Columbia, Maryland is one of the wealthiest cities in the United States. Founded in 1967, it is comprised of 10 independent villages and has a population of over 100,000 people. It offers its citizens a variety of amenities, including three lakes, 80 miles of trails, and The Mall of Columbia. According to QuickFacts, Columbia is the second largest community in Maryland with a population of 104,681 people and 20 constituent neighborhoods.
The city was established with the aim of eliminating racial, religious, and class segregation. To achieve this goal, planners enlisted the help of nationally recognized social science experts known as the Working Group. Columbia now has satellite campuses in Mount Airy, Laurel and East Columbia, as well as its original campus in the city center. Many Colombians also travel to work in government or government contractors in Baltimore and Washington D.
C.The city is home to several shopping centers such as the Dobbin Center Shopping Center, opened in 1983; Snowden Square retail store; Columbia Crossing I and II, which began in 1997; and Gateway Overlook. The Columbia Mall is located in the center of the city and features three main department stores (Nordstrom, Macy's, and JCPenney), a multiplex movie theater, and more than 200 stores and restaurants. In addition to its retail offerings, Columbia also has garden plots for rent under the direction of Columbia Gardeners that have existed since the 1970s. The Columbia Medical Plan was founded in 1967 as a health maintenance organization (HMO) available to Columbia citizens. Howard Community College is located near the city center while other universities such as University of Phoenix, American Career Institute, Lincoln College of Technology, Loyola University of Maryland, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Maryland University of Integrative Health, and Johns Hopkins University have facilities on the east side of the city. Columbia's main landforms are rolling hills and stream valleys; its road network is designed following the terrain with many winding streets and dead ends.
The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) provides access to and from Washington and Baltimore with several routes connecting Columbia to the Washington subway system. It is interesting to note that more people who work in computer science and mathematics live in Columbia than 95% of other cities in the United States. With its wealth of amenities and resources, it's no wonder why so many people choose to call Columbia home.
