Columbia

by The Linguist

Population

Columbia is the capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina, with a population of 134,309 as of the 2020 census. Located on the east bank of the Congaree River, Columbia is the main city of the Columbia metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 832,666 in 2020, making it the 70th largest metropolitan area in the United States.

History

Columbia was founded in 1786 as the site was chosen as the new state capital in 1786, due to its central location in the state. The city was named in honor of Christopher Columbus. The city was incorporated in 1805. Columbia became chartered as a city in 1854, with an elected city council and six council districts. Two major newspapers were founded in the city between World War I and World War II, The State in 1891 and The Columbia Record in 1936.

Economy and Major Employers

Some of the major employers in Columbia include:

Other major industries and employers include government, healthcare, education, manufacturing, insurance, and technology. The gross domestic product of Columbia was $26.5 billion as of 2018, making up 45% of South Carolina’s economic output. Some of the major economic activities include manufacturing, healthcare, education, insurance, and government.

Attractions and Landmarks

Some of the top attractions and landmarks in Columbia include:

  • South Carolina State House – Seat of the state legislature (southcarolinaparks.com)
  • Riverbanks Zoo & Garden – One of America’s best zoos (riverbanks.org)
  • EdVenture Children’s Museum (edventure.org)
  • South Carolina State Museum (scmuseum.org)
  • Columbia Museum of Art (columbiamuseum.org)
  • Finlay Park – Large central park with event facilities
  • Sesquicentennial State Park – Outdoor recreation area northwest of the city

Sports Teams

Columbia is home to two professional minor league sports teams:

  • Columbia Fireflies – Class A affiliate of the New York Mets baseball team (milb.com/columbia)
  • Columbia Inferno – ECHL ice hockey team affiliated with the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks (columbiainferno.com)

The University of South Carolina also fields several varsity sports teams in the competitive Southeastern Conference that play home games in Columbia.

Local Government

Columbia has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council members are elected every four years. The current mayor is Daniel Rickenmann, and there are six city council members representing the city’s six districts.

The city government website provides information and services for residents: columbiasc.net

Columbia on Facebook

You can follow news and events in Columbia by liking the city’s Facebook page.

 

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