Attending True/False
We like to think of Columbia as being the very middle of the Midwest.
For one, Missouri is touched by eight states on its perimeter. And Columbia is more or less in the center of Missouri, midway between the state's two major cities, Kansas City and St. Louis, both two hours away. If you're a trucker, you no doubt have buzzed through Columbia on Interstate 70. But if you're not a long-haul driver, getting to Columbia isn't as straightforward as you'd imagine for a place that's the epicenter of the civilized world — and the 252nd biggest city in America.
Like any major festival worth its salt such as Sundance, Telluride, or Venice, getting here is part of the experience. In our case, you will most likely be traversing gentle prairies and rolling hills instead of ascending mountain passes or ferrying across canals.
Modern metropolis that it is, Columbia does boast an airport, namely the Columbia Regional Airport, 10 miles south of town. If you want the novelty of flying into our ragtag little airport, this is quite doable, but know you'll first need to go through Memphis and it may cost you more than the option of going into St. Louis or Kansas City. Northwest Airlines through its partner Mesaba Aviation offers frequent flights in and out of Columbia. You'll then need to rent a car, hail a taxi or hitchhike the 20 minute ride northward into downtown Columbia.
Taking the train isn't straightforward either — there's a scenic ride from Chicago to La Plata, Missouri, but then you'll have to hitchhike the last hour to Columbia.... So until Columbia Regional attracts service to Chicago and points beyond, we'd recommend flying into Kansas City or St. Louis. We recommend Midwest Airlines for your flying pleasure. Timing your trip to land into KC by 7pm or St. Louis by 9pm will enable you to take a painless shuttle to anywhere in Columbia on MO-X.
Once you're here, you'll want to situate yourself close by downtown Columbia, which is bounded by the University of Missouri to the south and Stephens College on the east. Part of the True/False experience is immersing yourself in pedestrian-friendly, small-town life. And if you like to bike, we bet our official cyclery, Klunk's Bicycles (573-874-0090), will loan you one at a decent price. We are proud of our inordinately friendly and helpful citizens, so don't be afraid to ask directions.
