690
Residents (2020 census)
5.09 sq mi
Town area, all land
April 1906
Incorporated
36319
ZIP · Area code 334
Columbia Weather
National Weather ServiceLoading the latest forecast…
What's Happening
Town notices and the next community events
Town News · Oct 20, 2026
Welcome to the new Town of Columbia website (preview)
This preview shows the design the town is considering: look up and pay a water bill, report a problem, sign up for town alerts, and find town records — all in English and Spanish. Nothing submitted here is saved yet.
Coming up · Nov 7 · 9:00 AM
Community Fall Cleanup Day (Demo)
Town Hall, 203 S Washington St
About Our Town
Columbia sits in eastern Houston County, on the Chattahoochee River at the Georgia line. Founded in 1820, it is the oldest settlement in Houston County.
In the 1800s Columbia — “Old Columbia” — was a major steamboat port and the largest town in the area. It served as the Henry County seat from 1826 to 1833, before the seat moved to Abbeville.
Town government is a mayor–council form. Mayor Rhonda Freeman and the Town Council serve residents from Town Hall at 203 South Washington Street.
Photos Around Town
Real photos of Columbia from Wikimedia Commons — the Old Columbia Jail, the Purcell-Killingsworth House, the library, the post office and First Baptist Church — plus labeled slots waiting for the town's own new photos.
Photo coming soon — Chattahoochee River
Drop-in photo slot — a new photo of Columbia will fill this frame.
Town Government
Mayor–council government · Town Hall, 203 S Washington St, Columbia, AL 36319
Photo coming soon — Town Hall
Drop-in photo slot — a new photo of Columbia will fill this frame.
Mayor
Rhonda Freeman
Mayor of the Town of Columbia.
Town Council
Council roster as reported by the Houston County Chronicle in its 2026 council coverage.
Meetings
The Town Council's meeting schedule will be confirmed with the Town Clerk — call Town Hall at (334) 696-4417 for the next meeting date. Meetings are open to the public.
Watch the Events calendar — meeting dates and town events appear there once approved.
Town Hall Hours
- Monday – ThursdayCall to confirm
- FridayCall to confirm
- Saturday – SundayClosed
Hours as listed in public directories — call ahead around holidays to confirm.
History of Columbia
From steamboat port to small river town
Columbia began in 1820 as a landing on the Chattahoochee River — the oldest settlement in what is now Houston County. Riverboats made it a trading center, and for much of the 1800s “Old Columbia” was the largest town in the area, shipping cotton and goods downriver toward the Gulf.
Columbia was the seat of Henry County from 1826 to 1833, and a branch of the Henry County Courthouse sat here from 1889 to 1903. The town incorporated on April 29, 1880, opened its first cotton textile mill in 1891 and its first electric plant in 1892, and lit electric street lights in 1900. When Houston County was created in 1903, Columbia became part of the new county.
Preserved in Columbia
The Old Columbia Jail still stands as a museum, cared for with help from the Columbia Women's Club and the Bicentennial Committee, and the Columbia Historical Society, established in 2001, keeps the town's records and story.
Have an older photo of Columbia?
If your family has pictures of old Columbia — the steamboat days, the mill, school classes, Washington Street in any decade — Town Hall would love a copy for the town's collection.
Sources: Encyclopedia of Alabama (Columbia article) and Wikipedia's Columbia entry. Linked in the footer.
Historia de Columbia
De puerto de barcos de vapor a pueblo ribereño
Water Department
Columbia Water Department · Town of Columbia
Photo coming soon — Water Tower
Drop-in photo slot — a new photo of Columbia will fill this frame.
New — pay online
Pay Your Water Bill Online
New in this preview: look up your water bill right here and see exactly how online payment will work when the town launches — account lookup, the convenience fee shown up front, and a secure checkout. This preview never collects card or bank numbers, and no payment is processed.
- Find your account number on your paper water statement.
- Look up your amount due below (or read it right off your statement).
- When the town launches, you'll pay securely by bank account or card — the convenience fee ($2.95 bank, $4.95 card up to $100, 3.5% over $100) is always shown before checkout. In this preview, the Pay button only shows the preview notice.
- Keep your confirmation — that's your receipt.
Look Up Your Bill
Enter the account number and account holder's last name exactly as they appear on your statement. Demo bill in this preview: account 1001, last name Resident.
