]

Columbia's daily newspaper isThe State.^[121]

The Post and CourierofCharleston, which bought thealt-weeklyFree Timesin 2016,^[122]circulates a Columbia weekly edition, in whichFree Timeshas become an arts-focused section.

Cola Daily,^[123]is a digital newsroom affiliated with Midlands Media Group, which also owns two radio stations.

Alternative newspapers includeThe Columbia Star,^[124]Carolina Panorama Newspaper,^[125]andSC Black News.^[126]

The Daily Gamecock, the student-run campus newspaper at USC, is also distributed in parts of the city.^[127]

Columbia Metropolitan Magazine^[128]is a bi-monthly publication about news and events in the metropolitan area.Greater Columbia Business Monthly^[129]highlights economic development, business, education, and the arts.Q-Notes,^[130]a bi-weekly newspaper serving theLGBTcommunity and published inCharlotte, is distributed to locations in Columbia and via home delivery.

Columbia is home to the headquarters and production facilities ofSouth Carolina Educational Televisionand South Carolina Public Radio, the state'spublic televisionandpublic radionetworks.^[131]

Columbia has the 78th largest television market in the United States.^[132]Network affiliates includeWIS(NBC),WLTX(CBS),WACH(Fox) andWOLO(ABC).

TheUniversity of South Carolinahas had a student-run radio station,WUSC-FM, since 1946.^[133]

The Comet, officially the Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority, is the agency responsible for operating mass transit in the greater Columbia area includingCayce,West Columbia,Forest Acres,Arcadia Lakes,Springdale,Lexington^[134]and the St. Andrews area. COMET operates express shuttles, as well as bus service in Columbia and its immediate suburbs. The authority was established in October 2002 after SCANA released ownership of public transportation back to the city of Columbia. Since 2003, COMET has provided transportation for more than 2 million passengers, has expanded route services, and introduced 43 new ADA accessible buses offering a safer, more comfortable means of transportation. CMRTA has also added 10 natural gas powered buses to the fleet. Comet went under a name change and rebranding project in 2013. Before then, the system was called the Columbia Metropolitan Rapid Transit Association or "CMRTA".^[135]Additionally, COMET offers Dial-a-ride transit (DART), which provides personalized service passengers with disabilities.^[136]TheUniversity of South Carolina'stransit system, which is maintained by COMET, services an additional 1,000,000 passengers annually.^[137]Blue Cross Blue Shieldprovides rental bicycles in downtown Columbia.^[138]

Columbia's central location between the population centers of South Carolina has made it a transportation focal point with nine State Highways:SC 12,SC 16,SC 48,SC 215,SC 262,SC 277,SC 555,SC 760, andSC 760; sevenU.S. Highways:US 1,US 21,US 76, andUS 176,US 321,US 378, andUS 601; and fourInterstate Highways:^[139]

• Interstate 20travels from west to east and connects Columbia to Atlanta and Augusta in the west and Florence in the east. It serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Pelion, Lexington, West Columbia, the Sandhill region, Pontiac, Elgin, Lugoff, and Camden. Interstate 20 is also used by travelers heading to Myrtle Beach, although the interstate's eastern terminus is in Florence.
• Interstate 26travels from northwest to southeast and connects Columbia to the other two major population centers of South Carolina: the Greenville-Spartanburg area in the northwestern part of the state andNorth Charleston– Charleston area in the southeastern part of the state. It also serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Irmo, Harbison, Gaston, and Swansea.
• Interstate 77(William Earle Berne Beltway) begins at a junction with Interstate 26 south of Columbia and travels north to Rock Hill and Charlotte. This interstate also provides direct access to Fort Jackson, the U.S. Army's largest training base and one of Columbia's largest employers. It serves the nearby towns and suburbs of Forest Acres, Gadsden, and Blythewood.
• Interstate 126begins downtown at Elmwood Avenue and travels west towards Interstate 26 and Interstate 20. It provides access to Riverbanks Zoo.

The city and its surroundings are served byColumbia Metropolitan Airport, which has passenger flights fromAmerican Eagle,Delta Connection, andUnited Expressairlines. The city is also served by the much smallerJim Hamilton–L.B. Owens Airport, located in the Rosewood neighborhood. It serves as the county airport for Richland County and primarily centers aroundgeneral aviation.

