Columbia County is a county in Pennsylvania, United States, along Interstate 80 in the north-central part of the state. It had a population of 64,727 at the 2020 census and covers 490 square miles (1,300 km2), of which 483 square miles (1,250 km2) are land, centred near 41°03′N 76°24′W.
Bloomsburg is the county seat and its postal code is 17815. The county has one town, 8 boroughs, more than 20 unincorporated census-designated places, and 24 townships. It sits in the Eastern time zone and forms the core of the Bloomsburg–Berwick, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Towns & Villages in Columbia County
Columbia County has one independent town (Bloomsburg), 8 boroughs, and dozens of smaller unincorporated communities scattered across its 24 townships. “CDP” below marks a Census Bureau-defined place with no municipal government of its own; “Unincorp.” marks a named crossroads or hamlet inside a township with no separate population count on record.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomsburg | Town · seat | — | 14,855 | 17815 |
| Berwick | Borough | — | 10,477 | 18603 |
| Catawissa | Borough | — | 1,552 | 17820 |
| Benton | Borough | — | 824 | 17814 |
| Millville | Borough | — | 948 | 17846 |
| Briar Creek | Borough | — | 660 | — |
| Orangeville | Borough | — | 508 | 17859 |
| Stillwater | Borough | — | 209 | 17878 |
| Centralia | Borough | Conyngham | 10 | — |
| Mifflinville | CDP | Mifflin | 1,253 | 18631 |
| Espy | CDP | Scott | 1,642 | — |
| Lightstreet | CDP | Scott | 1,093 | — |
| Almedia | CDP | Scott | 1,078 | — |
| Lime Ridge | CDP | — | 890 | — |
| Fernville | CDP | — | 556 | — |
| Numidia | CDP | Locust | 244 | 17858 |
| Foundryville | CDP | — | 256 | — |
| Buckhorn | CDP | — | 318 | — |
| Aristes | CDP | — | 311 | 17920 |
| Jerseytown | CDP | — | 184 | — |
| Rupert | CDP | — | 183 | — |
| Locustdale | CDP | — | 177 | — |
| Rohrsburg | CDP | — | 145 | — |
| Iola | CDP | — | 144 | — |
| Jamison City | CDP | — | 134 | — |
| Mainville | CDP | — | 132 | — |
| Slabtown | CDP | — | 156 | — |
| Wilburton Number One | CDP | — | 196 | 17888 |
| Wilburton Number Two | CDP | — | 96 | 17888 |
| Eyers Grove | CDP | — | 105 | — |
| Jonestown | CDP | — | 64 | — |
| Waller | CDP | — | 48 | — |
| Central | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Elk Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mifflin Cross Roads | Unincorp. | Mifflin | — | — |
| Wilburton | Unincorp. | — | — | 17888 |
| Asbury | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Beaver Valley | Unincorp. | Beaver | — | — |
| Bendertown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Berwick Heights | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Breezy Acres | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Byrnsville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Coles Creek | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Coles Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dennis Mills | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Derrs | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Derry | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Divide | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Dogtown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| East Bloomsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| East Millville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Evansville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fisherdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Five Points | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fowlersville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Germantown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Grassmere Park | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Greenwood | Unincorp. | Greenwood | — | — |
| Grovania | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Hetlerville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Honeytown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Kulp | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Laubach | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Maple Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Martzville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| McCauley | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mill Grove | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Millertown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Monticello | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mordansville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Newlin | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Paper Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Parrs Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pealertown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pensyls Mill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pine Summit | Unincorp. | Pine | — | — |
| Polkville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Queen City | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sereno | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Shumans | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sky View Acres | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Summer Hill | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Talmer | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Tri Mills | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Waterville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Welliversville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Willow Springs | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Zaner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Bloomsburg is a legally independent “town” rather than a borough — one of only two municipalities in Pennsylvania to hold that status. Espy, Lightstreet, and Almedia are contiguous CDPs immediately east of Bloomsburg along Pennsylvania Route 42, part of the same built-up corridor. Centralia is the site of an underground coal-seam fire that has burned since 1962; its population fell from over 1,000 to a handful of residents and the borough’s ZIP code was formally retired.