Already know your balance? When the live site launches, you'll pay it right here.
Past due or disconnected? Call the water office first at (334) 696-4417 before paying online, so your payment is applied correctly and any reconnection steps are clear.
Water Works Office
(334) 696-4417
Mailing: P.O. Box 339, Columbia, AL 36319
In person: Town Hall, 203 S Washington St
Office Hours
- Mon – ThuCall to confirm
- FridayCall to confirm
Water service is provided by the Columbia Water Department (system AL0000676) — call Town Hall at (334) 696-4417 for water questions.
Common Requests
Before this site's official launch
Water rates, standard due dates, deposit amounts, and late fees are set by town ordinance and weren't published in the public sources used to build this page, so none are stated here — each bill's amount and due date above are entered by town staff from the actual statement. The water office can confirm current amounts.
More Online Payments
Pay other town fees online — permits, licenses, deposits and more. This section is separate from water bill pay. Only pay an amount Town Hall has quoted you, and use the reference shown so your payment is credited correctly.
The Town receives the full amount; the convenience fee is $2.95 by bank account, $4.95 by card on payments up to $100, and 3.5% on larger payments.
Events Calendar
Approved community events, the standing council meeting, and a place to add your own
The Town Council meeting (2nd Monday, 7:00 PM, Town Hall) is shown every month automatically. Other events appear once approved.
Upcoming Events
Community Fall Cleanup Day (Demo)
Sat, November 7, 2026 · 9:00 AM · Town Hall, 6 E Main St
Demo event so the calendar can be clicked through — neighbors meet at Town Hall with gloves and bags; the town provides trailers.
Hosted by Town of Columbia (demo)
Add an Event
Anyone can submit. Events are held for review and appear on the calendar once approved, so please submit a few days ahead.
Report a Problem
Tell Town Hall about a leak, pothole, streetlight, missed pickup or other town issue. You'll get a tracking code — keep it to check the status. For emergencies, always call 911.
Check a report's status
Try the demo: code COL-DEMO01, contact demo@example.com
Forms Center
Fill out town forms online. Submissions go straight to Town Hall, and you'll get a reference code for each one.
Town Records & Documents
Council agendas and minutes, ordinances, budgets, water quality reports and other public documents.
No documents posted yet.
Local Directory
Town offices, schools, emergency services and more — search or filter by category.
Town Alerts — Text & Email
Sign up for the alerts you want. Message/data rates may apply for texts. You can unsubscribe any time.
Unsubscribe
Explore Columbia
The main things in town, pinned — tap a place for directions
Around Town in Pictures
Photo coming soon — Town Hall
Drop-in photo slot — a new photo of Columbia will fill this frame.
Photo coming soon — Churches
Drop-in photo slot — a new photo of Columbia will fill this frame.
Contact the Town
Who to call, where to go
Emergency? Call 911
For fire, medical, or police emergencies in Columbia and Houston County, always dial 911 first.
Town Hall — Main Number
(334) 696-4417203 S Washington St, Columbia, AL 36319
Call Town Hall for current hours
Town Hall's phone number is (334) 696-4417 — call to confirm hours and services before you come by.
Quick Directory
- Town Hall
203 S Washington St, Columbia, AL 36319 - Water Works (mail)
P.O. Box 339, Columbia, AL 36319 - U.S. Post Office
Columbia, AL 36319 - Old Columbia Jail & Museum
Columbia, AL 36319 - Columbia School
Columbia, AL 36319
Columbia Historical Society: columbiahistoricalsocietyofalabama.org.
Common Questions
My Account
A frozen preview snapshot of the demo resident's dashboard — read-only.
Welcome, Demo Resident
demo@example.com · Linked water account: 1001
My water bills
Demo Resident
Account 1001 · Demo address on file · Due Nov 15, 2026
$75.00
Unpaid
Fee-exact totals if you pay online: bank account $77.95 · card $79.95
My reports
COL-DEMO01 · Streetlight out · In progress
Sample request: streetlight flickering at night.
Town Hall note: Crew scheduled to check the fixture this week. (Demo note)
My forms
Nothing here yet in the demo snapshot.
My other payments
Nothing here yet in the demo snapshot.
My alerts
Demo subscription: General town news, Council meetings.