Columbia (Missouri)

Columbia is a bustling college town in Missouri, halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City. It is home of the University of Missouri (also known as 'Mizzou') as well as two other post-secondary institutions Stephens College and Columbia College.

By car
The city is accessible from Interstate 70, exit numbers from 121 east to 131. From the north and south, use U.S. Highway 63.

If you choose to drive, it'll take about 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours from/to St. Louis Lambert International Airport, and about 2 hours and 15 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes to/from Kansas City International Airport. Long-term parking is around $8/day at St. Louis airport and around $7/day at Kansas City airport.

By plane


MO-X (pronounced 'moe-ex') operates an airport shuttle service that does door-to-door pick-up/drop-off from town to airport (St. Louis and Kansas City airports) & vice versa for about $44 each way, $82 round trip. It takes approximately two hours to reach St. Louis airport and a little longer for Kansas City airport. It's rather slow is you use door=to door pick-up/drop-off, since it'll make many stops to pick up passengers.

By bus

 * Greyhound. Bus station at 611A Big Bear Blvd.

Get around
There is a public bus system, COMO Connect, but the downtown area is very small, so you can easily get around on foot.

See

 * Also on campus, close to the Quad, is the Ellis Library, which houses the State Historical Society of Missouri.
 * The interesting and unique architecture of the Columbia Public Library, located just west of downtown at the corner of Broadway and Garth Avenue, is a sight to see. While you're there, enjoy a good book and a cup of coffee from the coffee bar located in the lobby.
 * The Shelter Insurance Garden is located off of Ash Street, just before Stadium Boulevard. The gardens feature many different types of plants and flowers, along with beautiful sculptures, ponds, and a historic schoolhouse (circa 1800s).
 * The interesting and unique architecture of the Columbia Public Library, located just west of downtown at the corner of Broadway and Garth Avenue, is a sight to see. While you're there, enjoy a good book and a cup of coffee from the coffee bar located in the lobby.
 * The Shelter Insurance Garden is located off of Ash Street, just before Stadium Boulevard. The gardens feature many different types of plants and flowers, along with beautiful sculptures, ponds, and a historic schoolhouse (circa 1800s).

Do

 * Katy Trail State Park is a great outdoor resource for bikers and joggers. The MKT Nature and Fitness Trail starts in downtown Columbia (accessible near Providence and Locust and at Providence and Stewart). It stretches about  from downtown Columbia to McBaine. There the MKT connects to Katy Trail State Park, which travels across Missouri from St. Charles to Clinton following old railway lines. Several of Columbia's parks also connect to the MKT, including Flat Branch Park, Forum Nature area, and Hinkson Woods Natural History Area. There are plans to use federal grant money to extend this trail system further.
 * Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, south of Columbia, offers outdoor activities including hiking, mountain biking, caving and so on. Devil's icebox in the park is a great getaway during the hot summer days. A short walk will take you to the mouth of the cave and the chilled air will cool you off.
 * Finger Lakes State Park.
 * Ragtag Cinema is an unusual fusion of a high-minded arthouse cinema with a playful, lively beer hall. Showing the best national, international, and locally created films.
 * Jewell Cemetery State Historic Site.
 * Those interested in rock climbing will want to check out Capen Park. Capen park is well-visited by the local climbing community. Capen Park is located near the intersection of College and Stadium for those arriving by car, but may be accessed via Columbia's trails for those who choose to walk, jog, or bike.
 * The Blue Note historic theater, located on North 9th street in the downtown area. This is a small theater that accommodates around 800 people. This venue always features top new music acts. Regardless what type of music you like, it features acts from country, ska, rock, alternative, indie, metal, comedy, hip hop, blues, etc. Some top acts that have visited the Blue Note include 311, Megadeth, Snoop Dog, Blues Traveler, Public Enemy, Ice T, Red Hot Chili Peppers. It also showcases local favorites like Gravity Kills and The Urge. Enjoy the dance floor and drinks from the extensive bar. Minors are also welcome, however some shows have a small surcharge.

Events & festivals

 * True/False Film Festival occurs during the last weekend of February; it is a documentary film festival showcasing local, regional and international films.
 * Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival is a yearly, dual stage festival featuring a mix of local and big name acts ranging from folk to rock. Numerous food vendors tending to specialize in the BBQ arts. Occurs late Sept.
 * Summerfest shows
 * Citizen Jane Film Festival

Buy

 * Downtown Columbia is a major area for shopping and restaurants. Downtown Columbia, sometimes referred to as "The District" is centered on the corner of Broadway and Ninth Street, and extends for several blocks in each direction.  Locally owned stores, a variety of restaurants, theaters, parks, and the nicely landscaped campuses of the area colleges are all within walking distance from the downtown area.
 * There are also new shopping developments available south of the mall on Stadium Boulevard.
 * There are also new shopping developments available south of the mall on Stadium Boulevard.

Drink

 * Flat Branch is Columbia's original micro-brewery, serving a plethora of house made brews and a few home-made sodas. It offers a wide variety of tasty food items for reasonable prices. Can be crowded.
 * The Heidelberg (a.k.a. the 'Berg) is a bar/hangout close to campus that is enjoyed by many young students. Has a nice outdoor patio on the second floor. Go toward the restroom, and you'll find the stairs going up. Has good happy hour deals (e.g., buy one appetizer, get one free). It was burned down in October 2003 but has opened again.

Sleep
Nearly every national hotel chain has a location in Columbia, with more being added seemingly all the time. It is quite common for hotels in Columbia to be booked full on University of Missouri football weekends.



Stay safe
Columbia is generally a safe, quiet, low-crime city. Violent crime is rare. Petty crime (i.e., theft) is the most-common crime in Columbia. Simple common sense should keep you out of trouble. Petty theft, including from automobiles, is a slight problem on the MU campus. The best advice is to not leave anything of value in plain sight in a parked vehicle.

Go next

 * The historic Santa Fe Trail started nearby, with its starting point at the small town of Boonville. Parts of the trail are preserved as a unit of the national park system.
 * The Missouri State Capitol is a half hour south in Jefferson City.