Gaithersburg, sister to Germantown, is located in the heart of Montgomery County, some 12 miles from the northwestern border of Washington, D.C. The small settlement began at the crossroads of two ancient Indian trails. With the arrival of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1873, business and agricultural expansion made the Gaither settlement the commercial center for upper Montgomery County. It was incorporated as the town of Gaithersburg in 1878. Another major growth spurt came in the 1960's with the expansion of the Atomic Energy Commission headquarters and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. 
 
Gaithersburg is now the second largest incorporated city in Maryland, and one of the fastest growing communities on the East Coast. Gaithersburg has been singled out as one of the "Fifty Fabulous Places to Raise Your Family" in a volume published by Career Press. The city was also rated first in the country for running a home-based business, according to Home Office Computing magazine. Gaithersburg has been characterized as "the most historic and unique community in Maryland".