The city is served daily byAmtrak station, with theSilver Startrains connecting Columbia with New York City, Washington, DC,Savannah,Jacksonville,Orlando,Tampa, and Miami. The station is located at 850 Pulaski St.

Until 1959 theSouthern Railway'sSkyland Special(Asheville, North Carolina-Jacksonville, Florida) made a stop in Columbia'sUnion Station. Until 1966 the Southern Railway'sAugusta Specialwent north from Columbia Union Station to New York City viaCharlotte, North Carolinaand went west toAugusta, Georgia'sUnion Station, where passengers could make connections toGeorgia Railroadtrains toAtlanta, Georgia. TheCharlestonbranch of the Southern'sCarolina Specialmade a stop in Columbia.^[140][141]Until 1954 a regionalAtlantic Coast Line Railroadtrain went toFlorenceandWilmington.

Greyhound Linesformerly operated a station on Gervais Street, in the eastern part of downtown, providing Columbia with intercity bus transportation. The station relocated to 710 Buckner Road in February 2015.^[142]

MegaBusbegan operations in Columbia in 2015. There routes include stops inAtlanta,Fayetteville, North Carolina,Richmond, Virginia,Washington, DC, andNew York City, New York. The station is located on Sumter Street.

The Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals is sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Augustine Health System, a non-profit organization licensed for 304 beds which operates four hospitals, including Providence Hospital in downtown Columbia founded in 1938, Providence Heart Institute, Providence Hospital Northeast, and Providence Orthopaedic and NeuroSpine Institute.^{[143][144][145]}

Prisma Healthis a private nonprofit health company and the largest healthcare organization in South Carolina that was formed by the joining of Palmetto Health and Greenville Health System in 2019. The company has 29,500 team members, 18 acute and specialty hospitals, 2,947 beds, 300 outpatient sites, and more than 5,100 employed and independent clinicians across its clinically integrated inVio Health Network. Prisma Health serves almost 1.5 million unique patients annually in its 21-county market area that covers 50% of South Carolina. Prisma Health hospitals in Columbia include the Midlands' only Level 1 trauma center and academic medical center, Richland Hospital, as well as Children's Hospital and the Heart Hospital also on the Richland Campus, Baptist Hospital and Baptist Parkridge Hospital.^[146][147]

Lexington Medical Center, opened in 1971, is a network of hospitals and urgent care centers located throughoutLexington County, with one location in Columbia.

The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center is a 216-bed facility, encompassing acute medical, surgical, psychiatric, and long-term care.^[148]

Attaining 100 percent clean andrenewable energyby 2036 is incorporated into the city's 67 climate goals. Projects include asolar farmto provide power for thewastewater treatment plant, an updatedwater metering system, reduction ofwater leaks, and replacement of polluting, city-owned vehicles.^[149]

Columbia has been the recipient of several awards and achievements. In October 2009, Columbia was listed in U.S. News & World Report as one of the best places to retire, citing location and median housing price as key contributors.^[150]As of July 2013 Columbia was named one of "10 Great Cities to Live In" by Kiplinger Magazine. Most recently, the city has been named a top mid-sized market in the nation for relocating families,^[151]as well as one of 30 communities named "America's MostLivableCommunities," an award given by the non-profit Partners for Livable Communities.

The city of Columbia has sevensister cities:^[152]

• Kaiserslautern,Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
• Cluj-Napoca, Romania
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• Chelyabinsk,Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia
• Yibin,Sichuan, China
• Accra, Ghana
• Taichung City, Taiwan

An eighth sister city,Columbia, Mississippi, was added after mutual aid took place between the two cities following natural disasters and recognition of their linked histories.^[153][154]

• List of capitals in the United States
• List of municipalities in South Carolina
• Columbia High School (Columbia, South Carolina)
• Columbia, Newberry and Laurens Railroad, historic railroad
• Columbia Record, former afternoon daily newspaper
• Columbia Speedway
• Columbia South Carolina Temple, an operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Columbia Theological Seminary, formerly in Columbia, South Carolina, now in Decatur, Georgia
• George Stinney, youngest person to be executed in the United States
• List of tallest buildings in Columbia, South Carolina
• USSColumbia, at least 3 ships

