About the Gaithersburg, Maryland Area 

Also See:
An Overview of the Area
North Potomac
Darnestown 

Gaithersburg is about 21 miles from Washington, D.C. and 49 miles from Baltimore. It is compromised of approximately 10.2 square miles. As of 2004, the city had an estimated total population of 58,091, making it the second largest in the state of Maryland.  

Gaithersburg has undergone significant changes in recent years. The City is now an urban area and a suburb of Washington, D.C. It has become a major regional location for high-technology and biotech companies while commercial agriculture is close to non-existent. The rolling fields of wheat are now roads, housing developments, and commercial enterprises, but at the same time a number of historic communities and traditions have been preserved. In the 21st century, Gaithersburg continues to grow while retaining many of the qualities of a small town that cherishes its rich, diverse heritage. 

The new neo-traditionalist town of Kentlands, Maryland, designed by Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, is an important early example of the new urbanism movement. Other new urbanist communities in Gaithersburg include Lakelands, the Washingtonian Center, Crown Farm, and Watkins Mill Town Center. For more specific information about the individual neighborhoods and towns within and near this area, see our Neighborhoods section. 

Other nearby cities and towns include North Potomac (2.5 miles), Washington Grove (3.5 miles), Montgomery Village (3.9 miles), Germantown (4 miles), Darnestown (4.3 miles), Redland (5 miles), Travilah (5.3 miles), and Rockville, the county seat (6.3 miles). Gaithersburg is home to zip codes 20877, 20878, 20879, and 20882. 

Gaithersburg In a Nutshell	History	Demographics	Government	Major Roadways	Media	Economy / Employment
Public Schools	Private Schools	Shopping Centers	Churches	Lakes & Reservoirs	Parks	Links

Gaithersburg In a Nutshell 

Median Household Income Above State Average
Median House Value Significantly Above State Average
Unemployed Percentage Below State Average
Black Race Population Percentage Below State Average
Hispanic Race Population Percentage Significantly Above State Average
Foreign-Born Population Percentage Significantly Above State Average
Length of Stay Since Moving in Significantly Below State Average
House Age Below State Average
Percentage of Population with a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Above State Average
Population Density Above State Average for Cities 

History 

Gaithersburg began in 1765 as a small agricultural settlement known as “Log Town.” The City is named after Benjamin Gaither who built a house in 1802 on the property where the famous Forest Oak tree used to grow. In 1850, the Post Office was named “Forest Oak” after the tree. The tree witnessed much change along the “Great Road West,” Maryland Route 355, in its close to 300 years of existence. It saw the coming of famous generals like George Washington and Edward Braddock traveling between Georgetown and Frederick, the Civil War, and the commercial development of the road in the modern era.  

The town officially became “Gaithersburg” when it was incorporated on April 5, 1878, 5 years after the B&O Railroad built a station there. The railroad brought a large Summer community to town, as the ease of travel allowed people to escape Washington, D.C. during the hot Summer months. Agricultural businesses expanded as area farmers were able to ship products faster with less risk of spoilage.  

In 1899, Gaithersburg was selected as one of the six global locations for the construction of an International Latitude Observatory. This was part of an International project to measure the earth’s wobble on its polar axis. The Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory is (as of 2006) the only National Historic Landmark in the City of Gaithersburg. The Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory and five others in Japan, Italy, Russia, and the United States gathered information that is still used by scientists today, along with information obtained by satellites, to determine polar motion; the size, shape, and physical properties of the earth; and to aid the space program through the precise navigational patterns of orbiting satellites. The Gaithersburg station operated until 1982 when computerization rendered the manual observation obsolete.  

The building that now houses Gaithersburg City Hall was once the home of Edward P. Schwartz who, in 1913, established a famous peony garden on land that stretched from the railway station to Hutton Street. The garden included 410 varieties of peonies from all over the world. Each Spring the garden was a tourist attraction visited by admirers, including President Woodrow Wilson. The City purchased the estate in 1958 and renovated the house for municipal offices. 

On June 14, 1961 the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology) broke ground on its first Gaithersburg building. The move of this government agency brought an incredible amount of growth to the City. The complex maintains standards for scientific research and housed in the complex are the standard meter and kilogram to which all others are compared for accuracy. The organization's coming gave Gaithersburg the designation as "Science Capital of the United States." When the Bureau moved to the area, other science-related firms came to do business in the community.  

Demographics 

As of the census of 2000, there were 19,621 households and 12,577 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,216.2/square mile. Between 1990 and 2000, the city’s population increased by 32.6%. The racial makeup of the city was 58.21% White, 14.6% Black or African American, 13.76% Asian, .99% Native American, .06% Pacific Islander, 8.62% from other races, and 4.39% from two or more races. 19.76% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.4% of Gaithersburg residents are foreign born. 

Out of the 19,621 households, 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.9% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.25. In Gaithersburg, the population was spread out with 25% under the age of 18, 9% from 18-24, 37.7% from 25-44, 20% from 45-64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years old. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. 

