Directions & Map

Columbia began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents’ quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not just in terms of economics and engineering. Columbia is the nation’s most successful planned community. What began in 1962 as 14,100 acres of rural land has become a city of more than 97,000 residents, spread over 10 separate villages, with 2,500 businesses, more than 60,000 jobs, 21 million square feet of commercial space and a wide array of social, cultural, educational, entertainment and recreational programs and facilities. By the early 2000s, the town had acquired many of the characteristics of other contemporary U.S. suburbs, such as increasingly large private homes on large parcels and “big box” retail stores accessible mostly by automobile. Rouse’s ethos remains a strong influence upon the physical and political development of Columbia. In 2006, Money magazine ranked Columbia (together with Ellicott City, its neighbor to the north) #4 out of the 100 “Best Places to Live” in the United States. In 2008, Columbia and Ellicott City were ranked #8 on this list.