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Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina
State Capital
City of Columbia
Skyline of downtown Columbia
Skyline of downtown Columbia
Flag of Columbia, South Carolina
Flag
Official seal of Columbia, South Carolina
Seal
Nickname(s): "The Capital of Southern Hospitality", "Famously Hot", "Soda City", "The City of Dreams," "Paradise City," "Cola Town"
Motto: Justitia Virtutum Regina (Latin)
"Justice, the Queen of Virtues"
Location in Richland County and the state of South Carolina
Location in Richland County and the state of South Carolina
Columbia, SC is located in South Carolina
Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC
Location in South Carolina
Coordinates: 34°0′2″N 81°2′5″W / 34.00056°N 81.03472°W / 34.00056; -81.03472Coordinates: 34°0′2″N 81°2′5″W / 34.00056°N 81.03472°W / 34.00056; -81.03472
Country United States
State South Carolina
County Richland, Lexington
Approved March 22, 1786
Chartered (town) 1805
Chartered (city) 1854
Government
 • Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin (D)
Area
 • Total 134.9 sq mi (349 km2)
 • Land 132.2 sq mi (342 km2)
 • Water 2.7 sq mi (7 km2)  2%
Elevation 292 ft (89 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 129,272
 • Estimate (2015) 133,803
 • Rank SC: 1st; US: 195th
 • Density 977.8/sq mi (377.5/km2)
 • MSA (2015) 810,068 (US: 71st)
 • CSA (2015) 937,288 (US: 58th)
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code(s) 29201, 29203-6, 29209-10, 29212, 29223, 29225, 29229
Area code(s) 803
FIPS code 45-16000
GNIS feature ID 1245051
Website www.columbiasc.net

Columbia is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of South Carolina, with a population of 133,803 as of 2015. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. It is the center of the Columbia metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 767,598 as of the 2010 United States Census, growing to 810,068 by July 1, 2015, according to 2015 U.S. Census estimates. The name Columbia was a poetic term used for the United States, originating from the name of Christopher Columbus.

The city is located approximately 13 miles (21 km) northwest of the geographic center of South Carolina, and is the primary city of the Midlands region of the state. It lies at the confluence of the Saluda River and the Broad River, which merge at Columbia to form the Congaree River. Columbia is home to the University of South Carolina, the state's flagship and largest university, and is also the site of Fort Jackson, the largest United States Army installation for Basic Combat Training. In 1860, the city was the location of the South Carolina Secession Convention, which marked the departure of the first state from the Union in the events leading up to the Civil War.


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