The northwest area of Greater Columbia is one of the fastest growing residential areas of the city. It includes the towns of Irmo, Ballentine and Chapin.  This area is convenient to downtown via I-26 and I-126 and also offers easy access to Greenville and Spartanburg via I-26. Like Lexington,  the area offers extensive access to Lake Murray and its vast array of outdoor activities.  It is also the home to Columbiana Centre,a large regional mall that has consistently been the first choice for retailers in the South Carolina midlands region and the new Palmetto Health Parkridge Hospital a state of the art regional hospital serving the residents of Northwest Columbia. Irmo has the largest population of any municipality in Lexington County and many new housing developments ranging from starter new home neighborhoods to highly amenitized upscale neighborhoods. Chapin is a uniquely rural and beautiful area of Columbia also boasts a wide array of housing opportunities for citizens looking for their dream new home.