Columbia, Pennsylvania

Columbia, Pennsylvania
Columbia–Wrightsville Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna River
Flag of Columbia, Pennsylvania
Official logo of Columbia, Pennsylvania
Location of Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Location of Columbia in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Columbia is located in Pennsylvania
Columbia
Columbia
Location in Pennsylvania
Columbia is located in the United States
Columbia
Columbia
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 40°01′59″N 76°29′48″W / 40.03306°N 76.49667°W / 40.03306; -76.49667
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountyLancaster
Area
 • Total2.42 sq mi (6.27 km2)
 • Land2.41 sq mi (6.25 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
361 ft (110 m)
Population
 • Total10,207
 • Density4,228.25/sq mi (1,632.61/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
17512
Area code(s)717 and 223
Websitewww.columbiapa.net

Columbia, formerly Wright's Ferry, is a borough (town) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 10,222.[3] It is 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Harrisburg, on the east (left) bank of the Susquehanna River, across from Wrightsville and York County and just south of U.S. Route 30.

The settlement was founded in 1726 by Colonial English Quakers from Chester County, led by entrepreneur and evangelist John Wright. Establishment of the eponymous Wright's Ferry, the first commercial Susquehanna crossing in the region, inflamed territorial conflict with neighboring Maryland but brought growth and prosperity to the small town, which was just a few votes shy of becoming the new United States' capital.

Though besieged for a short while by Civil War destruction, Columbia remained a lively center of transport and industry throughout the 19th century, and was once the terminus of the Pennsylvania Canal. Later, however, the Great Depression and 20th-century changes in economy and technology sent the borough into economic decline. It is notable today as the site of one of the world's few museums devoted entirely to horology.

  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021". Census.gov. US Census Bureau. Retrieved July 9, 2022.