In the middle of Montgomery County, Gaithersburg is a family-oriented, well planned city that offers abundant housing, retail, and entertainment opportunities. It is the headquarters of several companies that are leaders in the life-sciences industry.

In the early 1800s, Benjamin Gaither settled in the area that was then referred to locally as Log Town, although the Post Office insisted on calling it Forest Oak after a historic tree that grew there. Gaither built his house near the old tree, which was almost 300 years old when it fell during a thunderstorm in 1997.

By the time that the community was incorporated in 1878, it was a successful railroad town with extensive agriculture and lumber operations—and its name had become Gaithersburg.

A business expansion occurred in the 1960s when the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, then called the National Bureau of Standards, came to Gaithersburg. The town received city status in 1968 as its attraction to the high-technology industry stimulated further growth. Since then, Gaithersburg has become an “edge city” of the Washington Metropolitan area, and one of the largest cities in Maryland.

Most of the residents fall in the 25 to 44 age bracket. Forty percent of all residents have at least a Bachelor degree and 16 percent have a graduate or professional degree. Education is a priority for Gaithersburg’s citizens; the Montgomery County Public School System is among the best in the nation.

Gaithersburg is a caring city that has received national and local awards for its programs and services. By standing agreement, the proceedings of the mayor and city council incorporate six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.