Guide updated July 2026
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Columbia, TN
“The Mule Town of Middle Tennessee”
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Complete Guide to Columbia, Tennessee
Columbia is the county seat of Maury County and one of Middle Tennessee's most established historic towns, anchored by a restored downtown square ringed by Federal, Victorian, and 19th-century architecture, local shops, antique stores, and the county courthouse. Its commercial historic district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1984, and the city maintains five designated historic districts plus the James K. Polk Ancestral Home, the only surviving residence (other than the White House) of the 11th U.S. President. It sits at the southern edge of the Nashville metro, just below Spring Hill and the General Motors/Ultium Cells plant corridor, which has driven recent growth and battery-manufacturing investment in the region. The town tends to suit buyers who want more home and land for the money than they would find in Williamson County, those drawn to a walkable historic downtown and small-town pace, and remote or hybrid workers willing to trade a longer Nashville commute for lower prices. Children in Columbia are served by Maury County Public Schools, the county's pre-K–12 district. The honest tradeoff is distance: a downtown-Nashville commute is roughly 46 miles and can run close to an hour each way and longer in rush-hour traffic, so Columbia fits day-to-day-local lifestyles better than daily Nashville office commutes.
What's changing in Columbia
Updated June 2026Ultium Cells battery plant anchors Maury County's growth; The Drake reshapes downtown Columbia
The marquee development reshaping Maury County is the Ultium Cells battery-cell plant in the Maury County portion of Spring Hill — a General Motors and LG Energy Solution joint venture representing roughly $2.6 billion in committed investment, a 2.8-million-square-foot facility, and a workforce of around 1,700. In Columbia proper, The Drake — a six-story, 293-unit luxury apartment building one block off the historic downtown square — is the largest current project transforming the city center.
MARQUEE PROJECT — Ultium Cells (Spring Hill, Maury County). The single biggest development reshaping the county is the Ultium Cells LLC battery-cell manufacturing plant, a GM and LG Energy Solution joint venture. It was announced in April 2021 as a $2.3 billion investment, then expanded in December 2022 with an additional $275 million commitment — bringing committed investment to roughly $2.6 billion. The plant is a 2.8-million-square-foot facility, with workforce expected to reach roughly 1,700.
LOCATION NOTE (important for a Columbia/Maury audience). The Ultium plant sits in Spring Hill, which straddles the Maury–Williamson county line; this facility is in the Maury County portion, adjacent to GM's Spring Hill Manufacturing assembly plant. It is among the county's largest single capital investments, though it is north of Columbia proper, not in the city itself.
2026 STATUS — strategic pivot. After slowing EV demand led to a furlough of about 700 workers in January 2026, Ultium announced in March 2026 a reopening with a roughly $70 million retooling investment to produce lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries for energy-storage systems serving grid-scale and AI-data-center demand. Production under the new product line is set to start in the second quarter of 2026, with the roughly 700 furloughed employees returning.
MARQUEE DOWNTOWN-COLUMBIA PROJECT — The Drake. Within Columbia proper, the largest current project is The Drake, a six-story, 293-unit luxury apartment building with ground-floor retail on a 2.78-acre site at Woodland Street and East 7th Street, one block east of the historic public square. Developer: Franklin-based Bristol Development Group. The project broke ground in 2024 and was targeted for completion in early 2026. Reported as the downtown core's first upscale multifamily development. A specific dollar investment was not disclosed in available sourcing.
OTHER NOTABLE PROJECTS (context). Maury Regional Medical Center is undertaking a major expansion/renovation; the former Columbia Mall area is being redeveloped; and city infrastructure investment, including a new wastewater treatment plant, is underway. (Dollar figures and timelines for these secondary projects vary by source and are not fully confirmed here.)
BOTTOM LINE. Measured by capital and economic impact, the Ultium Cells battery plant (~$2.6B, ~1,700 jobs) is the marquee regional development — with the caveat that it sits in the Maury County part of Spring Hill, not Columbia city. For Columbia's own downtown core, The Drake (293 units) is the headline project.
