Nine United States Navy ships have been named USS Columbia, after the personification of the United States, also after the city of Columbia, South Carolina.
- A 44-gun frigate Columbia was under construction at the Washington Navy Yard, but was burned in 1814 to prevent capture by the British.
- The USS Columbia (1836), was a 50-gun sailing frigate launched in 1836 and in occasional service until 1861, when she was burned to avoid capture by the Confederates.
- The USS Columbia (1862), was a captured Confederate screw steamer that ran aground in 1863.
- The USS Columbia (1864), was an ironclad, also captured from the Confederates in 1865 and in use until June of that year.
- The USS Columbia (C-12), later CA-16, was a protected cruiser in service from 1894 to 1921. At the end of its career it was renamed USS Old Columbia.
- The USS Columbia (AG-9), was originally the Great Northern, a troop transport, renamed in 1921 and used until 1922.
- The USS Columbia (CL-56), was a light cruiser launched 17 December 1941 and active throughout World War II.
- The USS Columbia (AOT-182), a transport oiler, was returned to her owner on 1 May 1984.
- The USS Columbia (SSN-771), is a Los Angeles-class attack submarine commissioned in 1995 and currently in active service.
See also
- The Columbia Rediviva, a privately owned sloop under Captain Robert Gray.
- The Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102), which flew 28 missions between 1981 and 2003, is occasionally referred to as USS Columbia; this is incorrect, however, as she was not a vessel of the United States Navy.
Source
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- This article includes information collected from the Naval Vessel Register, which, as a U.S. government publication, is in the public domain.


