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Information For Columbia, Missouri

Columbia offers small-town friendliness with big city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Columbia is a great place to live for many reasons. Columbia offers an excellent school system, outstanding health care facilities, clean environment, an abundant source of entertainment opportunities, and a low cost of living.

Columbia is consistently ranked in the top "Best Places to Live in the Nation" by Money Magazine in its annual survey of the 300 largest metropolitan areas. The reasons Columbia scores well include our educational system, economy, healthcare and housing opportunities. If you want to raise a family, continue your education, retire or start a new business, Columbia is the place to be!

Columbia is centrally located in the heart of Missouri. Columbia offers quick access to St. Louis and Kansas City. It's a half an hour drive to Jefferson City, Missouri's State Capitol. Columbia is located 60 minutes away from the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks. In Columbia, you are never more than a few minutes away from one of the 10+ major shopping areas including the region\’s largest shopping mall. Columbia's Downtown area features restaurants, nightclubs, and many unique shopping experiences. Columbia is minutes away from several historic towns. The local city and state parks feature boating, fishing, hiking, biking and more.

Columbia is 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. The MKT Nature & Fitness Trail, a 4.7-mile urban walkway through Columbia's beautiful greenbelt, is enjoyed by joggers, walkers and bikers. The MKT trail connects with the Katy Trail State Park, the largest rails-to-trails conversion in the nation, stretching 185 miles across Missouri. Columbia offers many fun activities and ways to keep in shape no matter what your age. For the recreationalist or sports-minded person, recreational opportunities are available at over 40 area parks on more than 1,750 acres maintained by the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department. And since Columbia is home to the University of Missouri-Columbia, Stephens College, and Columbia College, Columbia residents enjoy a wide variety of cultural events.

• "Top Best Places to Live" Money Magazine consistently ranks Columbia as a top city in the country based on education, health care and a strong economy.
• "4th Healthiest Place to Live in the Nation", ranked by Kiplinger\'s Personal Finance Magazine.
• "50 Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family", Columbia is cited as one of the nicest small metro areas in the country in Lee Rosenberg\'s relocation book.
• "50 Fabulous Places to Retire in America", Columbia is one of the selected cities included in this relocation book, 1996.
• ACCRA Cost of Living Index- Columbia is 5% to 6% below national average.
• 5 Best College Towns for Retirement, Successful Retirement named Columbia.
• Where to Retire, a book by John Howell, selected Columbia as one of the three best places in Missouri.