About Columbia

Columbia, the first city in America named for Christopher Columbus was founded March 26, 1786, as the center of government, education, and commerce in the Palmetto State. Today, the Columbia Metropolitan Area is home to over 200 years of history, beautiful Lake Murray, the University of South Carolina, the Army’s largest training base, numerous festivals and recreational opportunities.

Columbia is the capital of and largest city of South Carolina. Columbia is located in the geographic center of South Carolina.

Read More…

History

1700’s
For nearly a century before the creation of Columbia by the General Assembly in 1786, the site of Columbia was important to the overall development of the state.

The Congarees, a frontier fort on the west bank of the Congaree River, was the head of navigation on the Santee River system. A ferry was established by the colonial government in 1754 to connect the fort with the growing settlements on the higher ground on the east bank.

Read More…

Neighborhoods

Earlewood
Earlewood is a friendly and caring community that celebrates the diversity of its 2500 residents. Conveniently located in downtown Columbia, residents enjoy living in an older quiet neighborhood only minutes from the City Center, the University of South Carolina and the historic Congaree Vista.

The centerpiece of the neighborhood is Earlewood Park, an urban forest that covers sixty-six acres of rolling hills and valleys and mature groves of trees.

Read More…

Taxes

Income Tax
South Carolina has a simplified income tax structure which follows the federal income tax laws. South Carolina accepts the adjustments, exemptions and deductions allowed on your federal return with few modifications. Your federal taxable income is the starting point in determining your state income tax liability.

Sales Tax
Sales tax is imposed on the sale of goods and certain services in South Carolina. Use tax is imposed on goods and certain services purchased out of state and brought into South Carolina or on which no sales tax has been paid. The statewide sales and use tax rate is 5%. Counties may impose an additional 1% local sales tax if voters in that county approve the tax.

Read More…

Climate

By Car

Columbia is one of just a few cities in the United States to have three major interstate highways passing through the city. Interstate highways 20, 26 and 77 all intersect in Columbia. I-95 is only about 50 miles away.

Distances From Other South Carolina Cities:

Charleston – 112 miles
Founded in 1670 by English settlers, Charleston is one of the top travel destinations in the United States. In the historic district, 73 buildings pre-date the Revolutionary War. Charleston gave America its first decisive victory of the Revolutionary War and the first shots of the Civil War. Rich heritage, great scenery, history, beautiful gardens and architecture.

Greenville – 101 miles
One of America’s leading textile manufacturing cities. The Blue Ridge Mountains, visible from downtown Greenville, and over 60 city parks offer plenty of recreational opportunities.

Hilton Head Island – 164 miles
The largest island between New Jersey and Florida. Popular for golf, tennis, and wide Atlantic beaches.

Myrtle Beach – 143 miles
The central city along the 60 mile long Grand Strand offering Atlantic Ocean beaches, entertainment, nightlife and outdoor recreation.

Distances From Other Cities
Atlanta 215
Baltimore 490
Charlotte 92
Miami 613
New York 689
Orlando 413
Philadelphia 584
Washington 451

Public Transportation

Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority
(803) 255-7100
www.gocmrta.com

Established in October 2002, the CMRTA has provided transportation for more than 2 million passengers.   The Central Midlands Regional Transit Authority (CMRTA) is committed to providing safe, dependable and accessible public transit service to the heart of the Midlands.

Amtrak
www.amtrak.com

The city also has an Amtrak station, with the Silver Star trains connecting Columbia with New York City, Washington, DC, Savannah, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and Miami.

Air Transportation

Columbia Metropolitan Airport
3000 Aviation Way West
Columbia, SC 29170
(888) 562-5002
www.columbiaairport.com

The Columbia Metropolitan Airport is much like a 2600-acre city with more than 50 agencies and businesses located on the airport property. Air passenger and cargo service is provided by scheduled airlines, jet freight carriers, two fixed base operators, and various charter flights.  Annually, the airport serves more than 1.2 million passengers and processes more than 168,000 tons of air cargo.

