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Summary for Columbia

About Columbia (Click for our profile page)

Located in: Lancaster County (see below)

Time Zone: Columbia lies in the Eastern Time Zone (EST/EDT)

Telephone Area Codes: 717 & 223<1>

ZIP Code: 17512<2>

Elevation: 360 feet [109.73 m] above sea level<3>

From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Columbia)

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:<4>	10,350 (0.48% decrease since 2010)
2010:	10,400 (0.86% increase since 2000)
2000:	10,311

Total Area:<5> 2.42 sq. miles [6.3 km²]

Housing Units:<6> 4,672

GPS Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude)<7>

For the purpose of mapping and calculating distances, we have chosen the following reference point for Columbia:

Lat: 40.034800° (or 40°2'5" N)

Lon: -76.495200° (or -76°29'42" W)

USGS Topo Map: Columbia East<8>

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Columbia

GNIS ID: 1215334

FIPS State / Place Code: 42 / 15384

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Columbia)

About Lancaster County

The community of Lancaster is the County Seat for {Lancaster County}.

From the 2010 US Census (For more detail, see our Census Page for Lancaster)

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:	545,724 (4.88% increase since 2010)
2010	520,319 (10.55% increase since 2000)
2000:	470,658

Total Area: 983 sq. miles [2,548 km²] - of which 4.07% is water (39.99 sq. miles [103.6 km²])

Housing Units: 202,952

Official Website: https://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Lancaster

GNIS ID: 1209181

FIPS State / County Code: 42 / 071

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Columbia)

About Pennsylvania

From the US Census

Population

Year	Population
2019 Est:	12,798,883 (0.76% increase since 2010)
2010:	12,702,379 (3.43% increase since 2000)
2000:	12,281,054

Websites for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Official Website: https://www.pa.gov/

Tourism: https://visitpa.com/

Parks: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr

Fishing: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/fishandboat

Hunting: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc

Federal GNIS/FIPS Codes for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

GNIS ID: 1779798

FIPS State: 42

(For more about Federal Codes, see our Misc Page for Columbia)

Footnotes ...

<1>	When there's a risk of an area code running out of phone numbers, an 'Overlay Area Code' is created that has the same geographic boundaries as the existing area code. In this case, the 717 code has been Overlayed with the 223 area code. New phone numbers in the Columbia area will be assigned with one of these codes: 717 or 223. As a result, placing a call in the Columbia area will require 10-digit dialing (where you enter both the area code and then the phone number).
<2>	ZIP Codes have been created by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a way of grouping addresses to make delivery more efficient. The boundaries of the ZIP Code can be changed, re-assigned, eliminated or overlapped with other ZIP Codes. So keep in mind that any given ZIP Code is only 'loosely' associated with a community (such as Columbia). When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Columbia or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS).
<3>	The elevation is an estimate for the area around Columbia - it will be higher in some places and lower in others.
<4>	Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019.
<5>	The area value has been supplied by the US Census Bureau and it can be different than the geographic boundaries of Columbia. The value given by the Census Bureau reflects their statistical (or sampling) requirements. For example, if there is a cluster of people living just outside of the community's official boundary, the Census-defined area might be expanded to include that group.
<6>	A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway).
<7>	Longitude & latitude values may not be the geographic center of Columbia, rather it may be a prominent intersection or the center of population, etc. It will vary depending on the source.
<8>	Name of the USGS 7.5 Minute topographic map which includes Columbia.