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Columbia is a planned city in Howard County, Central Maryland. It differs strongly from most notions of what constitutes a "city," as the planner divided the densely populated, but decidedly suburban in character, city into ten "villages," each of which are divided into several neighborhoods, leaving the city with a less obvious center.

Get in

By plane

Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI IATA) is approximately 12 miles from Columbia. As noted below, Howard Transit operates bus service between the airport and Columbia.

By car

Columbia is easily accessible from both I-95 and US-29, which run parallel to each other near Columbia. From either of these roads, exit at either Route 32, Route 175, or Route 100. Route 175, which is called Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, connects to the city center and the Mall in Columbia.

By train

The closest train station to Columbia is BWI Rail Station, from where Amtrak and MARC Train operate service to Washington DC and Baltimore.

By bus

Howard Transit offers hourly bus service on its Silver Route from the Mall in Columbia to BWI Airport and the BWI Rail Station, where further connections are available to Washington DC and Baltimore. At BWI Airport, catch the Silver Route bus outside Pier E, the International Terminal, on the lower level.

Dillon Bus Service operates commuter buses between Columbia and Washington DC and Silver Spring during weekday rush hours.

Get around

By foot

A well-kept network of walking paths winds through Columbia, mostly in wooded natural areas.

By car

Travel within Columbia is largely by auto, although the city was originally planned as a pedestrian and bicycle friendly group of villages.

By bicycle

Streets are winding and hilly; cyclists should bring their eighteen-speeds.

By bus

Howard Transit operates several bus routes through the villages and connect to some adjacent communities. Most bus routes are hourly, with limited service on weekends.

See

For those interested in town planning and intentional communities, Columbia's layout and village centers preserve a good deal of James Rouse's 1960s-era vision of a diverse and harmonious setting open to residents of all backgrounds. Harper's Choice Village Center and Wilde Lake Village Center (which was the first to be built) have interesting small shops and public spaces.

  • Columbia Art Center (Long Reach). 
  • 1 Robinson Nature Center (James and Anne Robinson Nature Center), 6692 Cedar Ln Columbia, MD 21044, ☏ +1 410 313-0400. Wed.- Sat., 9 AM-5 PM Sun., Noon-5 PM The Center is closed Mondays & Tuesdays. Also closed Apr 5, Jul 4, Nov 26-27 & Dec 25, 2015. Adults $5 Children (3-17 yrs) $3 Under 3 FREE. (updated Jun 2015)

Do

Concerts and theater

  • 1 Toby's Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, toll-free: +1 800 888-6297. 6:00PM for evening shows (5:00PM on Sundays) and 10:30AM for matinees. Box Office hours are 10:00AM to 9:00PM, daily. Award-winning musicals, with dinner! 

Festivals and events

  • Symphony of Lights Festivities (Symphony Woods). Annual drive-through festival of lights open at night from late December to early January. Proceeds benefit the Howard County General Hospital. 

Buy

  • Second Edition Books & Music, 6490 Dobbin Rd. a nifty little used book store in the same shopping center as the MVA Express. You'll find books, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl. 
  • 1 The Mall in Columbia, 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy. one of the largest malls in the area and sports several higher-end department stores such as Nordstroms and Lord & Taylor. Great for fine gifts and luxery items. Also attached to a movie theatre and several restaurants. 

Eat

  • Columbia's Best Deli, 6490 Dobbin Rd. True to it's name. Great for vegetarians too! 
  • 1 Maiwand Kabob, 6131 Columbia Crossing Cir. The best kabobs in Maryland. 
  • 2 Pars Market LLC, 9400 Snowden River Parkway # 109 (Columbia, MD 21045), ☏ +1 443-259-0002. Best Ethnic Market in Columbia, Great Selection of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Foods 

Drink

  • 1 Xitomate, 5850 Waterloo Rd Ste 100, ☏ +1 410-750-8787. Good Mexican food, great atmosphere. Lots of tequila. 

Sleep

  • Sonesta ES Suites Columbia, 8844 Columbia 100 Parkway, ☏ +1 410-964-9494. This hotel offers easy access to I-95 and I-70. Each suite offers 450 to 750 square feet and features complimentary wireless access, fully equipped kitchen and separate living room. 
  • SpringHill Suites, 7055 Minstrel Way, ☏ +1 410 290-7896. Check-in: 3pm, check-out: 12pm. Suites with microwave, mini-fridge, large work desk, free internet, flat screen TV. Guests have access to free parking, free hot breakfast, indoor pool and fitness center. $130. 

Connect

Go next

Routes through Columbia
Baltimore ← Arbutus ←  N  S  → Laurel → Washington, D.C.
END ← Ellicott City ←  N  S  → Colesville-Burtonsville → Washington, D.C.



This city travel guide to Columbia is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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