Columbia, Planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States.
Description
Columbia is a planned community in Howard County, Maryland, spreading across ten separate residential villages. Each village contains schools, shopping options, and recreational facilities distributed over roughly 5,700 hectares (14,000 acres).
History
Developer James Rouse founded the community in 1967 after purchasing land parcels from 140 different owners. His goal was to create an integrated residential area with mixed incomes and ethnic diversity.
Culture
The Merriweather Post Pavilion draws concertgoers during summer months and serves as a gathering spot for music and shared experiences. Each June, the arts festival brings international performers to the area and presents shows from different traditions.
Practical
The Mall in Columbia sits centrally between the residential villages and offers five large department stores plus roughly 200 additional shops. Paths around the three lakes connect the different villages and allow for walks or bike rides through the area.
Did you know?
Three lakes named Kittamaqundi, Wilde, and Elkhorn sit within the residential villages and offer boating plus fishing spots. The shores are linked by a network of paths that let people walk between village centers without crossing major roads.
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Merriweather Post Pavilion
811 m
Lake Kittamaqundi
320 m
Blandair
1.9 km
Oakland Manor
771 mColumbia Center for Theatrical Arts
4.4 km
James and Anne Robinson Nature Center
4.2 km
Woodlawn
3.5 km
Athol Manor
3.3 km
Christ Church Guilford
4.3 kmCommodore Joshua Barney House
7.2 kmPatuxent Branch Trail
5.4 km
Simpsonville Mill
4.4 kmBeth Shalom Congregation
3.9 km
Oakland Mills Blacksmith House and Shop
1.1 km
Curtis-Shipley Farmstead
5 km
Howard County Center of African American Culture
783 m
Hatfield Safe House
4.3 kmColumbia City 3 Cinema
227 m
East Columbia Branch
2.9 km
Lake Elkhorn
3.9 km
Lake Elkhorn Dam
3.7 km
Wilde Lake
963 mFairway Hills Golf Course
2.1 kmHobbit's Glen Golf Club
3.8 km"Family" Statue
1.4 kmColumbia Art Center
3.7 kmCommons Tower
6.9 kmAzlon
1 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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