Columbia is a city inBoone County, Missouri, United States, and itscounty seat. It was founded in 1821 and had a population of 126,254 as recorded in the2020 United States census, making it thefourth-most populous city in Missouri. Columbia is aMidwesterncollege town, home to theUniversity of Missouri, a major research institution also known as MU or Mizzou. In addition to the university and surroundingDowntown Columbia areStephens College andColumbia College, giving the city its educational focus and nearly 40,000 college students. It is the principal city of theColumbia metropolitan area, population 215,811, and the central city of the nine-county Columbia–Jefferson City–Moberlycombined statistical area with 415,747 residents. The city is the fastest-growing municipality in Missouri, with a growth of almost 40% since 2000, and a population estimated at 130,900 in 2024.[8] Columbia is among the most-educated cities in the United States with about half of citizens being college graduates and about a quarter holding advance degrees.[9]
An aerial depiction of Columbia's downtown district in 1869. The large building on the right is University of Missouri Academic Hall.
Columbia's origins begin with the settlement ofAmerican pioneers from Kentucky and Virginia in an early 1800s region known as theBoonslick. Before 1815 settlement in the region was confined to small log forts due to the threat ofNative American attack during theWar of 1812. When the war ended settlers came on foot, horseback, and wagon, often moving entire households along theBoone's Lick Road and often bringingenslaved African Americans. By 1818 it was clear that the increased population would necessitate a new county be created from territorialHoward County. TheMoniteau Creek on the west andCedar Creek on the east were obvious natural boundaries.
Believing it was only a matter of time before a county seat was chosen, theSmithton Land Company was formed to purchase over 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) to establish the village of Smithton (near the present-day intersection of Walnut and Garth). In 1819 Smithton was a small cluster of log cabins in an ancient forest of oak and hickory; chief among them was the cabin ofRichard Gentry, a trustee of the Smithton Company who would become first mayor of Columbia. In 1820, Boone County was formed and named after the recently deceased explorerDaniel Boone. The Missouri Legislature appointed John Gray, Jefferson Fulcher, Absalom Hicks, Lawrence Bass, and David Jackson as commissioners to select and establish a permanent county seat. Smithton never had more than twenty people, and it was quickly realized that well digging was difficult because of the bedrock.
Springs were discovered across theFlat Branch Creek, so in the spring of 1821 Columbia was laid out, and the inhabitants of Smithton moved their cabins to the new town. The first house in Columbia was built by Thomas Duly in 1820 at what became Fifth and Broadway. Columbia's permanence was ensured when it was chosen as county seat in 1821 and the Boone's Lick Road was rerouted down Broadway.
The roots of Columbia's three economic foundations—education, medicine, and insurance— can be traced to the city's incorporation in 1821.[10][11] Original plans for the town set aside land for a state university. In 1833, Columbia Baptist Female College opened, which later becameStephens College. Columbia College, distinct from today's and later to become theUniversity of Missouri, was founded in 1839. When the state legislature decided to establish a state university, Columbia raised three times as much money as any competing city,[12] andJames S. Rollins donated the land that is today the Francis Quadrangle.[12] Soon other educational institutions were founded in Columbia, such as Christian Female College, the first college for women west of the Mississippi, which later becameColumbia College.
The city benefited from being a stagecoach stop of theSanta Fe andOregon trails, and later from theMissouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad. In 1822,William Jewell set up the first hospital. In 1830, the first newspaper began; in 1832, the first theater in the state was opened; and in 1835, the state's first agricultural fair was held. By 1839, the population of 13,000 and wealth of Boone County was exceeded in Missouri only by that ofSt. Louis County, which, at that time, included the City ofSt. Louis.[13]
Columbia's infrastructure was relatively untouched by theCivil War. As a slave state, Missouri had many residents with Southern sympathies, but it stayed in the Union. The majority of the city was pro-Union;[10] however, the surrounding agricultural areas of Boone County and the rest of central Missouri were decidedly pro-Confederate. Because of this, the University of Missouri became a base from which Union troops operated. No battles were fought within the city because the presence of Union troops dissuaded Confederate guerrillas from attacking, though several major battles occurred at nearbyBoonville andCentralia.
After Reconstruction, race relations in Columbia followed the Southern pattern of increasing violence of whites against blacks in efforts to suppress voting and free movement: George Burke, a black man who worked at the university, waslynched in 1889.[15] In the spring of 1923, James T. Scott, an African-American janitor at the University of Missouri, was arrested on allegations of raping a university professor's daughter. He was taken from the county jail and lynched on April 29 before a white mob of roughly two thousand people, hanged from the Old Stewart Road Bridge.
