Columbia, South Carolina
About Columbia
Columbia is a mid-size city in central South Carolina with an estimated population of 144,788. It ranks as the 2nd largest city in South Carolina.
Officially, Columbia is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 138.5 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 1,045 residents per square mile.
📰 Columbia News Today
- Woman killed and another person shot during two men’s crime spree, SC cops say The State · Aug 16
- Want cheaper S.C. State Fair tickets? 250-minute sale planned for Aug. 25 WLTX · Aug 18
- Building a total loss after Midlands mattress factory fire reignited. Cause under investigation. Post and Courier · Aug 16
- Murdaugh’s legal team shifts focus to South Carolina state capital for retrial Baltimore Sun · Aug 18
- Gov. McMaster plans to veto parts of South Carolina’s newly passed state budget WMBF · Aug 17
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Columbia Unique
- One of the 5 largest cities in South Carolina (#2 statewide).
- One of 15 places in the US named Columbia — but the South Carolina one has a character all its own.
- Unusually large footprint: 138.5 sq mi of land — bigger than many US counties' seats.
Why People Love It Here
- Full urban amenities: dining, healthcare, education, and employment in one place.
- Serious economic gravity — one of the region's employment and cultural hubs.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.
📍 Neighborhoods in Columbia
Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Columbia
- Solstice Kitchen & Wine Bar
- Sumo Japanese Steakhouse — japanese
- Waffle House — american
- China Garden — asian
- Dining Facility
- Henry's
- J.R. Cash's Grill and Bar
- Julia's German Stammtisch — german
- San Jose Mexican Restaurant — mexican
- Tokyo Grill — asian
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Palmetto Falls Water Park · Water park
- US Army Chaplain Museum · Museum
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Columbia
- Patriot Park reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Columbia
- Broad River High
- Burton Pack Elementary
- Carver-Lyon Elementary
- CrossRoads Intermediate
- Harbison West Elementary
- Irmo High
- Irmo Middle
- Kirkland High
- Leaphart Elementary
- Manning High
- Nursery Road Elementary
- Pine Grove Elementary
- Sara Babb High
- Seven Oaks Elementary
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Columbia Sc Va Medical Center ★★★★★ (5/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Prisma Health Baptist ★★★★ (4/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Prisma Health Baptist Parkridge ★★★★ (4/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Prisma Health Richland Hospital ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- Musc Health Columbia Medical Center Downtown ★★★ (3/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
- G Werber Bryan Psych Hosp · Psychiatric
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.