Columbia, Illinois, is a suburb of St. Louis and is partially split between two counties. Its approximately 9.5 square miles is located mainly in Monroe County, with a small portion in St. Clair. It was originally incorporated in 1859 as a small farming settlement above the Mississippi River floodplain known as the American Bottom. It had a history of occupation that is believed to date back as far as 12,000 years ago. However, it is known that when French settlers arrived close to the 18th century, they encountered Native Americans who belonged to the Illinois tribe, descendants of people who had long inhabited the region. The British also settled the area in the mid-18th century, and Americans moved here after the Revolutionary War. Monroe County was established in 1816, and the Illinois Territory became a state two years later. The community that came be called Columbia was mapped out on the high ground in 1820 and built a post office in 1822.
Columbia is a close-knit community of fewer than 10,000 people where most people seem to know everyone else. Residents enjoy the many classes and events offered by the local library, such as Story Hour, Babygarten, Tot Time, Chess Class, and more. The city sponsors events such as Halloween Trick or Treating, a Scarecrow-Crawl, Christmas Socials, and more when holidays come around. There is plenty of opportunities for locals to spend time outside as well, as there are no less than eight parks in the city. A few of these are Admiral Trost Park, Bolm Schuhkraft Park, and GM&O Park. Whichever you choose, they have many amenities to enjoy, including walking trails, horseshoe pits, playgrounds, and sports fields.
One of the more fun programs that the city back is the Pop-Up Shop. The city offers entrepreneurs low cost and short term licenses to set up their shops on high traffic, vacant city property. Business owners can test the market with new products for as long as a month or as little as 5 days. Take a step back in gamer time at Back To The 80s Retro Arcade. Rated as the #1 fun time in Columbia, grab a stack of quarters and see if you still have the touch on Pacman, Galaga, Donkey Kong, and over fifty other games.
Columbia is an excellent place to raise a family and has even been ranked in the Niche.com Top 10 Suburbs to Buy a House in Illinois. Many young professionals who live in Columbia either work in the city or commute using one of the four major highways nearby, including Illinois Route 3, which runs through the city itself. The city's median income is roughly $99,000 per year, which is $35,000 more than the national average. The local public schools are also highly rated, which is important when choosing a family place. Parkview Elementary is an A-ranked elementary school and the local middle and high schools fell just shy of A-rank.
Columbia is a quaint little suburb in the corner of St. Louis that has attracted those looking for a laid-back suburban lifestyle without sacrificing proximity to a big city. Unfortunately, there are also some nuisance critters looking for the same lifestyle. If you live in Columbia, Illinois, or one of the surrounding areas, and you've got wildlife-induced headaches, it's time to
contact Veteran's Pride Wildlife Control and let us handle the problem for you.