Columbia, South Carolina

 city, capital city of state/province/region, county seat

Columbia is the state capital and largest city of South Carolina. As of 2009, estimates for the population of the city proper is 129,333. Columbia is also the county seat of Richland County, but a small portion of the city extends into Lexington County. The center of a rapidly growing metro area of 744,730.

The site of a frontier fort called the Congarees, built on the fall line of the Congaree River by the British. Its establishment as a city dates to state legislation in 1786 to create a new state capital. The new city's name was derived from a poetic name for Christopher Columbus, suggested by the state senator who introduced its founding legislation. The site was chosen in 1786 and the capital was moved there in 1790. It was incorporated as a village in 1805 and then as a city in 1854.

As the capital of South Carolina, it briefly served as the national capital for what would become the Confederacy in 1860. Occupied and burned by Union forces under General Sherman in 1865 and slowly rebuilt over Reconstruction. Grew steadily throughout the 20th century.

Site of the University of South Carolina
Site of Fort Moultrie
Home of US Army Fort Jackson

www.columbiasc.net/

NOTE: This polygon is incorrect according to the latest census bureau block maps and the city's website, but the polygon is too large to be edited without higher level user access.