Columbia, MO Metro Area
The Columbia, MO metro area is made up of 3 counties in Missouri: Boone, Cooper, and Howard, largest first. About 219,062 people lived there on July 1, 2025 (Census estimate), 3.9% more than in April 2020.
- Population, July 2025
- 219,062 3.9% more than in April 2020
- Type
- Metropolitan statistical area
- Counties
- 3: 1 central, 2 outlying
- Land area
- 1,714 sq mi (4,440 km²)
- Time zone
- Central TimeUTC-06:00 in January; UTC-05:00 in July
- State
- Missouri
- Combined statistical area
- Columbia-Jefferson City-Moberly, MO
- CBSA code
- 17860
Counties in the Columbia, MO metro area, largest first
| County | Role | Population, July 2025 | Share of the area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County | Central | 191,746 | 87.5% |
| Cooper County | Outlying | 17,136 | 7.8% |
| Howard County | Outlying | 10,180 | 4.6% |
A central county holds the area’s core, an urban area of at least 50,000 people. An outlying county is in the area because of commuting: at least a quarter of its workers have jobs in the central county, or at least a quarter of the people working there live in them. A county belongs to one metro or micro area at most, and it counts whole, countryside included.
Principal city
- Columbia128,548 people
OMB names the area after its largest principal cities. A principal city is the area’s largest city, plus any other city that is very large or a big job center, and smaller ones with at least as many jobs as working residents (2020 Census and commuting figures). People counts are American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates.
Part of the Columbia-Jefferson City-Moberly, MO combined statistical area
OMB joins neighboring metro and micro areas into a combined statistical area when enough people commute between them. The other 3 areas in this one, largest first:
- Jefferson City, MO Metro Area152,712 people
- Mexico, MO Micro Area24,528 people
- Moberly, MO Micro Area24,513 people
Bordering metro and micro areas, nearest first
Areas with a county on this area’s edge. Distances are straight lines between the areas’ largest cities.
- Jefferson City, MO Metro Area27 mi south
- Mexico, MO Micro Area29 mi northeast
- Moberly, MO Micro Area33 mi north
- Marshall, MO Micro Area48 mi west
- Sedalia, MO Micro Area52 mi west
Before using this answer on a form
A metro or micro area is a statistical area that OMB draws for federal statistics. It is not a city, a local government or a mailing address, and it is not a measure of urban and rural: whole counties count, rural parts included. Programs that use metro areas, such as housing income limits or wage rates, can use their own version of these lists; check the program’s own list for an address.
Find the metro area where you are now, find your county, or see every metro and micro area by population.