Columbia: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Columbia is a city of 129,330 people in United States (Missouri), 219 m (719 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Columbia Regional Airport (COU), 18 km (11 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Wabash Railroad Station and Freight House.
Key facts
Daylight in Columbia runs from about 9 h 29 min a day in late December to 14 h 57 min in late June (computed for 38.95° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Columbia is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Columbia Regional Airport (COU), 18 km (11 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,401 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Columbia: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Wabash Railroad Station and Freight House. Trains to Columbia
Buses to Columbia · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Omaha, 400 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Kansas City, 195 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- St. Louis, 189 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Des Moines, 314 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Overland Park, 202 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Springfield, 211 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Kansas City, 199 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Olathe, 215 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Cedar Rapids, 345 km
- Topeka, 289 km — trains · buses · car rental
Twin towns and sister cities: Sibiu, Kutaisi, Suncheon.
Common questions
Which airport serves Columbia?
Columbia Regional Airport (COU), 18 km (11 mi) from the centre.
How big is Columbia?
About 129,330 people live in Columbia, across 164 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Columbia in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Columbia?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Columbia?
Omaha (400 km), Kansas City (195 km), St. Louis (189 km), Des Moines (314 km), Overland Park (202 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.