In the 21st century, a number of efforts have been undertaken to recognize Scott's death. In 2010 his death certificate was changed to reflect that he was never tried or convicted of charges, and that he had been lynched. In 2011 a headstone was put at his grave at Columbia Cemetery; it includes his wife's and parents' names and dates, to provide a more full account of his life.[16] In 2016, a marker was erected at the lynching site to memorialize Scott.[17] 5 years later, in 2021, the marker was removed in an act of vandalism.[18] In 1901,Rufus Logan establishedThe Columbia Professional newspaper to serve Columbia's large African American population.
Columbia became a transportation crossroads whenU.S. Route 63 andU.S. Route 40 (which was improved as present-dayInterstate 70) were routed through the city. Soon after, the city opened theColumbia Regional Airport. By 2000, the city's population was nearly 85,000.[7]
In 2017, Columbia was in the path of totality for theSolar eclipse of August 21, 2017. The city was expecting upwards of 400,000 tourists coming to view the eclipse.[22]
On April 21st, 2025, anEF1 tornado formed in Columbia, it caused minor damage todowntown Columbia, residential areas, and destroyed the recycling sorting facility,[23] which could take two to three years to rebuild.[24] Shortly after, the city announced that recycling would go to the landfill until a solution get worked out.[25]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 67.45 square miles (174.69 km2), of which 67.17 square miles (173.97 km2) is land and 0.28 square miles (0.73 km2) is water.[29]
The city generally slopes from the highest point in the Northeast to the lowest point in the Southwest towards the Missouri River. Prominent tributaries of the river are Perche Creek, Hinkson Creek, and Flat Branch Creek. Along these and other creeks in the area can be found large valleys, cliffs, and cave systems such as that inRock Bridge State Park just south of the city. These creeks are largely responsible for numerous stream valleys giving Columbia hilly terrain similar to the Ozarks while also having prairie flatland typical of northern Missouri.[30] Columbia also operates several greenbelts with trails and parks throughout town.
Large mammals found in the city include urbanized coyotes,[31]red foxes, and numerouswhitetail deer.[32]Eastern gray squirrel, and other rodents are abundant, as well as cottontail rabbits and the nocturnal opossum and raccoon.[33][34] Large bird species are abundant in parks and include the Canada goose, mallard duck, as well as shorebirds, including the great egret and great blue heron. Turkeys are also common in wooded areas and can occasionally be seen on the MKT recreation trail. Populations of bald eagles are found by the Missouri River. The city is on theMississippi Flyway, used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The Eurasian tree sparrow, an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis. Columbia has large areas of forested and open land and many of these areas are home to wildlife.
Columbia has ahumid continental climate (KöppenDfa) marked by sharp seasonal contrasts in temperature, and is inUSDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a.[37] The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 31.0 °F (−0.6 °C) in January to 78.5 °F (25.8 °C) in July, while the high reaches or exceeds 90 °F (32 °C) on an average of 35 days per year, 100 °F (38 °C) on two days, while two nights of sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows can be expected.[38] Precipitation tends to be greatest and most frequent in the latter half of spring, when severe weather is also most common. Snow averages 16.5 inches (42 cm) per season, mostly from December to March, with occasional November accumulation and falls in April being rarer; historically seasonal snow accumulation has ranged from 3.4 in (8.6 cm) in 2005–06 to 54.9 in (139 cm) in 1977–78.[38] Extreme temperatures have ranged from −26 °F (−32 °C) onFebruary 12, 1899 to 113 °F (45 °C) on July 12 and 14, 1954. Readings of −10 °F (−23 °C) or 105 °F (41 °C) are uncommon, the last occurrences being January 7, 2014 and July 31, 2012.[38]
Downtown Columbia is an area of approximately one square mile surrounded by the University of Missouri on the south, Stephens College to the east, and Columbia College on the north. The area serves as Columbia's financial and business district.[45]
Since the early-21st century, a large number of high-rise apartment complexes have been built in downtown Columbia. Many of these buildings also offer mixed-use business and retail space on the lower levels. These developments have not been without criticism, with some expressing concern the buildings hurt the historic feel of the area, or that the city does not yet have the infrastructure to support them.[46]
The city's historic residential core lies in a ring around downtown, extending especially to the west along Broadway, and south into the East Campus Neighborhood. The city government recognizes 63 neighborhood associations.[47] The city's most dense commercial areas are primarily alongInterstate 70,U.S. Route 63, Stadium Boulevard, Grindstone Parkway, and Downtown.