- Marquee project (county)
- Ultium Cells battery-cell plant (GM + LG Energy Solution JV)
- Ultium location
- Spring Hill — Maury County portion, next to GM Spring Hill assembly plant
- Ultium investment
- ~$2.3B (2021) + $275M expansion (2022) ≈ $2.6B committed
- Ultium size / jobs
- 2.8 million sq ft; workforce ~1,700
- Ultium 2026 status
- $70M retool to LFP batteries for energy storage / AI data centers; production restart Q2 2026 after Jan 2026 furloughs
- Marquee downtown-Columbia project
- The Drake — 6-story, 293-unit luxury apartments + ground-floor retail
- The Drake developer / site
- Bristol Development Group; 2.78 acres at Woodland & East 7th St, one block off the square
- The Drake timeline
- Broke ground 2024; targeted completion early 2026
What's New to Eat, Drink & Shop in Columbia
Updated July 2026Columbia (Maury County, TN) has a steady wave of recent and upcoming openings, concentrated in the downtown historic district, at The Factory at Columbia, and along the James Campbell Blvd retail corridor. All items below are verified as real and either open or formally announced via local sources (Maury County Source, What's Up Columbia, Main Street Media, Visit Columbia TN). Note: several Tennessee searches surface Columbia, SC results, which were excluded as out-of-area.
Craft brewery and taproom that opened a downtown Columbia location at 104 E. 5th St., a second site for the Mt. Pleasant-founded brewery, offering house beers and live music.
Bar / Brewery · opened June 11, 2026 (ribbon-cutting)
Craft butcher shop and scratch-kitchen public house at 105 E. 6th St. downtown, sourcing from regional farms and serving cuts from the butcher case alongside a full-service kitchen and bar.
Restaurant · opened April 2024
Downtown saloon and eatery at 111 W. 7th St. serving lunch and dinner with craft cocktails, beer, and live music.
Bar / Brewery · opened November 2024
Outdoor wine bar and event space created by American Pickers star Mike Wolfe in a restored former Esso service station in downtown Columbia, with a pergola, fire pit, and stage.
Bar / Brewery · opened 2025
Italian restaurant at The Factory at Columbia (101 N. James Campbell Blvd) serving handcrafted Italian dishes in a sit-down setting.
Restaurant · opened May 2025
Artisan bakery from Clay and Sherilyn Reid at The Factory at Columbia (101 N. James Campbell Blvd), specializing in viennoiserie, sourdough, focaccia, and coffee.
Grocery / Food hall · opened 2026
Family-owned coffee shop, previously based in Mount Pleasant, that opened a Columbia location on the east side of Nashville Highway (1201 N. Commerce). It serves scratch-made breakfast and lunch items along with lattes, frappes, and macchiatos.
Coffee · opened December 2023
Texas-based burger chain that opened at 195 E. James Campbell Blvd on the former Sloan Ford site, operating with extended overnight hours. It is the first of three businesses planned for the property.
Restaurant · opened May 19, 2026
Fast-casual Chinese chain under construction at the former Sloan Ford site on S. James Campbell Blvd, part of the multi-business redevelopment of the property alongside Whataburger.
Restaurant · announced 2026; under construction
Redevelopment of the former enclosed Columbia Mall into an open-air retail center by Highland Capital, with signed tenants including Ulta Beauty, Academy Sports + Outdoors, Five Below, and Bealls.
Retail · announced 2025; phased openings through 2026 (Bealls open)
Why People Love Columbia
Neighborhoods & areas in Columbia
Choosing an agent in Columbia
Best Real Estate Agent in Columbia, TN (2026): How to Choose the Right One
A plain-language, source-cited guide to choosing a real estate agent in Columbia, TN for 2026 — current market data, the questions to ask before hiring, and how The Will Johnson Team (eXp Realty) approaches Maury County transactions.
Columbia Quick Facts
Figures reviewed July 2026. We pull current, address-level comparables before any offer.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median home price in Columbia?
The median home price in Columbia is approximately $375,000, with homes ranging from $220K – $700K.
How far is Columbia from Nashville?
Columbia is approximately 50–60 minutes (about 46 miles; longer in rush-hour traffic) from downtown Nashville. Exact commute time depends on traffic and your specific destination.
What's it like living in Columbia, TN?
Columbia is the historic seat of Maury County, a city of roughly 45,000 with a revived Federal-and-Victorian downtown square, sitting just south of Sp... It's commonly a fit for value buyers wanting more home for the money and history and downtown-square lovers.
What are the popular neighborhoods or areas in Columbia?
Areas commonly searched in Columbia include Historic Downtown / the Square, Arden Village, Grove Park, Carters Station, Polo Fields, Spring Meade. Each offers a different balance of price, amenities, and lifestyle, and we can pull recent comparable sales so you decide what fits.
Who handles real estate in Columbia, TN?
The Will Johnson Team (eXp Realty) works Columbia regularly — a 5.0-rated team on Google and Zillow, RealTrends Verified 2026, licensed in Tennessee since 2013, and quoted as an expert source by CBS MoneyWatch and Bottom Line Personal. Call 615-265-1000 — the first conversation carries no commitment.
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