Ranked by the American Institute for Economic Research as one of the nation’s top 10 college towns, Columbia combines small-town comforts, community spirit and a low cost of living with big-city culture, activities and resources. Our city of about 123,000 people lies midway between Missouri’s largest metro areas: St. Louis and Kansas City. It is home to nationally-recognized public schools including two top-ranked high schools and other colleges and educational centers. It is packed with restaurants and entertainment venues; home to multiple parks and outdoor recreation sites such as Rock Bridge State Park and the MKT Trail; and hosts more than a dozen annual cultural festivals. Come see why Money magazine, Fortune magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Men’s Journal, MSN.com and others have all named Columbia one of the best places in the country to live.
Joggers, walkers and bikers enjoy the many hiking trails in Columbia such as the MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, a 4.7-mile urban walkway through Columbia’s beautiful greenbelt. The trail also connects with the Katy Trail State Park, the largest rails-to-trails conversion in the nation, stretching 185 miles across Missouri.
The award-winning Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, maintains over 42 parks and recreation facilities on more than 2,000 acres including Twin Lakes Recreation Area, Rainbow Softball Center, MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, Battle Park Martin Luther King Memorial Amphitheater, Nifong Park, Grindstone Nature Area and Capen Park. In addition to offering life enrichment classes, Parks & Rec also organizes sports leagues for all ages such as softball, soccer and volleyball.
Festivals are also popular activities and highlight the best of what Columbia has to offer for fun, family and cultural events. True/False Film Fest, Earth Day, Roots ‘N Blues ‘N BBQ, The Salute to Veterans Memorial Day Weekend Airshow, Art in the Park, Heritage Festival & Craft Show and the Festival of the Arts are just a few of the many annual events that Columbians enjoy and love. For more information, visit the Convention & Visitors Bureau.
For the sports-minded person, Columbia offers many fun activities and ways to keep in shape no matter what your age. Recreational opportunities are available at area parks, golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, bowling alleys, roller rinks and athletic clubs. The Area Recreation Center or ARC has an indoor leisure pool featuring a triple loop slide, large gymnasium hosting two full basketball courts, group exercise room, state-of-the-art indoor track and much more.
Columbians enjoy MU Tiger football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, wrestling, gymnastics and track and field. Columbia College also offers an exciting array of softball, soccer and volleyball events that are family friendly.
Columbia is also home to the largest state game competition in the nation. The Show-Me State Games, is an annual, statewide, amateur Olympic-style sporting event for the whole family.
Education is a vital sector in Columbia, offering extensive options for both school-aged children and those pursuing higher education. Columbia Public Schools includes 21 elementary schools, 7 middle schools, and 3 high schools. For private education, Christian Fellowship School and Columbia Independent School serve students from Pre-K through 12th grade, while Fr. Tolton Catholic High School caters to grades 9 through 12. Higher education institutions in Columbia include the University of Missouri, Columbia College, and Stephens College, ensuring a range of opportunities for academic advancement.
Buying or selling your home can be stressful and challenging, unless you have the right agent guilding you through the process. Whether this is your first time buying a house, an investor purchasing your 4th rental, or someone building a custom home from the ground up, our expertise is sure to benefit you. Our goal is to make sure that my clients are informed during every step of the process. We strive to make our clients real estate experience as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