The2020 United States census[51] counted 126,254 people, 49,371 households, and 25,144 families in Columbia. The population density was 1,879.6 inhabitants per square mile (725.7/km2). There were 53,746 housing units at an average density of 800.1 per square mile (308.9/km2). The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 72.49% (91,516) White, 11.91% (15,038) Black or African-American, 0.32% (398) Native American, 5.61% (7,084) Asian, 0.07% (89) Pacific Islander, 2.17% (2,734) from other races, and 7.44% (9,395) from two or more races.[52] Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.9% (6,195) of the population.[53]
Of the 49,371 households, 24.0% had children under the age of 18; 38.7% were married couples living together; 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present. Of all households, 34.7% were individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 3.0.[52]
18.2% of the population was under the age of 18, 23.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 28.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 89.8 males.[52]
The 2016-2020 5-yearAmerican Community Survey[54] estimates show that the median household income was $53,447 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,355) and the median family income $81,392 (+/- $5,687). Males had a median income of $30,578 (+/- $2,131) versus $23,705 (+/- $1,849) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $26,870 (+/- $1,429). Approximately, 8.5% of families and 20.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.7% of those under the age of 18 and 5.2% of those ages 65 or over.[52]
Columbia, Missouri – racial and ethnic composition Note: the U.S. 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.
As of the census of 2010, 108,500 people, 43,065 households, and 21,418 families resided in the city.[57][58] The population density was 1,720.0 inhabitants per square mile (664.1/km2).[59] There were 46,758 housing units at an average density of 741.2 per square mile (286.2/km2).[60] The racial makeup of the city was 79.0% White, 11.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, 5.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 3.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.4% of the population.[61][62]
There were 43,065 households, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.6% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.3% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the city the population was spread out, with 18.8% of residents under the age of 18; 27.3% between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% from 25 to 44; 18.6% from 45 to 64; and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age in the city was 26.8 years. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.
As of thecensus of 2000, there were 84,531 people, 33,689 households, and 17,282 families residing in the city.[63] The population density was 1,592.8 inhabitants per square mile (615.0/km2). There were 35,916 housing units at an average density of 676.8 per square mile (261.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 81.54% White, 10.85% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 4.30% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.81% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.05% of the population.[63]
There were 33,689 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.2% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.7% were non-families. 33.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.92.[63]
In the city, the population was spread out, with 19.7% under the age of 18, 26.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 16.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.[63]
Themedian income for a household in the city was $33,729, and the median income for a family was $52,288. Males had a median income of $34,710 versus $26,694 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,507. About 9.4% of families and 19.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[63] However, traditional statistics of income and poverty can be misleading when applied to cities with high student populations, such as Columbia.[64][65]
Columbia's economy is historically dominated by education, healthcare, and insurance.[10] Jobs in government are also common, either in Columbia or a half-hour south inJefferson City.[66] TheColumbia Regional Airport and the Missouri RiverPort of Rocheport connect the region with trade and transportation.
In 2008, filmmaker Todd Sklar completed the filmBox Elder, which was filmed entirely in and around Columbia and the University of Missouri.[73]
TheNorth Village Arts District, located on the north side of downtown,[74] is home to galleries, restaurants, theaters, bars, music venues, and the Mareck Center for Dance.[75][76]
The University of Missouri'sMuseum of Art and Archaeology displays 14,000 works of art and archaeological objects in five galleries for no charge to the public.[77]
The Sinquefield Music Center, home to the University of Missouri School of Music
TheUniversity of Missouri School of Music attracts hundreds of musicians to Columbia, student performances are held in Whitmore Recital Hall. Among many non-profit organizations for classical music are included the "Odyssey Chamber Music Series",[84] "Missouri Symphony", "Columbia Community Band", and "Columbia Civic Orchestra". Founded in 2006, the "Plowman Chamber Music Competition"[85] is a biennial competition held in March/April of odd-numbered years, considered to be one of the finest, top five chamber music competitions in the nation.
