Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is a city of 139,643 people in Lexington County, South Carolina, founded in 1787.
Why visit Columbia
Townapedia lists 103 museums and landmarks, 30 parks and trails, 241 places to eat, 38 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Gervais Street Bridge, Spotlight Cinemas Capital 8, A. Fletcher Spigner House and A.P. Williams Funeral Home.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Columbia
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Columbia
Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is the second-most populous city in the state, with a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census and estimated at 147,035 in 2025. It is the principal city of the Columbia metropolitan area, the second-largest metropolitan area in South Carolina, with an estimated population of 879,918 in 2025. Columbia serves as the county seat of Richland County, while portions of the city extend into neighboring Lexington and Kershaw counties.
From the Wikipedia article Columbia, South Carolina (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Gervais Street Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 9.4 mi
Bridge in South Carolina crossing the Congaree river
Museums and landmarks103
A. Fletcher Spigner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.4 mi
Historic house in South Carolina, United States
A.P. Williams Funeral Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.6 mi
Building in Columbia, United States of America
Allen University Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.3 mi
Historic district in Columbia, South Carolina
Alston House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.6 mi
House in Columbia, South Carolina
Babcock Building, South Carolina State Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.8 mi
Former hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Barber House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 10.2 mi
Listed in the NRHP in South Carolina
Beam Dormitory (Columbia)
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 8.0 mi
Historic building of Lutheran Theological Seminary, Columbia, South Carolina
Benedict College
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.3 mi
Historically black, liberal arts college located in Columbia, South Carolina
Carver Theater
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.4 mi
Former movie theater in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Chappelle Administration Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.3 mi
Building in South Carolina, United States
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Chesnut Cottage
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 7.7 mi
Historic house in South Carolina, United States
Columbia Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 8.1 mi
Historic district in Columbia, South Carolina
91 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds30
18 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes241
Chili's
Restaurant · Tex-Mex · 3.7 mi
7715 Two Notch Road, Columbia
Mo-Fr,Su 11:00-22:00; Sa 11:00-18:00
Crafty Crab
Restaurant · Seafood · 3.8 mi
245 O'Neil Court, Columbia
Mo-Th,Su 12:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-23:00
Edo Hibachi
Restaurant · Japanese · 5.2 mi
10120 Two Notch Road, Columbia
Mo-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:30; Su 11:30-21:30
El Jimador
Restaurant · Mexican · 5.9 mi
715 Fashion Drive, Columbia
Mo-Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 11:00-21:00; Dec 24 11:00-15:00; Jan 01 off;...
IHOP
Restaurant · Breakfast, Pancake · 3.7 mi
7719 Two Notch Road, Columbia
Mo-Th,Su 07:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-24:00
LICK Ice Cream
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 4.7 mi
110 Clemson Road, Columbia
Mo-Th 11:00-20:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-22:00; Su 13:00-20:00
Legacy Caribbean Bar & Grill
Restaurant · Caribbean · 3.9 mi
215 O'Neil Court, Columbia
Mo-Th,Fr 11:00-24:00; Sa,Su 00:00-02:00,11:00-24:00
Magnolia Buffet
Restaurant · Asian · 5.1 mi
10052 Two Notch Road, Columbia
Mo-Su 11:00-21:15; Fr 11:00-22:15; Sa 11:00-22:00
229 more on the map.
Where to stay38
InTown Suites Extended Stay Columbia SC - Two Notch
Motel and hotel · 3.7 mi
8310 Two Notch Road, Columbia
Hampton Inn & Suites Columbia/Southeast-Ft. Jackson
Motel and hotel · 5.8 mi
201 East Exchange Boulevard, Columbia
Churches and places of worship85
Sidney Park Colored Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 8.3 mi
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Place of worship · Jehovahs Witness · 5.8 mi
1020 Rabbit Run Road, Hopkins
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 2.4 mi
2350 White Pine Road, Columbia
Shopping47
Gas and EV charging55
Schools, colleges and libraries70
Healthcare19
Map of Columbia
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56°F | 33°F | 3.7 in | 0.4 in |
| Feb | 60°F | 36°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Mar | 67°F | 42°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Apr | 76°F | 51°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 83°F | 59°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 67°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 71°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 90°F | 70°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 85°F | 64°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 52°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 66°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 59°F | 36°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Sandhill Rsch - Elgin (7 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Lexington County has had 22 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2026-01-23: Severe Winter Storm (Winter Storm)
- 2024-09-29: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Tropical Storm)
- 2024-08-05: Hurricane Debby (Tropical Storm)
- 2023-08-31: Hurricane Idalia (Hurricane)
- 2022-11-21: Hurricane Ian (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Jim Hamilton - L. B. Owens Airport (CUB) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Woodfield 2 mi northwest, about 4 min by car
- Dentsville 4 mi northwest, about 6 min by car
- Forest Acres 4 mi west, about 7 min by car
- Arcadia Lakes 4 mi west, about 6 min by car
- Capitol View 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Arthurtown 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- Olympia 9 mi southwest, about 15 min by car
- Cayce 10 mi southwest, about 16 min by car
- Hopkins 10 mi south, about 16 min by car
- St. Andrews 12 mi west, about 19 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Fall skyline of Columbia SC from Arsenal Hill, Akhenaton06, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (13), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (11), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (10), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (9), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (2), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (6), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (15), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (7), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (135), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (20), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (19), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (23), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (134), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (1), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (33), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (131), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (132), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (142), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (133), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (30), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (28), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (14), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (139), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (12), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (141), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (22), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (146), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (140), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (138), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (31), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Columbia, SC, USA - panoramio (17), Ron Shawley, CC BY 3.0
- Chesnut Cottage Columbia SC, Anissa Wood on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
- HamptonPreston, Abductive, CC0
- Columbia - Beam dormitory, Unknown author, Public domain
- A Melrose Heights-Oak Lawn-Fairview neighborhood home, Eastward Gypsy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wesley United Methodist Church Columbia, SC, Eastward Gypsy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- ChappelleAdministrationBuilding, Abductive, CC0
- Still Hopes, Bill Fitzpatrick, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Whaley home, Eastward Gypsy, CC BY-SA 4.0
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