Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 19:57, 18 March 2013

Gaithersburg
City
City of Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg's Washingtonian Waterfront, in October 2006.
Flag of GaithersburgFlagSeal
Motto: "A Character Counts! city"
Location in the U.S. state of Maryland
Country	United States of America
State	Maryland
County	Template:Country data Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery
Settled	1765
Founded	1802
Incorporated	April 5, 1878
Government
• Mayor	Sidney A. Katz
Area
• Total	26.78 km (10.34 sq mi)
• Land	26.42 km (10.20 sq mi)
• Water	0.36 km (0.14 sq mi)
Elevation	106 m (350 ft)
Population
• Total	59,933
• Estimate	61,045
• Density	2,268.7/km (5,875.8/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
Area code	301
FIPS code	24-31175
GNIS feature ID	0593389
Website	www.gaithersburgmd.gov

Gaithersburg is a city located in Montgomery County, Maryland. At the time of the 2010 United States Census, Gaithersburg had a population of 59,933, making it the fourth largest incorporated city in the state, behind Baltimore, Frederick, and Rockville. Gaithersburg is located to the northwest of Washington, D.C., and is considered a suburb and a primary city within the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. Gaithersburg was incorporated in 1878.

Gaithersburg is divided into east and west sections, separated by Interstate 270. The eastern section of the city is older and is the original portion of the town before more recent growth. Landmarks and buildings from that time can still be seen in many places but especially in the historic central business district of Gaithersburg called "Olde Town". The east side also includes Lakeforest Mall, City Hall, and the Montgomery County Fair grounds. The west side of the city has many wealthier neighborhoods that were designed with smart growth techniques and embrace New Urbanism. These include the award-winning Kentlands community, the Lakelands community, and the Washingtonian Center (better known as The Rio), a popular shopping/business district. Three New Urbanism communities are under construction, including Crown Farm, Watkins Mill Town Center (Casey East and West), and the massive "Science City". The state has a light rail line, Corridor Cities Transitway or "CCT", planned for the western portion of the city starting at Shady Grove Metro Station and connecting all the high density western Gaithersburg neighborhoods with a total of eight stops planned in the city.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is headquartered in Gaithersburg directly west of I-270. Other major employers in the city include IBM, Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services business area headquarters, MedImmune (recently purchased by AstraZeneca), and the French multinational corporation, Sodexo.

Gaithersburg is also the location of the garrison of the United States Army Reserve's 220th Military Police Brigade.

Etymology

Pronunciation

This section may contain information not important or relevant to the article's subject. Please help improve this section. (December 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Misplaced Pages page on Pronunciation of English th lists "Gaithersburg" among the many words and proper names of English origin in which non-initial TH is soft, as in "bathe" and "whether." However, Merriam-Webster.com shows a hard th, as in "thing" and "both." Since Benjamin Gaither lived during the 18th century, it's probable that his name was pronounced with a soft TH as in most native English names and words in which it occurs in the middle, and this would have been carried over into the city name. However, as the population of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area mushroomed after World War II, and especially after the construction of the Washington Beltway and the D.C. Metro lured affluent government employees and other professionals into the suburbs, the population of Gaithersburg swelled and the influence of the original settlers has waned. Pronunciation has shifted to a hard TH, consistent with the consonant's pronunciation in the multitude of words of Greek origin assimilated into English by scholars during the Enlightenment and invented by scientists and engineers during the scientific and technological boom of the 20th century.

History

Gaithersburg was settled in 1765 as a small agricultural settlement known as Log Town near the present day Summitee Hall on Ralph Crabb's 1725 land grant "Deer Park". The northern portion of the land grant was purchased by Henry Brookes, and he built his home Montpelier there in the late 1780s or early 1790s. His son-in-law, Benjamin Gaither, inherited a portion of that land. Gaither built his home on the land in 1802. By the 1850s the area had ceased to be called log town and was known to inhabitants as Gaitherburg.

The Forest Oak Post Office, named for a large tree in the town, was located in Gaither's store in 1851. However, when the railroad was built through town the new station was called Gaithersburg, an officially recognized name for the community for the first time. The town incorporated under its current name in 1878. Gaithersburg boomed during the late 19th century and churches, schools, a mill, grain elevators, stores, and hotels were built. Much of this development focused around the railroad station.