Townships
The 24 townships listed below hold the county’s remaining rural population outside the boroughs and CDPs; precise 2020 township-level counts were not verified for this page and are marked accordingly.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Scott | — | Espy, Lightstreet, Almedia |
| Mifflin | — | Mifflinville, Mifflin Cross Roads |
| Conyngham | — | Centralia |
| Beaver | — | Beaver Valley |
| Locust | — | Numidia |
| Greenwood | — | Greenwood |
| Pine | — | Pine Summit |
| Benton | — | surrounds Benton borough |
| Briar Creek | — | surrounds Briar Creek borough |
| Catawissa | — | surrounds Catawissa borough |
| Bloom | — | surrounds Bloomsburg |
| Cleveland | — | — |
| Fishing Creek | — | — |
| Franklin | — | — |
| Hemlock | — | — |
| Jackson | — | — |
| Madison | — | — |
| Main | — | — |
| Montour | — | — |
| Mount Pleasant | — | — |
| North Centre | — | — |
| Orange | — | Orangeville |
| Roaring Creek | — | — |
| South Centre | — | — |
| Sugarloaf | — | Stillwater |
ZIP Codes
- 17815 — Bloomsburg (also serves Espy, Lightstreet, Almedia)
- 18603 — Berwick
- 17820 — Catawissa
- 17814 — Benton
- 17846 — Millville
- 17859 — Orangeville
- 17878 — Stillwater
- 17888 — Wilburton (also serves Wilburton Number One and Wilburton Number Two)
- 18631 — Mifflinville
- 17920 — Aristes
- 17858 — Numidia
Most of the county’s smaller CDPs and unincorporated hamlets share a ZIP with their nearest post-office town rather than carrying their own code.
Geography
Columbia County sits in the ridge-and-valley section of north-central Pennsylvania, straddling the Susquehanna River, which cuts through the county’s western side past Bloomsburg and Catawissa. Fishing Creek and Catawissa Creek are the county’s other principal waterways, both feeding into the Susquehanna. The terrain rises into the eastern half of the county toward the Nescopeck and Catawissa mountain ridges, giving the eastern townships a more forested, hillier character than the farmland along the river valley.
Columbia County borders Sullivan County to the north, Luzerne County to the east, Schuylkill County to the southeast, Northumberland County to the southwest, Montour County to the west, and Lycoming County to the northwest.
Demographics
Columbia County had a population of 64,727 at the 2020 census, a density of roughly 134 people per square mile across its 483 square miles of land. Bloomsburg and Berwick are the two largest communities, historically the county’s population centers along the Susquehanna and North Branch corridor. Median household income in the county runs below the Pennsylvania median of $73,824, reflecting a mostly rural, small-manufacturing and agricultural economic base outside the Bloomsburg–Berwick urban corridor.
Economy & Local Life
Bloomsburg is home to the Bloomsburg campus of Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (formed in 2022 from the merger of Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield universities), a major local employer alongside Geisinger’s Bloomsburg hospital campus and the Columbia Mall retail corridor. Berwick’s economy has historically centered on manufacturing, including the former American Car and Foundry and Berwick Industrial Park sites. Farming, particularly dairy and field crops, remains the dominant land use in the county’s rural townships. The Bloomsburg Fair, held every September, is one of Pennsylvania’s largest county fairs and draws visitors from across the region.
History
Columbia County was organized on March 22, 1813, from part of Northumberland County. It was named Columbia as a nod to both the United States and Christopher Columbus. Its best-known modern chapter is Centralia, the borough in Conyngham Township evacuated after an underground anthracite coal-seam fire ignited in 1962 and has burned ever since; most of the town’s residents relocated under a federal buyout program in the 1980s and 1990s, and its ZIP code was later retired.
Getting There
Interstate 80 crosses the county east–west, with U.S. Route 11 and Pennsylvania Routes 42 and 487 serving the Bloomsburg–Berwick corridor and connecting to the smaller boroughs.
- Wilkes-Barre — about 30 miles northeast
- Williamsport — about 35 miles northwest
- Harrisburg — about 70 miles south
- Scranton — about 50 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, roughly 40 miles to the northeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Columbia County, Pennsylvania?
It is in north-central Pennsylvania, along Interstate 80, centred near Bloomsburg on the Susquehanna River.
What is the population of Columbia County?
64,727 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Columbia County?
490 square miles (1,300 km2) total, including 483 square miles of land.
What is the county seat of Columbia County?
Bloomsburg is the county seat and the only municipality in the county with independent “town” status.
How many towns and villages are in Columbia County?
One town, 8 boroughs, more than 20 census-designated places, and dozens of smaller unincorporated hamlets spread across 24 townships.
What ZIP codes are in Columbia County?
Eleven, anchored by 17815 (Bloomsburg) and 18603 (Berwick); see the ZIP Codes table above for the full list.
What happened to Centralia?
An underground coal-seam fire that began in 1962 forced most residents out over the following decades; only a handful of people still live there and its ZIP code has been retired.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Pennsylvania.