West Columbia, formerly Brookland, is a city and
commuter town
A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many ...
in the suburban eastern sections of
Lexington County,
South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = "Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = G ...
, United States. According to the
2010 census, the population was 14,988, and the 2019 population estimate was 17,998. West Columbia is bordered to the east by
Columbia
Columbia may refer to:
* Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America
Places North America Natural features
* Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...
, the state capital, across the
Congaree River. It is near Columbia's city center or downtown district as well as the
South Carolina State House and the
Congaree Vista, known locally as "the Vista." The city is bordered to the south by its sister suburb,
Cayce. A small portion of the city borders the town of
Lexington to the east. West Columbia is part of the greater Columbia, SC
metropolitan statistical area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally Incorporated town, incorporate ...
.
History
West Columbia was incorporated in 1894 as "Brookland", but the U.S. Postal Service called the town "New Brookland" since there was another town called Brookland. In 1936, the name was changed to "West Columbia" to emphasize its proximity to Columbia, the capital.
Numerous businesses, churches and a high school retain the Brookland and New Brookland names.
The
Gervais Street Bridge
Gervais Street Bridge is a historic bridge in South Carolina in the United States and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an arch bridge constructed from reinforced concrete. Construction began in 1926 and the bridge w ...
,
Mount Hebron Temperance Hall,
New Brookland Historic District, and
Saluda Factory Historic District are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
.
The
2008 South Carolina Learjet 60 crash occurred just before midnight on September 19, 2008, when a
Learjet 60 (
registration ) crashed while taking off from
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main commercial airport for Columbia and the Midlands region of South Carolina, United States. The airport is located in West Columbia, southwest of Columbia, in Lexington County. It is surrounded by the ...
.
[4 killed, 2 hurt as rock star's jet crashes]
as well as Today.com News Live, 8:30 AM, September 20, 2008.[Meg Kinnar]
"Experts: Pilots of doomed Learjet should've lifted off SC runway instead of trying to stop"
''NewsDay'', (Associated Press) October 22, 2008 The weather at the time was cool, dry, and clear. The plane hit runway lights and crashed through the boundary fence, crossing South Carolina Highway 302 (SC 302/Edmund Highway/Airport Boulevard), and coming to rest on an embankment by the side of the highway. No one on the ground was hurt, but four of the six people on the plane (including both
pilots) died in the crash, while the other two,
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker (born November 14, 1975) is an American musician who serves as the drummer for the rock band Blink-182. He has also performed as a frequent collaborator with hip hop artists, is a member of the rap rock group Tran ...
(the drummer of
Blink-182) and
Adam Goldstein (DJ AM of
Crazy Town), suffered severe burns. The plane was a
charter flight taken by Barker, Goldstein and their entourage following a performance by their musical group
TRV$DJAM at a free concert in
Five Points earlier that night to
Van Nuys, California
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909 ...
.
Geography
West Columbia lies to the south and west of the
Saluda and
Congaree rivers.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy
An economy is an area of th ...
, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km
2), of which 6.1 square miles (15.7 km
2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.5 km
2) (3.18%) is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
2020 United States census, there were 17,416 people, 8,315 households, and 3,764 families residing in the city.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
of 2000, there were 13,064 people, 5,968 households, and 3,300 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 2,150.6 people per square mile (831.0/km
2). There were 6,436 housing units at an average density of 1,059.5 per square mile (409.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 74.54%
White
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
, 19.81%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
, 0.28%
Native American, 1.71%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 2.04% from
other races, and 1.61% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...
or
Latino of any race were 4.66% of the population.
There were 5,968 households, out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were
married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 44.7% were non-families. 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.0% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,999, and the median income for a family was $40,253. Males had a median income of $30,033 versus $24,637 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the city was $18,135. About 12.8% of families and 16.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 11.4% of those age 65 or over. West Columbia is the home of Glenforest School.
Education
West Columbia has a
public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants.
There are ...
, a branch of the
Lexington County Public Library
The Lexington County Public Library is the public library system of Lexington County, South Carolina. It has 10 branches, including its Main Library, built in 1998. The library has branches in Batesburg-Leesville, West Columbia, Chapin, Gast ...
.
Notable people
*
Duce Staley, former professional football player and football coach
See also
*
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport is the main commercial airport for Columbia and the Midlands region of South Carolina, United States. The airport is located in West Columbia, southwest of Columbia, in Lexington County. It is surrounded by the ...
*
Lexington Medical Center
*
Riverbanks Zoo
References
External links
*
History of West ColumbiaLexington School District 2
{{Authority control
Cities in South Carolina
Cities in Lexington County, South Carolina
Columbia metropolitan area (South Carolina)