In 1873 the B&O Railroad constructed a station at Gaithersburg, designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin as part of his well-known series of Victorian stations in Maryland. Rapid growth occurred shortly thereafter, and on April 5, 1878 the town was officially incorporated as the City of Gaithersburg.

In 1899, Gaithersburg was selected as one of six global locations for the construction of an International Latitude Observatory as part of a project to measure the Earth's wobble on its polar axis. The Gaithersburg Latitude Observatory is (as of 2007) the only National Historic Landmark in the City of Gaithersburg. The observatory and five others in Japan, Italy, Russia, and the United States gathered information that is still used by scientists today, along with information from 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.

Gaithersburg remained a predominantly rural farm town until the 1970s when more construction began. As the population grew, with homes spreading throughout the area, Gaithersburg began taking on a suburban and semi-urban feel, leaving its farming roots behind. During the last 1990s and 2000s, it has become one of the most economically and ethnically diverse areas in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area as well as the state of Maryland, with people from all walks of life calling Gaithersburg home. This can be seen in the local schools, with Gaithersburg High School and Watkins Mill High School having two of the most diverse student bodies in the region.

During a 1997 rainstorm, the 295-year-old forest oak tree that gave its name to the Forest Oak Post Office crashed down. The tree served as the inspiration for the city's logo, which is also featured prominent on the city's flag.

On July 16, 2010, Gaithersburg was hit by a 3.6 magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to occur in Maryland.

Geography

Gaithersburg is located at 39°7'55" North, 77°13'35" West (39.131974, -77.226428)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.34 square miles (26.78 km), of which, 10.20 square miles (26.42 km) is land and 0.14 square miles (0.36 km) is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 59,933 people, 22,000 households, and 14,548 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,875.8 inhabitants per square mile (2,268.7/km). There were 23,337 housing units at an average density of 2,287.9 per square mile (883.4/km). The racial makeup of the city was 37.8% White, 16.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 16.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 10.7% from other races, and 4.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.2% of the population.

There were 22,000 households out of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.9% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.24.

The median age in the city was 35.1 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 33.8% were from 25 to 44; 24.6% were from 45 to 64; and 9.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 52,613 people, 19,621 households, and 12,577 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,216.2 people per square mile (2,013.3/km²). There were 20,674 housing units at an average density of 2,049.7 per square mile (791.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 34.7% White, 19.5% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 13.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.6% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. 24.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 34.3% of Gaithersburg's population was foreign-born.

There were 19,621 households out of which 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 and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.14 the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 37.7% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

Economy

According to the City's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Government

Gaithersburg has an elected, five-member City Council, which serves as the legislative body of the city. The Mayor, who is also elected, serves as president of the council. The day-to-day administration of the City is overseen by a career City Manager. Gaithersburg is also the location of the 220th Military Police Brigade of the United States Army Reserve.

Its current mayor is Sidney A. Katz. (1998-). Previous mayors include:

1. George W. Meem 1898–1904
2. Carson Ward 1904–1906
3. John W. Walker 1906–1908
4. E. D. Kingsley 1908–1912
5. Richard H. Miles 1912–1918
6. John W. Walker 1918–1924
7. Walter M. Magruder 1924–1926
8. William McBain 1926–1948
9. Harry C. Perry, Sr. 1948–1954
10. Merton F. Duvall 1954–1966
11. John W. Griffith 1966–1967
12. Harold C. Morris 1967–1974
13. Susan E. Nicholson, May–September 1974
14. Milton M. Walker 1974–1976
15. B. Daniel Walder 1976–1978
16. Bruce A. Goldensohn 1978–1986
17. W. Edward Bohrer, Jr. 1986–1998
18. Sidney A. Katz 1998 -

The departments of the city of Gaithersburg and their directors include:

• Office of the City Manager, Tony Tomasello
• Finance and Administration, Harold Belton
• Planning and Code Administration, John Schlichting
• Community and Public Relations, Britta Monaco
• Human Resources, Margaret Daily
• Information Technology, Peter Cottrell
• Parks, Recreation, and Culture, Michele Potter
• Police, Mark Sroka
• Public Works, Jim Arnoult

Transportation

Roads

The primary spine of Gaithersburg's road network is Frederick Avenue, which runs generally north-south through the middle of the city and connects Gaithersburg to Frederick, Rockville and Washington, DC. Among the most important east-west roads are Diamond Avenue and Quince Orchard Road.