Taxi
There are several companies that provide service to and from the airport.  The taxi pick-up area is just outside the terminal – lower level baggage claim.  An average taxi ride to downtown Columbia costs approximately $15- $20.

Television

Newspapers

The State
P.O. Box 1333, Columbia, SC 29202
(800) 888-5353
www.thestate.com
Columbia’s daily newspaper

The Columbia Star
P.O. Box 5955
Columbia, SC 29250
www.thecolumbiastar.net  
Columbia’s locally owned weekly newspaper since 1963.

The Free Times
1534 Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 765-0707
www.free-times.com
Free weekly newspaper, published on Wednesdays.

SC Black News
1310 Harden Street
PO Box 11128
Columbia, SC 29211
(803) 799-5252
www.scblacknews.com
The weekly publication encompasses the entire state of South Carolina, reaching a mixture of rural, suburban and metropolitan area.

Museums & Attractions

Columbia Museum of Art
P.O. Box 2068
Columbia, SC (29202)
803.799.2810
www.colmusart.org

The museum is located in downtown Columbia on the corner of Main and Hampton streets.  Its collection includes European and American fine and decorative arts and design from the late Middle Ages to the present.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden
500 Wildlife Pkwy
Columbia SC 29210
803.779.8717
www.riverbanks.org

Riverbanks Zoo is a sanctuary for more than 2,000 animals housed in natural habitat exhibits along the Saluda River.  Just across the river, the 70-acre Botanical Garden is devoted to gardens, woodlands, plant collections and historic ruins.

South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Museum
301 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29214-0001
803-898-8095

This museum is dedicated to the South Carolinians who fought in the War Between the States and features a large collection of military relics that reflect the State military history.

Shopping

Columbia Place
7201 BU/650 Two Notch Road
Columbia, SC 29223-7584
(800) 699-2857
www.shopcolumbiaplace.com

Columbia Place is “a great shopping place” with over 100 fabulous stores and eateries, a Cinema 8, food court, and kids’ play area making it truly a total shopping experience.

Dutch Square Mall
421 Bush River Rd
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 772-3864
www.dutchsquare.com

All roads lead to Dutch Square, South Carolina’s first and favorite mall. Centrally located at I-26, I-20, and I-126.

Columbiana Centre
100 Columbiana Circle
Columbia, SC 29212
(803) 732-6255
www.columbianacentre.com

Columbiana is a full service shopping center

Richland Mall
Village at Sandhill
418 Town Center Place
Columbia, SC 29229
(803) 419-0235
www.villageatsandhillonline.com

South Carolina’s newest lifestyle venue offering the very best in shopping, dining, entertainment, working, living and more – all in one exceptionally beautiful open air setting.

Performing Arts

Carolina Ballet
914 Pulaski Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 771-6303
www.carolinaballet.net

Challenger Learning Center
2600-A Barhamvile Road
Columbia, SC 29204-1304
803-929-3951,
www.richlandone.org

Unique hands-on learning center that features full space missions and high-tech space flight simulators that provide visitors a variety of learning opportunities

Read More…

Sports

Columbia Blowfish
Capital City Stadium
301 South Assembly St
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 254-4029
www.blowfishbaseball.com

Coastal Plain League Baseball.

Columbia Inferno Hockey 
Carolina Coliseum
701 Assembly Street
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 251-2222

ECHL Hockey.

Columbia Rottweilers Basketball
HRC Arena at Benedict College
PO Box 11454
Columbia, SC 29211

ABA: Blue Conference Basketball

Education

Community Colleges
Community colleges exist for two major purposes. The first is to serve as a bridge from high school to college by providing courses for transfer toward a bachelor’s degree. Four out of 10 collegebound high-school graduates start their college education this way.

The second function of community colleges is to prepare students for the job market by offering entry-level career training as well as courses for adult students who want to upgrade their skills for the workplace. They often offer programs that are not available at four-year schools, like fashion design.

Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal arts colleges offer a broad base of courses in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Most are private and focus mainly on undergraduate students. Classes tend to be small and personal attention is available.

Online Learning
Recent years have witnessed the rise of online degree programs, to allow the busy professional a chance to work at their own pace from the comfort of their home on the path to getting a degree. The costs to students are typically the same as for traditional classes— and financial aid is equally available—while the cost to the institution can be much less.

There are online universities ranging from legitimate distance learning systems to fly-by-night degree-mills. It’s important to research a particular institution before deciding to enroll in their system. Generally, brick-and-mortar schools that also offer online classes are the safest, though there are plenty of fully accredited online universities out there.

Nearly 3 million students are believed to be taking online classes at institutions of higher education in the United States this year. That number has been growing about 25% a year recently. Now, virtually all public higher education institutions, as well as a vast majority of private, for-profit institutions, now offer online classes. By contrast, only about half of private, nonprofit schools offer them. Online schools offer everything from Associate’s degrees to Doctoral programs with available emphases in everything from Business Administration to Criminal Justice to Nursing. Some programs require students to attend some campus classes or orientations, but many are delivered completely online. Online courses generally require a computer with a broadband connection, but are now a serious option for the busy professional.

Public vs. Private
Public colleges are usually less expensive, particularly for in-state residents. They get most of their money from the state or local government. Private colleges rely on tuition, fees, endowments, and other private sources. Private colleges are usually smaller and can offer more personalized attention and often more prestige.

 Universities
Generally, a university is bigger than a college and offers more majors and research facilities. Class size often reflects institutional size and some classes may taught by graduate students.

Upper Division
Upper-division schools offer the last two years of undergraduate study, usually in specialized programs leading to a bachelor’s degree. Students then generally transfer to an upper-division college after completing an associate degree or after finishing a second year of study at a four-year college.

Universities

Allen University
1530 Harden Street
Columbia, SC 29204
(803) 376-5700
www.allenuniversity.edu

Allen University was founded in 1870 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It has a distinguished history and is widely recognized for its development of African-Americans who have made significant achievements and contributions in varied areas of specialization, nationally and internationally.

Benedict College
1600 Harden St
Columbia, SC 29204
(803) 253-5000
www.benedict.edu

Founded in 1870, Benedict is an independent co-educational college. Benedict is one of the fastest growing of the 39 United Negro College Fund schools. In addition to an increase in enrollment, Benedict has also seen an increase in average SAT scores, Honors College enrollee rates, capital giving dollars, and the number of research grants awarded.

Columbia College
1301 Columbia College Drive
Columbia, SC 29203
(800) 277-1301

Founded in 1854, Columbia College is a private, four-year, Liberal Arts College for women with a coeducational Evening College and Graduate School. The College has been ranked since 1994 by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten regional liberal arts colleges in the South.

Columbia International University
7435 Monticello Road
Columbia, SC 29230-3122
(800) 777-2227
(803) 754-4100
www.ciu.edu

Columbia International University is a biblically-based, private Christian institution committed to preparing men and women to know Christ and to make him known. Founded in 1923, CIU is recognized as having one of the leading ministry training programs in the world.

Midlands Technical College
P.O. Box 2408
Columbia, SC 29202
(800) 922-8038
(803) 738-8324

Midlands Tech is part of the nation’s most renowned technical education system. It is a two-year, comprehensive, public community college, offering a wide variety of programs in career education, four-year college-transfer options, and continuing education. Small classes, individualized instruction, and student support services are provided. Most of the college’s teaching faculty holds masters and doctoral degrees.

University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(800) 922-9755
(803) 777-0169
www.sc.edu

USC was chartered in 1801 as South Carolina College and in 1906 as the University of South Carolina. The university has 350 degree programs and enrolls more than 25,500 students throughout 15 degree-granting colleges and schools. It is an urban university, located in downtown Columbia.