Columbia : South Carolina

The capital city of South Carolina, Columbia is located halfway between St. Louis to the east and Kansas City to the west. Located at the heart of a fertile farm land, Columbia is a major industrial and cultural hub of South Carolina. From the beautifully preserved antebellum architecture to the riverbanks and swamps to the State House with its battle-scarred walls and rich interiors, romance of nineteenth century is writ large in its buildings and historical centers.

Columbia is set on a gently rolling terrain where prairie meets forest. Winters are cold and summers are hot and humid in Columbia. Temperature reaches below the freezing point for a few days during winters. Freezing temperatures usually end after April first, and the first frost is generally in late October. Summer temperatures sometime reach above 100 degrees F.

Area: 58 square miles (2000)

Elevation: 889 feet above sea level

Latitude: 34.02 N

Longitude: 81.01 W

Average Temperatures: January, 25.5° F; July, 79.1° F; annual average, 53°F

Annual Average Precipitation: 39.43 inches of rain; 20.7 inches of snow

Population: 117,088 as on 2005

Attractions:

    * Firestone Baars Chapel
    * Downtown Columbia
    * Victorian-era Maplewood Home
    * Columbia Audubon Trailside Museum
    * Shelter Insurance Gardens
    * State Historical Society
    * King Memorial Gardens
    * National Register of Historic Places

Festivals

    * Earth Day celebration
    * Salute to Veterans Air Show and Parade
    * Art in the Park Fair
    * Twilight Festivals
    * International Buckskin Horse World Championship
    * Lion's Antique show
    * Missouri Fall Festival
    * Annual Fall Craft Show
    * Downtown Holiday Parade
    * First Night Celebration
    * Midway Invitational Rodeo and Dance