Columbia is uniquely located approximately halfway between New York and Miami within
24-hour ground access to more than 70 percent of the U.S. market. (Click here for maps) We rank among the top five cities in the nation in the number of interstate highways intersecting within the region. The 64,000 miles of roadway that stretch across South Carolina are completely toll-free.
Air Transportation
United Parcel Service recently selected Columbia as the site for its southeastern regional air cargo hub, thus ensuring low costs and timely deliveries for companies locating near Columbia. In addition, Columbia is served by several major airlines. The Columbia Metropolitan Airport lies six miles west of Columbia's Central Business District. For more detailed information on the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) please click here.
Overland and Sea Transportation
Columbia is approximately 110 miles via Interstate 26 from Charleston's deepwater port , the second busiest container port on the East Coast. Shipping lines calling on the Port of Charleston sail to almost every international market. Charleston is served by more than 130 truck lines, most with routes through Columbia on I-26. Norfolk-Southern and CSX, which both serve Columbia, are the sole rail service providers to the port.
Interstates in and around the City of Columbia
I-20 East/West
I-20 runs 1508 miles from Florence, SC (80 miles west of Columbia) on the eastern end, to Kent, TX on the Western End. There are several major cities along this route including Fort Worth, TX (1029 miles); Dallas, TX (994 miles); Shreveport, LA (809 miles); Jackson, MS (594 miles); Birmingham, AL (359 miles); and Atlanta, GA (214 miles).
I-26 North/South
I-26 runs 261 miles from Asheville, NC in the north, to Charleston, SC to the South. I-26 intersects I-20 and I-77 in Columbia, I-85 in Spartanburg, SC (93 miles from Columbia), and I-95 near Harleyville, SC (70 miles).
I-77 North/South
I-77 runs 611 miles from Columbia in the South to Cleveland, OH to the north. The major cities along this route include Charlotte, NC (93 miles from Columbia); Charleston, WV (355 miles); and Akron, OH (569 miles).
Interstates within 100 miles of Columbia
I-85 North/South (93 miles to I-85 North via I-77; 93 miles to I-85 South via I-26)
I-85 runs 664 miles from Montgomery, AL to Peterburg, VA. Along I-85 are Charlotte, NC (93 miles from Columbia); Atlanta, GA (330 miles from Columbia via I-85); Greensboro, NC (183 miles); and Durham, NC (234 miles).
I-95 North/South (80 miles to I-95 North via I-20; 70 miles to I-95 South via I-26)
I-95 runs 1907 miles from Miami, FL (632 miles from Columbia) in the south, to Bangor, Maine (at the Canadian Border) to the north. This interstate crosses through every major city along the Eastern Seaboard including Jacksonville, FL (288 miles from Columbia); Savannah, GA (156 miles); Richmond, VA (372 miles); Washington, DC (482 miles); Philadelphia, PA (626 miles); New York, NY (716 miles); Boston, MA (930 miles); and Portland, ME (1036 miles).
