Columbia Overview
As the state's capital city and home to the University of South Carolina and Fort Jackson, Columbia is the commercial, industrial, governmental, and education hub for South Carolina. In recent years, the city has transformed from its deep roots in textile manufacturing to a vibrant metropolis with a diverse economy and charming quality of life. A hotbed for millennial talent, the city is home to innovative entrepreneurs, progressive start-ups, and creative makers, alongside well-known global brands. Columbia’s MSA is an estimated 870,000 residents and over 1.5 million people within 60 miles, Columbia's talent pool is deep, driven, and ready to make great things happen.
Located at the geographical center of the state, Columbia is positioned at the East Coast midpoint centered between New York City and Miami, FL. Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC are both within a two-hour drive, and Atlanta, GA can be reached in a little over three hours as well. Columbia has been rated a Top 5 U.S. city for highway connectivity, with a network that includes 4 interstates. The City resides at the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers, which combine to create the Congaree River. These rivers, along with nearby Lake Murray, provide for an abundance of park land and greenways, making our city a hot spot for outdoor recreation. Our warm subtropical climate makes for a popular year-round destination with mild winters, early springs, warm autumns, and hot summers. Our downtown districts are bursting with arts, entertainment, restaurants, festivals, sporting events and more.
The Columbia area boasts six diverse institutions of higher education, including the flagship campus for the University of South Carolina, whose attractive historic campus drew a record enrollment of 38,000 students this fall. Columbia is also home to two historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs), Benedict College and Allen University, which both reside in City's urban core. In the North Columbia region, we have Columbia College, a private liberal arts college along with Columbia International University, a faith-based college offering over 75 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs. Midlands Technical College is a public technical college with a student body of around 16,000, in multiple locations across Columbia, Richland, and Lexington.
Proudly called "the most military friendly community in America", Columbia and the Midlands region contains the second largest military presence in South Carolina. Fort Jackson is the U.S. Army's largest training base where half of the Army's soldiers (and all female recruits) go to attend their basic training. This presence is further augmented by the South Carolina National Guard, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Department of Defense Contractors, military retirees and veterans, and the U.S. Army Reserves.
Located at the geographical center of the state, Columbia is positioned at the East Coast midpoint centered between New York City and Miami, FL. Charlotte, NC and Charleston, SC are both within a two-hour drive, and Atlanta, GA can be reached in a little over three hours as well. Columbia has been rated a Top 5 U.S. city for highway connectivity, with a network that includes 4 interstates. The City resides at the confluence of the Broad and Saluda Rivers, which combine to create the Congaree River. These rivers, along with nearby Lake Murray, provide for an abundance of park land and greenways, making our city a hot spot for outdoor recreation. Our warm subtropical climate makes for a popular year-round destination with mild winters, early springs, warm autumns, and hot summers. Our downtown districts are bursting with arts, entertainment, restaurants, festivals, sporting events and more.
The Columbia area boasts six diverse institutions of higher education, including the flagship campus for the University of South Carolina, whose attractive historic campus drew a record enrollment of 38,000 students this fall. Columbia is also home to two historically black colleges/universities (HBCUs), Benedict College and Allen University, which both reside in City's urban core. In the North Columbia region, we have Columbia College, a private liberal arts college along with Columbia International University, a faith-based college offering over 75 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs. Midlands Technical College is a public technical college with a student body of around 16,000, in multiple locations across Columbia, Richland, and Lexington.
Proudly called "the most military friendly community in America", Columbia and the Midlands region contains the second largest military presence in South Carolina. Fort Jackson is the U.S. Army's largest training base where half of the Army's soldiers (and all female recruits) go to attend their basic training. This presence is further augmented by the South Carolina National Guard, McEntire Joint National Guard Base, Department of Defense Contractors, military retirees and veterans, and the U.S. Army Reserves.