Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of Downtown Columbia | |
Location of Columbia, Maryland | |
Columbia Columbia | |
| Coordinates: 39°12′13″N 76°51′25″W / 39.20361°N 76.85694°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Howard |
| Founded | June 21, 1967 |
| Founded by | James Rouse |
| Named after | Columbia (personification) |
| Area | |
• Total | 32.19 sq mi (83.37 km2) |
| • Land | 31.93 sq mi (82.71 km2) |
| • Water | 0.25 sq mi (0.66 km2) |
| Elevation | 407 ft (124 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 104,681 |
| • Density | 3,278.1/sq mi (1,265.68/km2) |
| The CDP includes areas not part of Columbia proper as defined by the Columbia Association. | |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 21044-21046 |
| Area codes | 410, 443, 667 |
| FIPS code | 24-19125 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0590002 |
| Website | columbiaassociation.org |
Columbia is a planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States, consisting of 10 self-contained villages. With a population of 104,681 at the 2020 census, it is the second-most-populous community in Maryland, after Baltimore. Columbia, located between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area and is tracked by the United States Census Bureau as a census-designated place. Columbia proper consists only of territory governed by the Columbia Association, a not-for-profit management company. The United States Postal Service also uses the name for other communities that predate Columbia, including Simpsonville and Atholton; the Census Bureau also counts part of Clarksville as Columbia.
Developer James Rouse founded Columbia in 1967, aiming to create a community that would avoid the inconveniences of then-current subdivision design; eliminate racial, religious and class segregation; and reduce leapfrog and spot zoning development.