Columbia, SC Travel Guide: Parking, Areas and Events

Destinations › Midlands › Columbia

Columbia is in Richland County, in South Carolina's Midlands, with about 144,788 residents (2024 Census estimate). Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina; the South Carolina State House is at 1100 Gervais Street, at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets.

Population144,788Census estimate, July 2024
CountyRichland CountyMidlands region
Our Guides Nearby14parks, attractions, venues within 25 mi
Things to Do15 pickshours, costs, kids, dogs

Plan It in Three Lines

Things to Do
15 picks with hours, costs and kid, dog and rain notes.
Open the list
Where to Park
City gated decks (Lady St, Lincoln St, Park St, Sumter St): 1st hour free; 2nd hour $3.00; each additional hour $1.00; daily maximum $15.00
All parking below
What's On
Dated events in and around Columbia, checked on organizer pages.
Events page

Things to Do in Columbia Columbia Events

About Columbia

Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina; the South Carolina State House is at 1100 Gervais Street, at the intersection of Gervais and Main Streets. source
Experience Columbia SC describes the city as shaped by its university and capital-city communities, with historic buildings housing new businesses, and notes views of the State House from Main Street. source
Columbia sits where the Saluda and Broad Rivers come together to form the Congaree River, and the city's parks department lists miles of riverfront parks along all three rivers. source
Soda City Market, a Saturday street market on Main Street, takes its name from 'Cola', a short form of Columbia first used by the U.S. Postal Service; the market logo is a soda cap because Columbia is the capital city. source
Congaree National Park, a federally designated wilderness area with old-growth bottomland forest, is in Hopkins, SC, in the Columbia area. source

Areas Visitors Use

The Vista (Congaree Vista) Arts and entertainment district on the Congaree River next to the State House and the University of South Carolina, with nearly a dozen galleries, the SC State Museum, EdVenture Children's Museum and the Vista Greenway. source
Five Points Historic downtown district centered where Santee Avenue, Harden and Devine Streets meet, overseen by the Five Points Association, with locally owned shops, restaurants and events. source
Main Street District Downtown blocks (1300 to 1700 on Main Street) where Soda City Market runs every Saturday; five city garages surround the market. source
Riverfront (Saluda Riverwalk, Riverfront Park, Granby Park) City riverfront parks along the Saluda, Broad and Congaree Rivers; Granby Park is the southernmost segment of the Three Rivers Greenway. source
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden area Zoo and botanical garden at 500 Wildlife Parkway, next to the Saluda Riverwalk. source

Getting There and Around

Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is at 3250 Airport Blvd, West Columbia, SC 29170, and is reached from interstates I-26, I-20, I-77 and nearby I-95. source
CAE airlines page: American Airlines serves Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York City (LGA), Philadelphia and Washington, DC (DCA); Delta serves Atlanta and New York City (LGA); United serves Chicago, Newark (EWR) and Washington, DC (IAD). source
Rental car counters are on the lower level at baggage claim; rideshare pick-up is on the lower level of baggage claim in front of the parking garage; taxi pick-up is on the lower level outside the doors left of the rental car counters. source
Airport taxi rates as published: $32 flat rate to Fort Jackson, $49 flat rate to McCrady Training Center, all other service $2.50/mile plus $2 starting on the meter. source
The COMET operates the Columbia-area bus system; the airport page says it runs 47 fixed routes and a Soda Cap Connector in downtown Columbia that serves visitors and locals. source
The COMET site lists Soda Cap Connector routes 1, 2, 3 and 'The Orbit' Route 4 (schedules effective August 2026). source
Soda City Market's site says the COMET's free Soda Cap Connector stops at the market. source
Congaree National Park says ride-share services such as Uber or Lyft may not provide pick-up service from the park and points to COMET bus service for visitors without a car. source

Visitor center: Experience Columbia SC (office listed in site footer). 1010 Lincoln Street, Columbia, SC 29201; (803) 545-0000 source

Parking in Columbia

Where	Rate	When	Notes	Source
City gated decks (Lady St, Lincoln St, Park St, Sumter St)	1st hour free; 2nd hour $3.00; each additional hour $1.00; daily maximum $15.00		Payment: cash, credit card, NFC (Apple Pay, Google Pay). Addresses: Lady St 1100 Lady St; Lincoln St 820 Washington St; Park St 1007 Park St; Sumter St 1400 Sumter St.	source
PJ Cannon deck (1227 Taylor St), Passport Parking	$1.50 per hour		Pay through the Passport Parking app; first come, first served.	source
Freed Deck (1575 Freed St) and Sabal Deck (1014 Sabal St), Passport Parking	First 2 hours free; $3.00 the third hour; $1.50 each hour after		Pay through the Passport Parking app.	source
Harden St lot (727 Harden St, Five Points)	$1.50 hourly until 4:00 pm; after 4:00 pm Monday-Wednesday $7.00 flat; Thursday-Saturday $10.00 flat		2-hour max limit parking; cash, credit card, or pay by phone; exact change if paying with bills.	source
On-street meters	2 min for $0.05; 4 min for $0.10; 10 min for $0.25		Pay with the Passport app, coins or City parking smart cards. Citywide enforcement 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday-Friday; Five Points and Bull Street district also enforced 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Saturday. The enforcement page says on-street parking is free on Saturdays and Sundays except in Five Points and the Bull Street District.	source
Soda City Market Saturdays	Free	Saturdays	Soda City's site says parking is free on Saturdays, with street parking and Main Street District garages (Lady St, Washington St, Sumter St, Taylor St, PJ Cannon).	source
Public holidays	Free	City-approved public holidays	No on-street enforcement and deck gates are raised on approved holidays, including the whole Easter weekend.	source
State House visitors			Private vehicles must use metered spaces near the State House; school buses and vans typically park along Sumter Street.	source
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden	$3 per vehicle online; $6 per vehicle at the ticket window			source
Columbia Metropolitan Airport garage	Each 1/2 hour $3.00; daily rate $17.00		Covered and uncovered, first come first served.	source
Columbia Metropolitan Airport surface lot	First 30 minutes $1.00; each additional 1/2 hour $2.00; daily rate $12.00			source
Columbia Metropolitan Airport valet	$25/day		Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.	source

