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
- 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
- 12020 Little Patuxent Pkwy # 12060H, Columbia, MD 21044 Realtor.com · Aug 18
- 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
📍 Arrowhead📍 Beech Creek📍 Braeburn📍 Bryant Woods📍 Carriage Hills📍 Cedar Acres📍 Cedar Woods📍 Clarys Forest📍 Clemens Crossing📍 Columbia Town Center📍 Dasher Green📍 Donleigh📍 Elioak📍 Elkhorn📍 Faulkner Ridge📍 Glenmont📍 Guilford Downs📍 Harper's Choice📍 Hawthorn📍 Hawthorn North📍 Hickory Ridge📍 Hobbits Glen📍 Holiday Hills📍 Hopewell
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
StateMaryland
TypeCDP
Population (2024)—
Land area31.93 sq mi
Coordinates39.2011, -76.8590