Interstate 270, runs approximately parallel to Frederick Avenue and connects Gaithersburg with the Capital Beltway. Interstate 370 begins in Gaithersburg and is the western end of the Intercounty Connector, a toll highway which provides a direct link to Interstate 95 near Laurel.

Transit

Gaithersburg is connected to the Washington Metro via Shady Grove station, which is located just outside the city limits and is the north-western terminus of the Red Line.

The Corridor Cities Transitway is a proposed light rail or bus rapid transit line that would have 8 stops in Gaithersburg, generally in the western half of the city.

Maryland's MARC system operates commuter rail services connecting Gaithersburg to Washington, D.C. with two stations in the city, at Old Town Gaithersburg and Metropolitan Grove, and a third station — Washington Grove — just outside city limits.

Bus service in Gaithersburg consists of Metrobus routes operated by WMATA and Ride-On routes operated by Montgomery County, as well as paratransit service provided by MetroAccess.

Other

The mainline of CSX Transportation bisects Montgomery County and runs as many as 50 trains a day through the center of Gaithersburg. The MARC trains run on the CSX tracks, as do Amtrak trains, which go through Gaithersburg but do not stop.

The Montgomery County Airpark (IATA airport code: GAI) is a short distance outside Gaithersburg city limits. The airport is the larger of two general aviation airports in the county. For commercial airline service, Gaithersburg residents use Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport or Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Education

Gaithersburg is served by Montgomery County Public Schools.

Media

Gaithersburg is primarily served by the Washington, D.C. media market.

Newspapers

• Gaithersburg is home to Gazette Newspapers, a publisher of weekly community newspapers in suburban Maryland, including the Gaithersburg Gazette.
• The Town Courier newspaper is based in Kentlands and focuses on Gaithersburg's west side neighborhoods, in addition to publishing Rockville and Urbana editions.

Notable people

• Mark Bryan, bass player from Hootie & the Blowfish
• Kiran Chetry, CNN anchor
• Astrid Ellena, Miss Indonesia 2011
• Hank Fraley, football player currently starting at center for the St. Louis Rams
• Judah Friedlander, actor, most notably from the television show 30 Rock
• Joshua Harris, Christian pastor and author
• Matt Holt, former singer of Nothingface and Kingdom of Snakes
• Paul James, actor, most notably from the television show Greek
• Tim Kurkjian, ESPN baseball analyst, appears on SportsCenter and Baseball Tonight, author of America's Game and Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head--My 25 Years in Baseball
• Matthew Lesko, author of "Free Money" from the government books
• Shane McMahon, former "co-GM" of WWE Monday Night Raw
• Jim Miklaszewski, chief Pentagon correspondent for NBC News
• John Papuchis, Defensive Ends Coach, University of Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
• Guy Prather, football player
• Paul Rabil, lacrosse player (midfield), four-time All-American at Johns Hopkins University, all-star for the MLL's Boston Cannons
• Eddie Stubbs, country musician, disc jockey, and Grand Ole Opry announcer
• James White, professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets
• Wale (rapper)
• Logic (rapper)
• Jordan Goldberg, Co-Producer on Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, Writer of The Gun-Eaters and Batman: Gotham Knight
• Erin Willett, a semi finalist on the second season of The Voice (TV series)
• Courtney Kupets 2004 Olympic gymnast and 3-time NCAA champion
• Dominique Dawes 3-time women's Olympic gymnastics team member, member of the Magnificent Seven (gymnastics)

References and footnotes

1. ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
2. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
3. "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-01-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
4. American Factfinder, U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
5. Technically, although NIST's mailing address is in Gaithersburg, and the City of Gaithersburg surrounds NIST's property, the land where NIST is situated is not incorporated into the City of Gaithersburg. Instead, it is in an unincorporated part of Montgomery County. Owing to the piecemeal manner land has been added to Gaithersburg over the years, there are multiple such unincorporated enclaves within the perimeter; see the City's Zoning Map for details (3MB PDF)
6. ^ Eddy, Kristin (September 17, 1987). "Md. Offers Two Fairs for Sunday". The Washington Post. p. M09.
7. "20,000 Expected to Wish Gaithersburg Happy Birthday". The Washington Post. September 4, 1950. p. 3.
8. ^ Offutt, William (1999). Montgomery County: Centuries of Change. American Historical Press. pp. 166–167. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
9. "Gaithersburg Station". The Washington Post. October 17, 1985. p. MDA4.
10. ^ Vogel, Steve (June 28, 1997). "Gaithersburg Tree Goes Down in History: Storm Fells City's Famed Forest Oak". The Washington Post. p. B1.
11. "City of Gaithersburg CAFR" (PDF). Retrieved 2011-11-03.

