The Urban Service Area defines areas outside the City of Columbia that reasonably could be provided with City services.
Some of these services, such as water and sewer, may already be available beyond the City limits but are subject to out-of-city rates. Other services are only available to properties within the City of Columbia.
While all properties adjacent to the City limits are eligible for annexation, the location and staffing of existing or proposed City services, such as police stations, fire stations, and solid waste routes, means that the City can more readily serve some adjacent areas than others.