COLUMBIA, Md., June 12, 1997 -- The Columbia Bank has announced the
opening of its thirteenth full-service branch at the Wilde Lake Village Center
in Columbia, located off Twin Rivers Road and Lynx Lane. The bank is situated
next to Giant Food and Blockbuster Video, and features an adjacent drive-thru
pad site.

Anthony Carpenter has been named Branch Manager for the Wilde Lake Village
Center office and David Wellman is the Assistant Branch Manager. Collectively,
they bring more than 15 years of banking experience to this new location.

Wilde Lake represents the second new branch location opened by The Columbia
Bank within the past several months, and is one of three new sites scheduled
for 1997 openings. The Bank's Long Gate Center branch became operational in
March, and a branch at the new River Hill Shopping Center is currently under
construction. Located in Clarksville, the River Hill banking office is
expected to open by the end of the year.

In 1996, The Columbia Bank opened full-service branches at Heaver Plaza in
Towson, The Village at Cross Keys in Baltimore City and Harmony Hall in
Columbia. The Bank also added a full-service mortgage origination division to
the Heaver Plaza location. This growth plan will continue in 1998, as the Bank
is currently pursuing new expansion opportunities.

"Wilde Lake Village Center is a mature and established retail environment with
several dominant anchors that enjoys a strong consumer following," explained
John M. Bond, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer. "Given our strong
position in Columbia and Howard County, this proven center was a natural fit
for The Columbia Bank. Its outstanding location will provide our customers
with greater banking convenience, and we look forward to expanding our
consumer base from this office," he added. "Our three new Howard County branch
openings in 1997 will help us solidify and increase our presence in this
marketplace."

The Columbia Bank will offer a full complement of retail banking, residential
mortgage and commercial banking services at Wilde Lake. In addition to its
easy access from Twin Rivers Road and Governor Warfield Parkway, the branch
will provide customers with 24-hour, fee-free automated teller machine (ATM)
service, drive-thru banking and extended branch hours.

The Columbia Bank operates thirteen branch banking offices and provides a full
range of financial services to consumers and businesses. The Columbia Bank is
the banking subsidiary of Columbia Bancorp, a bank holding company
headquartered in Columbia, Maryland and founded in 1987. Columbia Bancorp's
common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market System under the symbol
"CBMD."