Editing Columbia, Missouri (section)

==Geography==
Columbia, in northern mid-Missouri, is {{convert|120|mi|km}} away from both [[St. Louis]] and [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], and {{convert|29|mi|km}} north of the state capital of [[Jefferson City, Missouri|Jefferson City]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.medpedsresidency.missouri.edu/columbia_missouri.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041010035724/http://medpedsresidency.missouri.edu/columbia_missouri.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 10, 2004 | title=About Columbia | work=MU internal Medicine and Child Health | access-date=January 11, 2008 }}</ref> The city is near the [[Missouri River]], between the [[Ozark Plateau]] and the [[Geography of Missouri#Regions|Northern Plains]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://chamber.columbia.mo.us/community/about.asp?Maps | title=Maps | work=Columbia Chamber of Commerce | access-date=January 11, 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080209060935/http://chamber.columbia.mo.us/community/about.asp?Maps |archive-date = February 9, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/ozar/hrs3.htm | title=Early Settlement Rural...Ozark Frontier | work=National Park Service | access-date=January 11, 2008}}</ref>

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|67.45|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|67.17|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.28|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=July 8, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 |df=mdy }}</ref>

===Topography===
The city generally slopes from the highest point in the Northeast to the lowest point in the Southwest towards the Missouri River. Prominent tributaries of the river are Perche Creek, Hinkson Creek, and Flat Branch Creek. Along these and other creeks in the area can be found large valleys, cliffs, and cave systems such as that in [[Rock Bridge State Park]] just south of the city. These creeks are largely responsible for numerous stream valleys giving Columbia hilly terrain similar to the Ozarks while also having prairie flatland typical of northern Missouri.<ref>{{cite book|first=A.G.|last=Unklesbay|publisher=Missouri Geological Survey|year=1952|title=Geology of Boone County, Missouri}}</ref> Columbia also operates several greenbelts with trails and parks throughout town.

===Animal life===
Large mammals found in the city include urbanized coyotes,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/coyote/ | title=Coyote | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232433/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/coyote/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref> [[red fox]]es, and numerous [[whitetail deer]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer2/ | title=Whitetale deer | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232140/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer2/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref> [[Eastern gray squirrel]], and other rodents are abundant, as well as cottontail rabbits and the nocturnal opossum and raccoon.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/squirrel/ | title=Eastern Gray Squirrel | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928232328/http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/squirrel/ |archive-date = September 28, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=394 | title=Mammals (In Missouri) | work=Missouri Department of Conservation | access-date=January 11, 2008 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203234523/http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/MDCLibrary/MDCLibrary2.aspx?NodeID=394 | archive-date=February 3, 2008 | df=mdy-all }}</ref> Large bird species are abundant in parks and include the Canada goose, mallard duck, as well as shorebirds, including the great egret and great blue heron. Turkeys are also common in wooded areas and can occasionally be seen on the MKT recreation trail. Populations of bald eagles are found by the Missouri River. The city is on the [[Mississippi Flyway]], used by migrating birds, and has a large variety of small bird species, common to the eastern U.S. The Eurasian tree sparrow, an introduced species, is limited in North America to the counties surrounding St. Louis. Columbia has large areas of forested and open land and many of these areas are home to wildlife. 

The [[Devil's Icebox (cave)|Devil's Icebox Cave]] in Columbia's Rock Bridge State Park is the only natural home of the planarian ''[[Kenkia glandulosa]],'' an eyeless and de-pigmented flatworm.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-02-19 |title=Turbellarians (Planarians; Free-Living Flatworms) |url=https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/turbellarians-planarians-free-living-flatworms |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Missouri Department of Conservation |language=en}}</ref> The cave is also home to species of [[Salamander|salamanders]], frogs, ''[[List of troglobites|troglobites]]'', [[millipede]], spiders, bats, and [[springtail]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pycior |first=Danielle |date=2019-12-23 |title=Explore the science behind local landmarks from Devil's Icebox to the Pinnacles |url=https://www.voxmagazine.com/magazine/explore-the-four-natural-wonders-of-columbia/article_57f4362c-1d11-11ea-95b4-b7632dccf81d.html |access-date=2025-04-28 |website=Vox Magazine |language=en}}</ref>

===Climate===
Columbia has a [[humid continental]] climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa)'' marked by sharp seasonal contrasts in temperature, and is in [[Hardiness zone|USDA Plant Hardiness Zone]] 6a.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#|title= USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map|year= 2012|website= planthardiness.ars.usda.gov|publisher= Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University|access-date= 2014-05-30|url-status= dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/|archive-date= February 27, 2014|df= mdy-all}}</ref> The monthly daily average temperature ranges from {{convert|31.0|°F|1}} in January to {{convert|78.5|°F|1}} in July, while the high reaches or exceeds {{convert|90|°F|0}} on an average of 35 days per year, {{convert|100|°F|0}} on two days, while two nights of sub-{{convert|0|°F|0}} lows can be expected.<ref name = "NOWData NWS St. Louis, MO (LSX) COUthr"/> Precipitation tends to be greatest and most frequent in the latter half of spring, when severe weather is also most common. Snow averages {{convert|16.5|in|cm}} per season, mostly from December to March, with occasional November accumulation and falls in April being rarer; historically seasonal snow accumulation has ranged from {{convert|3.4|in|cm|abbr=on}} in 2005–06 to {{convert|54.9|in|cm|abbr=on}} in 1977–78.<ref name = "NOWData NWS St. Louis, MO (LSX) COUthr"/> Extreme temperatures have ranged from {{convert|−26|°F|0}} on [[Great Blizzard of 1899|February 12, 1899]] to {{convert|113|°F|0}} on July 12 and 14, 1954. Readings of {{convert|−10|°F|0}} or {{convert|105|°F|0}} are uncommon, the last occurrences being January 7, 2014 and July 31, 2012.<ref name = "NOWData NWS St. Louis, MO (LSX) COUthr"/>
{{Columbia, Missouri weatherbox}}