Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina.The city is the center of a metropolitan statistical area of 744,730, the largest within the state. The city's name comes from a poetic synonym for America, derived from the name of Christopher Columbus. Columbia enjoys a diversified economy, with the major employers in the area being South Carolina state government, the Palmetto Health hospital system, Blue Cross Blue Shield of SC, Palmetto GBA, and the University of South Carolina. The state's only Fortune 500 company, SCANA, is located in suburban Cayce.