External links

• Official website
• Gaithersburg Local
• Gaithersburg: Then & Now, a photographic tour of the city's history

v t e State of Maryland
Annapolis (capital)
Topics	Index Cities Government Congressional delegations Congressional maps History Mass media Newspapers Radio TV People Symbols Tourist attractions
Society	Abortion African Americans Agriculture Climate change Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Gun laws Homelessness LGBT rights Politics Sports
Regions	Allegheny Mountains Atlantic coastal plain Blue Ridge Chesapeake Cumberland Valley Delaware Valley Delmarva Peninsula Eastern Shore Piedmont Ridge and Valley Southern Maryland Tidewater Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area Baltimore metropolitan area Washington metropolitan area Western Maryland
Cities	Aberdeen Annapolis Baltimore Bowie Brunswick Cambridge College Park Cumberland Frederick Gaithersburg Greenbelt Hagerstown Havre de Grace Laurel Pocomoke City Rockville Salisbury Takoma Park Westminster
Towns	Bel Air Denton Easton Elkton Leonardtown Ocean City Port Deposit Upper Marlboro
CDPs	Arbutus Arnold Aspen Hill Baltimore Highlands Bethesda Camp Springs Carney Catonsville Chillum Clinton Cockeysville-Hunt Valley Colesville Columbia Crofton Dundalk Edgewood Eldersburg Elkridge Ellicott City Essex Fairland Ferndale Fort Washington Germantown Glen Burnie Green Haven Hillcrest Heights Landover Langley Park Lanham Lansdowne Lochearn Lutherville Middle River Milford Mill Montgomery Village Odenton Olney Owings Mills Oxon Hill Parkville Pasadena Perry Hall Pikesville Potomac Randallstown Redland Reisterstown Rosedale St. Charles Severn Severna Park Silver Spring South Gate Suitland Timonium Towson Urbana Waldorf Wheaton-Glenmont White Oak Woodlawn
Counties	Allegany Anne Arundel Baltimore Calvert Caroline Carroll Cecil Charles Dorchester Frederick Garrett Harford Howard Kent Montgomery Prince George's Queen Anne's St. Mary's Somerset Talbot Washington Wicomico Worcester
Maryland portal

v t e Municipalities and communities of Montgomery County, Maryland, United States
County seat: Rockville
Cities	Gaithersburg Rockville Takoma Park
Towns	Barnesville Brookeville Chevy Chase Chevy Chase View Chevy Chase Village Garrett Park Glen Echo Kensington Laytonsville Poolesville Somerset Washington Grove
Villages & Special Tax Districts	Chevy Chase Section Three Chevy Chase Section Five Drummond Friendship Heights Martin's Additions North Chevy Chase Oakmont
CDPs	Ashton-Sandy Spring Aspen Hill Bethesda Brookmont Burnt Mills Burtonsville Cabin John Calverton‡ Chevy Chase Clarksburg Cloverly Colesville Damascus Darnestown Derwood Fairland Flower Hill Forest Glen Four Corners Friendship Heights Village Germantown Glenmont Hillandale‡ Kemp Mill Layhill Leisure World Montgomery Village North Bethesda North Kensington North Potomac Olney Potomac Redland Silver Spring South Kensington Spencerville Ten Mile Creek Travilah Wheaton White Oak
Other communities	Ashton Beallsville Boyds Brinklow Carderock Chevy Chase (area) Comus Dawsonville Dickerson Ednor Fairview Forest Glen Park Hyattstown Kentlands Norbeck Norwood Quince Orchard Scotland Seneca Sandy Spring Shady Grove Sherwood Forest Thompson's Corner
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Maryland portal United States portal

• 1802 establishments in Maryland
• Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area
• Cities in Maryland
• Gaithersburg, Maryland
• Populated places established in 1802
• Populated places in Montgomery County, Maryland
• Washington metropolitan area