Columbia has multiple opportunities to watch and perform in theatrical productions.Ragtag Cinema is one of the most well known theaters in Columbia.[86] The city is home to Stephens College, a private institution known for performing arts.[87] Their season includes multiple plays and musicals. The University of Missouri and Columbia College also present multiple productions a year.[88]
The Missouri Theater
The city's three public high schools are also known for their productions. Rock Bridge High School[89] performs a musical in November and two plays in the spring. Hickman High School[90] also performs a similar season with two musical performances (one in the fall, and one in the spring) and 2 plays (one in the winter, and one at the end of their school year). The newest high school, Battle High,[91] opened in 2013 and also is known for their productions. Battle presents a musical in the fall and a play in the spring, along with improv nights and more productions throughout the year.
The city is also home to the indoor/outdoor theatre Maplewood Barn Theatre in Nifong Park[92] and other community theatre programs such as Columbia Entertainment Company,[93] Talking Horse Productions,[94] TRYPS,[95] and Pace Youth Theatre; the latter closed in March 2020.[96]
Columbia also hosts theShow-Me State Games, a non-profit program of the Missouri Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health. They are the largeststate games in the United States.[99][100]
Columbia has many bars and restaurants that provide diverse styles of cuisine, due in part to having three colleges.[102] The oldest is the historicBooches bar, restaurant, and pool hall, which was established in 1884 and is frequented by college students.[103]Shakespeare's Pizza was founded in Columbia and is known for its college town pizza.[104]
Throughout the city are many parks and trails for public usage managed byColumbia Parks and Recreation. Among the more popularly frequented is theMKT which is a spur that connects to theKaty Trail, meeting up just south of Columbia proper. The MKT ranked second in the nation for "Best Urban Trail" in the 2015USA Today's 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards. This 10-foot wide trail built on the old railbed of the MKT railroad begins in downtown Columbia in Flat Branch Park at 4th and Cherry Streets. The all-weather crushed limestone surface provides opportunities for walking, jogging, running, and bicycling.[105]
The iconic rock bridge of Rock Bridge Memorial State Park
Stephens Lake Park is the highlight of Columbia's park system and is known for its 11-acre fishing/swimming lake, mature trees, and historical significance in the community. It serves as the center for outdoor winter sports, a variety of community festivals such as theRoots N Blues Festival, and outdoor concert series at the amphitheater. Stephens Lake has reservable shelters, playgrounds, swimming beach and spraygrounds, art sculptures, waterfalls, and walking trails.[106]Rock Bridge Memorial State Park is open year-round giving visitors the chance to scramble, hike, and bicycle through a scenic environment. Rock Bridge State Park contains some of the most popular hiking trails in the state, including the Gans Creek Wild Area.[107]
Columbia is home to Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course, which was named the 2017 Disc Golf Course of the Year by DGCourseReview.com.[108] As of June 2022, Harmony Bends still ranks on DGCourseReview.com as the No. 1 public course, and the #2 overall course in the United States
The city has two daily morning newspapers: theColumbia Missourian and theColumbia Daily Tribune. TheMissourian is directed by professional editors and staffed byMissouri School of Journalism students who do reporting, design, copy editing, information graphics, photography, and multimedia. TheMissourian publishes the monthly city magazine,Vox Magazine.[109][110] The University of Missouri has the independent official bi-weekly student newspaper calledThe Maneater, and the quarterly literary magazine,The Missouri Review. The now-defunctPrysms Weekly was also published in Columbia. In late 2009, KCOU News launched full operations out ofKCOU 88.1 FM on the MU Campus. The entirely student-run news organization airs a weekday newscast,The Pulse.
The city has four television channels.[111] Columbia Access Television (CAT or CAT-TV) is the public access channel. CPSTV is the education access channel, managed by Columbia Public Schools as a function of the Columbia Public Schools Community Relations Department. The Government Access channel broadcasts City Council, Planning and Zoning Commission, and Board of Adjustment meetings.
Columbia's current government was established by ahome rule charter adopted by voters on November 11, 1974, which established a council-manager government that invested power in the city council. The city council has seven members: six elected by each of Columbia's sixsingle-member districts orwards and anat-large member, the mayor, who is elected by all city voters. The mayor receives a $9,000 annual stipend, and the six other members receive a $6,000 annual stipend. They are elected to staggered three-year terms. As well as serving as a voting member of the city council, the mayor is recognized as the head of city government for ceremonial purposes. Chief executive authority is invested in a hired city manager, who oversees the government's day-to-day operations.[113]
The population generally supports progressive causes, such as recycling programs and the decriminalization of cannabis[124][125] both for medical and recreational use at the municipal level, though the scope of the latter of the two cannabis ordinances has since been restricted.[126] The city is one of only four in the state to offer medical benefits to same-sex partners of city employees.[127] The new health plan extends health benefits to unmarried heterosexual domestic partners of city employees.
