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

• South Carolina officials urge residents to prepare emergency kits as Isaias is monitored WIS News 10 · Oct 9
• Columbia makes downtown Boyd Plaza reservation-only; some residents question change WLTX · Oct 8
• Dr. Kendra Waring Obituary (1981 - 2026) - Columbia Post and Courier · Oct 10
• UPDATE: Tornado watch issued for South Carolina Saturday evening The State · Oct 10
• Richard Lee Obituary - W. Columbia, SC Dignity Memorial · Oct 8

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

📰 Local News

Read the latest South Carolina headlines on our news site, Bless News Daily.

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 · click a restaurant to read or write reviews.

🎡 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.

⚡ Quick Facts

🌤️ Current Weather

Full forecast →

Source: National Weather Service

🗺️ Map of Columbia

🏘️ Nearby Communities