Dogs

Congaree National Park allows pets on all trails, including the boardwalk, on a leash of 6 feet maximum. source
Riverbanks Zoo and Garden does not allow pets; service dogs trained for a disability are permitted. source
City parks: Granby Park is described as dog-friendly and Saluda Riverwalk as pet-friendly. source

When to Go

Soda City Market runs year-round, rain or shine. source
The SC legislature's 2026 second regular session convened January 13, 2026; State House tour hours change between session (January-May) and after session (June-December). source
Congaree National Park warns flooding can happen with little or no warning and mosquitoes can be bothersome in summer. source

Coming Up in and Near Columbia

Through May 31EdVenture Children's Museum (Columbia)On nowColumbia · about 1 mi
Through Oct 30Boo at the Zoo (Riverbanks Zoo & Garden)On nowColumbia · about 1 mi
Nov 1 – Mar 7South Carolina State Museum First SundayColumbia · about 1 mi
Nov 2David SedarisColumbia · about 1 mi
Nov 3Gamecocks men's basketball vs. Stetson (home opener)Columbia · about 1 mi
Nov 7Gamecocks football vs. Texas A&M (Homecoming)Columbia · about 1 mi

34 more on the full events calendar.

Events within 15 miles, measured in a straight line to the centre of the event's town. Dates come from our checked events list; confirm with the organizer.

Near Columbia

Around Columbia within 25 miles

1Sesquicentennial State ParkState Parkabout 3 mi
2Township Auditoriumtheatreabout 7 mi
3Segra Parkballparkabout 7 mi
4South Carolina State Fairgroundsfairgroundsabout 8 mi
5Columbia Museum of Artart museumabout 8 mi
6Williams-Brice Stadiumstadiumabout 8 mi
7Koger Center for the Artsperforming arts centerabout 8 mi
8Colonial Life Arenaarenaabout 8 mi
9South Carolina State Museumhistory, science and art museumabout 9 mi
10EdVenture Children's Museumchildren's museumabout 9 mi

Straight-line distances between map points, not driving miles. Dots sit in their true compass direction; distance is stretched near the middle so close neighbors stay readable.

Nearby Towns With Their Own Guide

Plan Your Stay

FAQ

Is parking free at Soda City Market?

Soda City's site says parking is free on Saturdays, with street parking and Main Street District garages nearby. source

How much do the downtown city garages cost?

At the gated decks on Lady, Lincoln, Park and Sumter Streets, the first hour is free, the second is $3.00, each additional hour is $1.00 and the daily maximum is $15.00. source

Does the State House charge for tours?

No, guided tours are free of charge; tours run on the half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. source

Do I need to pay to enter Congaree National Park?

No. The park says no entrance pass is required and entry is free. source

Can I bring my dog to the zoo or Congaree?

Not to Riverbanks Zoo (pets not permitted, service dogs allowed). Congaree National Park allows leashed pets on all trails, including the boardwalk. source

What is there to do on a rainy day?

The SC State Museum (indoor, closed Mondays) and State House tours are indoors; Soda City Market runs rain or shine. source

How many people live in Columbia?

About 144,788, the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimate for July 1, 2024 (Census table).

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Columbia founding or incorporation year: not found on a read official page (columbiasc.gov blocked automated fetch).
Visitor center hours: experiencecolumbiasc.com blocks automated fetch; only the 1010 Lincoln St office address and phone were read, hours not listed.
Soda City Market dog policy: not stated on sodacitysc.com text read; not included.
Congaree National Park: boardwalk length differs on NPS pages (2.4 miles on Plan Your Visit page, 2.6 miles in FAQ). Operating Hours page had no hours text.
State House hours page text carries a 2014 Saturday start date; current Tour Desk 803-734-2430 should confirm. State House parking: no garage rates found; only 'metered spaces near the State House'.
City meter rate: parking.columbiasc.gov lists meters as '2 min for $0.05' etc.; hourly equivalent not stated, so none given.
SC State Museum parking and Riverbanks rain policy: not stated on pages read.
Three Rivers Greenway total length and official page: no official single page found; only city riverfront park pages used.
Vista Greenway hours and length: not found on an official page.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Columbia, SC Travel Guide”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/midlands/columbia/ (updated 2026-10-26). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

Columbia, SC Travel Guide

Things to Do

Where to Park

What's On