On October 10, 2006, the city council approved an ordinance to prohibit smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars. The ordinance was passed over protest, and several amendments to the ordinance reflect this.[128] Over half of residents possess at least a bachelor's degree,[129] while over a quarter hold a graduate degree.[130] Columbia is the 13th most-highly educated municipality in the United States.[130]
In February 2024, the Columbia City Council voted to legally make and declare the entire city a safe haven for transgender people and cisgender homosexuals.[131]
Almost all of the Columbia city limits, and much of the surrounding area, lie within theColumbia Public School District.[132] The district enrolled more than 18,000 students and had a budget of $281 million for the 2019–20 school year.[133]
95.4% of adults age 25 and older in the city have a high school diploma.[134] In 2022,Columbia Public Schools recorded a 67.7% attendance rate, lower than the state average of 76.2%.[135] Last year's graduation rate for the class of 2022 was 90%, while the class of 2021's graduation rate was reported at 89%. According to statewide numbers for 2022, Missouri's overall graduation rate was 91.16%.[136] The Columbia school district operates four public high schools which cover grades 9–12:David H. Hickman High School,Rock Bridge High School,Muriel Battle High School, andFrederick Douglass High School. Rock Bridge is one of two Missouri high schools to receive a silver medal byU.S. News & World Report, putting it in the Top 3% of all high schools in the nation.[137] Hickman has been onNewsweek magazine's list of Top 1,300 schools in the country for the past three years and has more named presidential scholars than any other public high school in the US.[137] There are also several private high schools located in the city, includingChristian Fellowship School,Columbia Independent School,Heritage Academy, Christian Chapel Academy, andTolton High School.[138]
CPS also manages seven middle schools: Jefferson, West, Oakland, Gentry, Smithton, Lange, and John Warner.[139] John Warner Middle School first opened for the 2020/21 school year.[140]
TheUnited States census estimated that 55.3% of adults ages 25 and up in Columbia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.[134] While only 31.2% of Missourians hold a bachelor's degree.[141]
TheColumbia Transit provides public bus and para-transit service, and is owned and operated by the city. In 2008, 1,414,400 passengers boarded along the system's six fixed routes and nineUniversity of Missouri shuttle routes, and 27,000 boarded the Para-transit service.[145] The system is constantly experiencing growth in service and technology. A $3.5 million project to renovate and expand the Wabash Station, a rail depot built in 1910 and converted into the city's transit center in the mid-1980s, was completed in summer of 2007.[146][147] In 2007, a Transit Master Plan was created to address the future transit needs of the city and county with a comprehensive plan to add infrastructure in three key phases. The five to 15-year plan intends to add service along the southwest, southeast and northeast sections of Columbia and develop alternative transportation models for Boone County.[148]
Columbia is also known for itsMKT Trail, a spur of theKaty Trail State Park, which allows foot and bike traffic across the city, and, conceivably, the state. It consists of a soft gravel surface for running and biking. Columbia also is preparing to embark on construction of several new bike paths and street bike lanes thanks to a $25 million grant from the federal government.[151] The city is also served byUnited Airlines andAmerican Airlines at theColumbia Regional Airport, the only commercial airport in mid-Missouri.[149]
I-70 (concurrent withUS 40) andUS 63 are the two main freeways used for travel to and from Columbia. Within the city, there are also three state highways:Routes 763 (Rangeline Street & College Avenue),163 (Providence Road), and740 (Stadium Boulevard).[152]
Health care is a big part of Columbia's economy, with nearly one in six people working in a health-care related profession[154][155] and a physician density that is about three times the United States average.[156][157] The city's hospitals and supporting facilities are a large referral center for the state, and medical related trips to the city are common.[158] There are three hospital systems within the city and five hospitals with a total of 1,105 beds.[154][157]
Boone Hospital Center is the second largest hospital in Columbia, and the largest private hospital in Boone County.
In accordance with the Columbia Sister Cities Program, which operates in conjunction withSister Cities International, Columbia has been paired with five internationalsister cities in an attempt to foster cross-cultural understanding:[164]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official records for Columbia kept at downtown from August 1889 to December 1947, Columbia Municipal Airport from January 1948 to October 1969 and at Columbia Regional Airport since November 1969.[39]
^"USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map".planthardiness.ars.usda.gov. Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University. 2012.Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. RetrievedMay 30, 2014.
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