Columbia, MD: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Columbia is a large unincorporated community, usually a census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland. In the dataset behind this page it has an estimated population of 103,991, sits at 39.200°N, 76.859°W, and observes Eastern time. Below you will find how it ranks inside Maryland, which ZIP codes it uses, the closest places around it, and how far it is from major US cities.

What are the key facts about Columbia, MD?

What is the population of Columbia, MD?

Columbia has an estimated population of 103,991. That makes it the 5th largest of 510 places in Maryland, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in Maryland has about 2,304 residents, so Columbia is roughly 45.1 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Maryland with a similar population include Salisbury (106,447), Germantown (90,582), Silver Spring (81,773), Waldorf (75,489), Ellicott City (72,665). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Columbia differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Columbia?

Columbia has about 3,256 people per square mile (1,257 per square kilometer), which we classify as suburban. Within Maryland, it is denser than about 80% of the listed places. Land at this level is usually a mix of single-family neighborhoods, shopping corridors and parks, where driving is common but destinations are close. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Columbia use?

The postal data lists 6 ZIP codes for Columbia: 21044, 21045, 21046, 21029, 20588, 21150. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 2 are assigned to the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast coast (D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Columbia in?

Columbia is in the Eastern time zone, which is UTC−5 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/New_York). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Fairfield Glade, TN, about 491 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Eastern time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Columbia located in Maryland?

Columbia lies in the northern part of Maryland, at 39.200° north latitude and 76.859° west longitude. The state capital, Annapolis, is about 25 miles to the southeast. The closest listed place in another state is Washington, DC, roughly 22 miles to the south, which shows how near Columbia is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Baltimore, MD, 15 miles to the northeast.

Which cities are near Columbia, MD?

The closest listed place to Columbia is Savage, MD, 4.1 miles to the southeast. Of the eight nearest places below, 6 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Columbia in?

Columbia is in Howard County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 24027. The county contains 9 places in our data, 7 of which have their own page here and 2 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Ellicott City (72,665), Ilchester (26,974), North Laurel (24,873), Elkridge (21,458), Scaggsville (9,751). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Columbia from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Columbia is closest to New York, NY at about 187 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 2,309 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Columbia?

Yes. Our data lists 14 other places named Columbia: Columbia, SC (560,041), Columbia, MO (141,645), Columbia, TN (40,663), Columbia, IL (10,513), Columbia, PA (10,355), Columbia, MS (6,468), Columbia, KY (4,734), Columbia, CA (2,226), and 6 more. When you search for Columbia, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Columbia in Howard County, Maryland.

Planning a move to Columbia?

If you are weighing Columbia, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.