Columbia, Maryland

About Columbia

Columbia is a small unincorporated community in central Maryland.

Columbia holds the status of a census-designated place — a real, named community that residents call home, governed at the county level. The community covers 31.93 square miles.

📰 Columbia News Today

• Summer ICE surge: Maryland immigrant advocacy group confirms more than 200 calls to hotline since July WMAR 2 News Baltimore · Aug 17
• 12020 Little Patuxent Pkwy # 12060H, Columbia, MD 21044 Realtor.com · Aug 18
• Photos: Aftermath of storm damage felt in Columbia, Essex - WBAL-TV WBAL-TV · Aug 11
• Roggenart To Open New Headquarters, Central Commissary In Columbia Patch · Aug 17
• Columbia Maryland Film Festival to return next month with over 55 local, international and U.S. films Baltimore Fishbowl · Aug 11

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

What Makes Columbia Unique

• One of 15 places in the US named Columbia — but the Maryland one has a character all its own.
• An unincorporated community — no city hall of its own, which often means lower local taxes and county-managed services.
• Part of the fabric of Maryland — one of 536 recognized communities statewide.

Why People Love It Here

• Quiet streets and a slower rhythm — the kind of place people move to on purpose.
• Cost of living typically runs below the big-metro average.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 5 miles.

📍 Neighborhoods in Columbia

Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Columbia

• Akira Ramen & Izakaya — japanese
• An Loi — asian
• Anegada Delights Caribbean Cuisine — caribbean
• Asian Palace — asian
• BJ's — american
• Banditos Tacos & Tequila — mexican
• Bibibop — asian
• Blowfish Poke — hawaiian
• Busboys and Poets
• Böro Kabob — kebab

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• Columbia Art Center · Art gallery
• Howard County Center of African American Culture · Museum
• Main Event Entertainment · Arcade
• Howard County Center of African-American Culture · Museum

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Columbia

• Columbia Gardeners Elkhorn · Garden reviews ★
• Long Reach Community Gardens · Garden reviews ★
• Robinson Nature Center reviews ★
• Annie's Garden · Garden reviews ★
• Atholton Park reviews ★
• Blandair Regional Park reviews ★
• Cedar Lane Park reviews ★
• Children's Garden · Garden reviews ★
• Color Burst Park reviews ★
• Columbia SportsPark and SkatePark reviews ★
• Hawthorn Park reviews ★
• Holiday Hills Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Columbia

• Atholton Elementary
• Atholton High
• Bryant Woods Elementary
• Guilford Elementary
• Hammond High
• Harpers Choice Middle
• Jeffers Hill Elementary
• Longfellow Elementary
• Oakland Mills High
• Oakland Mills Middle
• Phelps Luck Elementary
• Running Brook Elementary
• Stevens Forest Elementary
• Swansfield Elementary

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare

• Johns Hopkins Howard County Medical Center ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER

Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.

⚡ Quick Facts

🗺️ Map of Columbia

🏘️ Nearby Communities