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Columbia, MO

Columbia
City
City of Columbia
Jesse Hall and the columns on Francis Quadrangle at the University of Missouri
City flag
Flag
City seal
Seal
Nickname(s): "Athens of Missouri", or CoMo
Location in Boone County and the state of Missouri
Location in Boone County and the state of Missouri
Coordinates: 38°57′5″N 92°19′42″W / 38.95139°N 92.32833°W / 38.95139; -92.32833Coordinates: 38°57′5″N 92°19′42″W / 38.95139°N 92.32833°W / 38.95139; -92.32833
Country United States
State Missouri
County Boone
Settled 1816
Founded 1818
Incorporated November 7, 1826
Government
 • Type Council-manager government
 • Mayor Brian Treece
 • City manager Mike Matthes
Area
 • City 63.5 sq mi (164 km2)
 • Land 63.08 sq mi (163.4 km2)
 • Water .42 sq mi (1.1 km2)
Elevation 758 ft (231 m)
Population (2010)
 • City 108,500
 • Estimate (2015) 119,108
 • Rank US: 245th
 • Density 1,720/sq mi (664/km2)
 • Urban 124,748 (US: 255th)
 • Metro 170,773 (US: 237th)
Demonym(s) Columbians
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP Codes 65201, 65202, 65203, 65211
Area code(s) 573
FIPS code 29-15670
GNIS feature ID 0716133
Website gocolumbiamo.com

Columbia /kəˈlʌmbiə/ is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Boone County. Founded in 1818, it is home to the University of Missouri and is the principal city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area. It is Missouri's fourth most-populous city, with an estimated population of 119,108 in 2015. As a midwestern college town, the city has a reputation for progressive politics, public art, and powerful journalism. The tripartite establishment of Stephens College (1833), the University of Missouri (1839), and Columbia College (1851) has ever since made the city a center of education, culture, and athletic competition; these three schools surround the city's central business district to the east, south, and north. At the center of Downtown is 8th Street, also known as the Avenue of the Columns, which connects Francis Quadrangle and Jesse Hall to the Boone County Courthouse and the City Hall. Originally an agricultural town, the cultivation of the mind is Columbia's chief economic concern today. Never a major center of manufacturing, the city also depends on healthcare, insurance, and technology businesses. Several companies, such as Shelter Insurance, Carfax, and Slackers CDs and Games, were founded in the city. Cultural institutions include the State Historical Society of Missouri, the Museum of Art and Archaeology, and the annual True/False Film Festival. The Missouri Tigers, the state's only major college athletic program, play football at Faurot Field and basketball at Mizzou Arena as members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).


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