• Aboyan, Laura.Columbia Food: A History of Cuisine in the Famously Hot City(Arcadia Publishing, 2013).
• Allen, Katharine, and Robert-John Hinojosa. "The LGBTQ Columbia History Initiative."History News. (Summer2021) 76#3 pp 19–23.
• Campbell, Jacqueline G. "'The most Diabolical Act of all the Barbarous War': Soldiers, Civilians, and the Burning of Columbia, February 1865."American Nineteenth Century History3.3 (2002): 53–72.
• Cohen, Hennig (1956).A Barhamville Miscellany. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press.
• Deas-Moore, Vennie (2000).Columbia, South Carolina. Black America. Arcadia.
• Driggers, E. A. "...The movement of a celestial system than a human invention': Abram Blanding and bringing water to Columbia."Water History14.1 (2022): 21–40.online
• Edgar, Walter B., and Deborah Kohler Woolley.Columbia, Portrait of a City(Donning Company, 1986).
• Federal Writers' Project(1941),"Columbia",South Carolina: a Guide to the Palmetto State,American Guide Series, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, pp. 212–236,hdl:2027/mdp.39015008031521. +Chronology
• Gatewood, Willard B. "" The Remarkable Misses Rollin": Black Women in Reconstruction South Carolina."South Carolina Historical Magazine92.3 (1991): 172-188.online
• Green, Mary Fulton (1969). "Profile of Columbia in 1850".South Carolina Historical Magazine.70(2): 104–121.JSTOR27566933.

• Haram, Kerstyn M. "The Palmetto Leader's Mission to End Lynching in South Carolina: Black Agency and the Black Press in Columbia, 1925-1940."South Carolina Historical Magazine107.4 (2006): 310–333.online
• Heisser, David CR, and Stephen J. White Sr.Patrick N. Lynch, 1817-1882: Third Catholic Bishop of Charleston(Univ of South Carolina Press, 2015)online.
• Helsley, Alexia Jones.Columbia, South Carolina: A history(Arcadia Publishing, 2015).
• Kahler, Sophie, and Conor Harrison. "‘Wipe out the entire slum area’: University-led Urban Renewal in Columbia, South Carolina, 1950–1985."Journal of Historical Geography67 (2020): 61-70.
• Latzko, David A. "Mapping the Short-run impact of the civil War and emancipation on the South Carolina economy."South Carolina Historical Magazine(2015): 258–279.onlineArchivedFebruary 1, 2023, at theWayback Machine
• Lipscomb, Terry W. "The Legacy of Ainsley Hall."South Carolina Historical Magazine99.2 (1998): 158–179.online
• Lockhart, Matthew A. " 'Under the Wings of Columbia': John Lewis Gervais as Architect of South Carolina's 1786 Capital Relocation Legislation."South Carolina Historical Magazine104.3 (2003): 176–197.online
• Lofton, Paul. "The Columbia Black community in the 1930s."Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association(1984), pp. 86–95.
• Lucas, Marion Brunson (2000) [1976].Sherman and the Burning of Columbia. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.ISBN1-57003-358-7.
• Moore, John Hammond (1993).Columbia and Richland County: A South Carolina Community, 1740-1990. University of South Carolina Press.ISBN978-0-87249-827-3., the major scholarly history.
• Myers, Andrew H.Black, White, & Olive Drab: Racial Integration at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and the Civil Rights Movement(University of Virginia Press, 2006).
• Newell, Jonathan. "Billy Sunday's 1923 Evangelistic Campaign in Columbia, South Carolina."Conference Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association(2008), pp. 45–54.
• Sherrer, John. "Fancy and Fine, Plain and Simple"Journal of Early Southern Decorative Arts(2005), Vol. 31/32 Issue 2/1&2, pp. 1–26. About the cabinetmakers of Columbia and Richland Country and the wares manufactured from 1800 until 1860.
• Smith, F. De Vere. "The Columbia Mills: the first electrically operated mills in the United States."Textile History Review(1964) 5#3 pp 84–95.
• Stowell, David O. "The Free Black Population of Columbia, South Carolina in 1860: A Snapshot of Occupation and Personal Wealth."South Carolina Historical Magazine104.1 (2003): 6-24.online

• Elmore, Grace Brown, ed.A Heritage of Woe: The Civil War Diary of Grace Brown Elmore, 1861-1868(University of Georgia Press, 1997).
• Simms, William Gilmore(2011) [1865].A City Laid Waste: The Capture, Sack, and Destruction of the City of Columbia. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press.ISBN978-1-61117-003-0.

• Geographic data related toColumbia, South CarolinaatOpenStreetMap
• Official website