For the population that is 25 years and over, 85.6% have a High School education or higher, 46.5% have a Bachelor’s degree or higher, 19.8% have a Graduate or Professional degree, and 4.4% are unemployed. In 2000, the median income for a household in Gaithersburg was $59,879, and the median income for a family was $66,669. Males had a median income of $44,331 versus $35,861 for females. 7.1% of the population and 4.9% of families were below the poverty line.  

Government 

Gaithersburg has a five-member City Council, which serves as the legislative body of the city. The Mayor serves as President of the council. The current mayor is Sidney A. Katz. You can find out more about Gaithersburg’s government here. 

Major Roadways 

The road network is centered at the intersection of the North-South Frederick Avenue (Maryland State Highway 355) and the East-West Diamond Avenue (Maryland State Highway 117). It is connected to Frederick and Rockville by Interstate 270, which also connects it with the Capital Beltway, I-495. 

Media 

Gaithersburg is home to local radio station WMET 1160 AM. The City’s government operates Gaithersburg Television, on Cable Television Channel 13. The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and New York Times are popular newspapers. Additionally, Gaithersburg is the headquarters of Gazette Newspapers, a publisher of weekly community newspapers for suburban Maryland, including the Gaithersburg Gazette. The Town Courier newspaper is based in Kentlands and focuses on Gaithersburg’s West Side neighborhoods. Kentland's primary news source for news, comment, and opinion is The Town Crier. The Lakelands also has its own paper, The Lakelands Leader.  

Economy/Employment 

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is headquartered in Gaithersburg. Other major employers include Hughes Network Systems, IBM, ACE*Comm, Lockheed Martin Federal Systems, MedImmune (Biological Products), Sodexho, Gene Logic Inc (In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances), Digene Corp (In Vitro & In Vivo Diagnostic Substances), Optelecom Inc (Radio & TV Broadcasting and Communications Equipment), Genvec Inc (Pharmaceutical Preparations), and GXS Corp (Business Services). 

Industries providing employment include professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services (20.6%), educational, health, and social services (15.4%). The daytime population change due to commuting +19.7% or +10,355. There are 6,261 workers who live and work in Gaithersburg (22% of the population). The average travel time to work is 31.3 minutes.  

Public Schools 

Gaithersburg is served by the Montgomery County Public Schools system. Please visit the Schools section for more information on area schools and clusters. 

Private Schools 

Academy Child Development Center – Kindergarten
Brookeville Christian Academy of Arts & Sciences – Pre K thru Grade 12
Church of the Redeemer Christian – Pre K thru Grade 5
Covenant Life School – Kindergarten thru Grade 12
Epworth Preschool and Kindergarten
Gaithersburg Presby Preschool – Pre K and Kindergarten
Georgetown Hill Early School - Kindergarten
Mother of God School – Kindergarten thru Grade 8
Oakmont School - Grade 8-12
NIST – Kindergarten
St Martins School – Kindergarten thru Grade 8
The Jefferson School – Grades 1-5
Village Montessori School Inc – Pre K thru Grade 2 

For more information on private schools, please visit greatschools.net 

Shopping Centers 

Diamond Square Shopping Center
Gaithersburg Square Shopping Center
Kentlands Square
King Farm
Lakeforest Mall Shopping Center
Muddy Branch Square Shopping Center
Potomac Valley Shopping Center
Quince Orchard Plaza Shopping Center
Rio Entertainment Center 

For more information on shopping and category specific business, please visit shopgaithersburg.com 

Churches
For local churches, please click here

Lakes and Reservoirs  

Kentlands/Lakelands
Inspiration Lake
Lake Elysium
Lake Helene
Lake Lynette
Lake Nirvana
Lake Placid
Lake Varuna
Three Sisters Lakes 

Others
Clopper Lake – in between Great Seneca Highway and Clopper Road
Lake Halcyon – Muddy Branch Park
Little Seneca Lake – near Boyds
Lake Walker – near Lakeforest Mall
Lake Whetstone – near Midcounty Highway and Montgomery Village Avenue 

Parks 

Browns Station Park - near the intersections of Route 355, Muddy Branch Rd and Clopper Rd
Muddy Branch Park - on Muddy Branch Rd
Seneca Creek State Park - a huge park that stretches from Germantown near Waring Station and Game Preserve Road off of Clopper Rd and towards Gaithersburg and the Potomac, between Route 118 and Seneca Road 

For many others, please see the Gaithersburg Parks and Fields link. 

Links and Information From This Page Compiled From 

Gaithersburg's Website
An Online Encyclopedia
City-data.com
kentlandsusa.com
kentlands.us
kentlandsquare.com
kentlands.org
casestudies.uli.org
lakelands.org
Gazette Newspapers
Town Courier
The Washington Post
Baltimore Sun
New York Times
National Institute of Technology
Hughes Network Systems
IBM
ACE*Comm
Lockheed Martin
MedImmune
Sodexho
Gene Logic Inc
Digene Corp
Optelecom Inc
Genvec Inc
GXS Corp
Montgomery County Public Schools
greatschools.net
Mapquest
shopgaithersburg.com
Lakeforest Mall
Rio Entertainment at Washingtonian Center
Yahoo

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