Columbia Information: Tickets, Venues, Events and More

The city of Columbia is basically a census-designated place and planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The community is located midway between Baltimore and Washington DC. The community was developed in the year 1967, by the Howard Research and Development Corporation, formerly an affiliate of the Rouse Company, now of General Growth Properties, Inc. Today it has emerged as the most populous census designated place in Maryland. Columbia has an estimated population of about 97,000.

According to the 2000 census, there were 88,254 people, 34,199 households, and 23,118 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,202.0 people per square mile (1,236.4/km²). There were 35,281 housing units at an average density of 1,280.0/sq.mi (494.3/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 66.52% White, 21.47% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 7.30% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.63% from other races, and 2.76% from two or more races. 4.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP (census-designated place) has a total area of 27.7 square miles (71.6 km²), of which, 27.6 square miles (71.4 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.36%) is water.

Columbia has 23 outdoor and four indoor pools, 53 indoor and outdoor tennis courts, a horse center, two golf courses, a sports park, ice rink and three athletic clubs. The city is home to the Merriweather Post Pavilion of Music, Toby's Dinner Theater, the Jim Rouse Theater for the Performing Arts, and the Smith Theater at Howard Community College. Columbia is also home to two Howard County Public Library branches.