A welcoming and diverse community

Living in Columbia

Columbia, population ca. 90,000, is a vibrant, inclusive college town of multiple and diverse cultures that is consistently ranked as one of the 20 most livable cities in the United States. The environment is warm, and the weather pleasant. Downtown Columbia is immediately adjacent to campus with great coffee shops, bookstores, and many fine restaurants. Entertainment options abound, with a great art/eclectic movie theatre and a vibrant local music scene with a fabulous jazz series and classical music series, and some excellent night spots.

images of Columbia - courtesy of the Convention & Visitors Bureau An easy two-hour drive from St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia combines the best of urban and rural life. Inexpensive housing, and excellent child-care centers and award-winning public schools, combine to attract families to this quiet town.

An individual with a $20,000 per year income in Columbia, MO would require a significantly greater income in order to maintain the same standard of living in many other university communities: (opens new window)

Outdoor recreation

Missouri is a very interesting place biologically. It's where the tall grass prairies meet the (oak-hickory) forest. The state is split by the Missouri River which separates the glaciated plains to the north from the Ozark highlands in the south.

outdoor recreation - images courtesy of the City of Columbia and Missouri Department of Natural Resources Bikers like the great crushed-limestone trail system and the excellent rough trails in nearby state parks and state and national forests.

Columbia's MKT Trail (4.7 mi. + 4 miles of Boone Co. trail) links to the State of Missouri's 225-mile long Katy Trail State Park.

The City of Columbia has recently expanded their bike trail system and plans to add many more miles of trails very soon.

Canoeing opportunities abound in nearby streams and rivers.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways are about 3 hours away but well worth the trip.

Missouri has lots of great State Parks and natural areas, including the nearby Rock Bridge State Park and Three Creeks State Conservation Area.

We are also very near part of the Mark Twain National Forest. Many of our students do fieldwork there.

Columbia's Parks and Recreation department has won national awards for its programming services for youth through senior citizens including baseball, basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball and tennis.

You can find more information in Our Town, a comprehensive city guide published by the Columbia Daily Tribune.

A welcoming and diverse community

Living in Columbia

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Outdoor recreation