Editing Columbia, Maryland (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:Columbia-Villages.svg|thumb|Map of the villages in Columbia]]
Because Columbia is unincorporated, there is confusion over its exact boundaries. In the strictest definition, Columbia comprises only the land governed under covenants by the Columbia Association. This is a considerably smaller area than the census-designated place (CDP) as defined by the [[United States Census Bureau]]. The CDP has a total area of {{convert|83.4|km2|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|82.7|km2|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.7|km2|order=flip|1}}, or 0.80%, are water.<ref name="Census 2020" /> The CDP includes a number of older communities which do not lie within the CA's purview, including the Holiday Hills, Diamondback, and Allview subdivisions and the former town of Simpsonville, as well as some land on the east side of [[Clarksville, Maryland|Clarksville]]. These areas are not part of the "new town", and are not directly served by its amenities. Some of these areas are included in Columbia ZIP codes by the post office, and some are not.

Columbia is located in central Maryland, {{convert|20|mi}} southwest of [[Baltimore]], {{convert|25|mi}} northeast of [[Washington, D.C.]], and {{convert|30|mi}} northwest of [[Annapolis, Maryland|Annapolis]]. The community lies in the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region of Maryland, with its eastern edge at the [[Atlantic Seaboard fall line|fall line]]. The climate tends to hot, humid summers and cool to cold and wet winters. There are occasional large amounts of snowfall that happen every year.

The primary landforms in Columbia are rolling hills and stream valleys; Columbia's road network is laid out to follow the terrain, with many winding streets and [[cul-de-sac]]s. Elevations range from about {{convert|200|to|500|ft}} above sea level. Most of Columbia is drained by the [[Middle Patuxent River|Middle Patuxent]] and [[Little Patuxent River|Little Patuxent]] rivers. There are three artificial lakes, created by damming of tributary streams during community construction. In 1965, the Rouse Company leased {{convert|7000|acre}} of farmland staged for development, and earmarked {{convert|4000|acre}} of oak forest for timber harvesting. The company developed a sapling planter to replant sections of cleared land that would use Columbia's [[W. R. Grace and Company|W.R. Grace]]-developed fertilizers.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=The Howard County Times |date=March 31, 1965 |title=HRD Howards Biggest Farmer}}</ref> An outer ring of greenspace was abandoned early in the project because the combination with the already required river buffers would have reduced profitable land available for building.<ref name="New City"/>{{rp|76}} Along with [[Symphony Woods]], many other stands of mature trees have been temporarily maintained in Columbia, including the large [[Middle Patuxent Environmental Area]] in the western part of the community between Harper's Choice and River Hill villages, protecting much of the river valley from development.

=== Climate ===
Columbia has a [[humid subtropical climate]], with cool winters and hot, muggy summers.

{{Weather box
| location = Columbia, MD
| single line = Y
| Jan high F = 42
| Feb high F = 46
| Mar high F = 55
| Apr high F = 66
| May high F = 75
| Jun high F = 84
| Jul high F = 88
| Aug high F = 87
| Sep high F = 79
| Oct high F = 68
| Nov high F = 58
| Dec high F = 46
| Jan low F = 25
| Feb low F = 27
| Mar low F = 35
| Apr low F = 44
| May low F = 55
| Jun low F = 64
| Jul low F = 69
| Aug low F = 68
| Sep low F = 60
| Oct low F = 48
| Nov low F = 38
| Dec low F = 29
| Jan precipitation inch = 3.16
| Feb precipitation inch = 3.14
| Mar precipitation inch = 4.10
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.81
| May precipitation inch = 4.56
| Jun precipitation inch = 4.23
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.05
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.43
| Sep precipitation inch = 4.60
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.98
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.21
| Dec precipitation inch = 3.77
| source 1 = [[weather.com]]<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/21044
| title = Monthly Averages for Columbia, MD (21044)
| publisher = Weather.com
| access-date = March 19, 2012
| archive-date = August 12, 2014
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140812184121/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/21044
| url-status = live
}}</ref>
| date = March 2012
}}