Columbia, Missouri Area Information:
Columbia boasts a population of 84,531 and is centrally located between St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri. It has much to offer its residents from local arts and festivals to outdoor recreation. The Columbia Symphony and the University Concert series provide a wide variety of culture and entertainment. while there is much entertainment to enjoy, Columbia has much more to offer. Columbia is home to the University of Missouri Tigers and its widely acclaimed Journalism School as well as Columbia and Stephens Colleges. Located on the MU campus are several museums open to the public. Downtown Columbia, known as the District, is home to many shops and restaurants as well as the Twilight Festival held Thursday evenings in June and September. Aside form the District, Columbia also offers a shopping mall and several shopping centers located throughout the community. Money magazine has consistently ranked Columbia as one of the best places to live because of the excellent quality of life. All of this contributes to making Columbia a wonderful place to call home.

The University of Missouri was founded in 1839 making it the first public university west of the MIssissippi, and the first one in Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase. The Quad today is home to Thomas Jefferson's original grave marker and the Columns. In 1892 Academic Hall burned leaving only six stone columns that have become a landmark not only for MU, but also for Columbia.

Today Mizzou is home to over 27,000 graduate and undergraduate students from 98 countries, and is one of the nation's largest and most prestigious research universities. The School of Journalism was the first of its type established and today is considered to be one of the best in the nation. MU is also one of only six public universities to offer medicine, veterinary medicine and law on its campus. MU has 20 schools and more than 275 degree programs. For those that are sports fans MU is a Division I-A school and a member of the Big 12 Conference as well as the NCAA, and has athletes in 20 different sports. Not only is MU a wonderful place to get an education, it is also a beautiful botanical campus.

Columbia also has two other institutions of higher education - Stephens College and Columbia College. Stephens College, founded in 1833, is a private liberal arts college for women. Women can gain an education in the performing arts as well as pre-professional degrees. Their graduate programs are available to both men and women. Columbia College, a private liberal arts and sciences institute, was founded as Christian Female College and renamed in 1970 when it became coeducational. Their 30-acre campus offers day and evening classes with associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs.

Columbia's public schools include 19 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 junior high schools, 3 high schools, and the Columbia Area Vocational Career Center. Eight schools have received recognition for their exemplary quality by the U.S. Department of Education, and 13 have received similar state recognition. Columbia School District is accredited with distinction by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The Great Burr Oak, or as some Columbia residents call it, The Big Tree is over 300 years old with a circumference of 272 inches, is 84 feet tall, and has a spread of 116 feet. The Great Burr Oak is located outside of Columbia near the town of McBaine, and can be seen from the Katy Trail.

Columbia has much to offer the outdoors enthusiast - 45 parks, 4 golf courses and a disc golf course. There are multiple walking and biking trails found throughout the city. For those that enjoy tennis, Columbia offers 23 tennis courts. There are also 5 swimming pools open to the public. For those that want a more private atmosphere, there are 2 private country clubs, tennis courts, pools, and 3 golf courses. There are also 10 health clubs to choose from. Columbia also has movie theaters, 3 bowling allies along with 2 state parks.

Columbia has a great deal of art, culture, and entertainment to offer. There are multiple museums to explore including the Museum of Art and Archaeology and the Museum of Anthropology. There are several opportunities to take in the performing arts including the University concert series held in Jesse Hall on the MU campus as well as a wide array of entertainment. For those more interested in music there are the Missouri Symphony in the Missouri Theater, the Columbia Civic Orchestra, and Columbia Chorale.

Hot air balloons are a common site in Columbia during fair weather. This year Columbia was the host to the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon championship in August. Columbia is no stranger to hosting this event and has held it several times in the past. Those wishing to see the city from the air can take their own ride in a hot air balloon. There are also several other area fairs and festivals to attend throughout the year.

If shopping strikes your fancy, Columbia has a large downtown area known as the District that offers a variety of shops and restaurants. In addition, there is a large shopping mall and 13 shopping centers found throughout the city. Columbia has a large Bass Pro Shop located on the northeast side of town for the outdoor enthusiast. There are ample dining opportunities to choose from with 300 different restaurants serving a variety of American and international foods.

For Columbia's diverse population, there are many religious organizations. There are 110 Protestant congregations, 1 synagogue, 4 Catholic churches and a mosque.
If healthcare is a concern, the Columbia area has much to offer. There are 6 hospitals including the VA hospital right next to the University of Missouri Hospitals and Clinics.