Columbia is a city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the county seat of Boone County and home to the University of Missouri. Founded in 1821, it is the principal city of the five-county Columbia metropolitan area. It is Missouri's 4th most populous with an estimated 128,555 residents in 2022.As a Midwestern college town, Columbia maintains high-quality health care facilities, cultural opportunities, and a low cost of living.