Germantown is an unincorporated city in the Capital Region of Maryland.

Understand

Germantown is largely suburban in nature, and home to a major installation of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Panhandling is legal in Montgomery County, and as a result, homeless beggars and aggressive panhandlers are a common sight throughout the streets of Montgomery County, and especially even more so in Germantown. They usually congregate at intersection medians and on sidewalks, usually within walking distance of convenience stores.

Get in

By car

I-270 cuts through Germantown and is the principal point of entry. The main exit near the city center and Montgomery College is exit 15 for MD-118 Germantown Rd, with exit 16 MD-27 (Father Hurley Blvd) to the north and exit 13 Middlebrook Rd to the south. The other major road leading north from Gaithersburg is MD-355 (Frederick Rd), which was the principal route before the highway was constructed.

By plane

The nearest airport is the Montgomery County Airpark, 7940 Airpark Dr, ☎ +1 301 963-7100, +1-877-435-9424, in Gaithersburg—a public airport for those with their own jets. For those without, BWI outside Baltimore and Dulles in Northern Virginia are both major area airports, each about one hour away.

By train

Germantown has a station on the MARC Train commuter service's Brunswick Line, which stops at the corner of Liberty Mill Road and Mateny Hill Road

By bus

Montgomery County's Ride On Bus, serves Germantown with approximately 20 bus routes, and operates a major transit hub in Germantown, known as the Germantown Transit Center.

Get around

You'll want to have a car in these parts, although it certainly is possible, and not at all difficult, to travel around on the Ride On Buses.

Do

• 1 Black Hill Regional Park, 20930 Lake Ridge Dr, Boyds, ☏ +1 301 972-9396. Sunrise-sunset daily. A nice little park of 1,800 acres, with hiking trails, centered on Little Seneca Lake, a reservoir stocked with largemouth bass, tiger muskie, channel catfish, blugill, and crappie for recreational fishing. Kayaks, canoes, and rowboats are available for rent from the boathouse. 

• 2 Maryland Soccerplex, 18031 Central Park Circle, Boyds, ☏ +1 301 528-1480. A huge sports complex with a 5,200-seat main stadium. There are nineteen natural grass fields, three artificial fields, and eight indoor courts. Two miniature golf courses, a driving range, and a swim center have recently been added. The Soccerplex is home to many events: D.C. United Open Cup matches, Real Maryland, NCAA Conference Championships, Discovery Cup, and the Mid-Atlantic Cup. 

• 3 Regal Cinemas Germantown Stadium 14, 20000 Century Boulevard, Germantown, ☏ +1 301 916-9235. 11AM – 11:30PM. First opened in May 2002 as the "Hoyts Cinema 14", this movie theater filled the void left after Germantown's only cinema, the "Sony 6", closed in March 2001. This theater features the latest major film releases. There are snacks, beverages, and a few arcade machines, although the number of games have constantly downsized in the years since it opened. More recently, the theater has been featuring 3D films. 

Buy

• 1 Butler's Orchard, 22222 Davis Mill Rd, ☏ +1 301 972-1198. mid-May: 10AM-5PM daily; late May–late June: M-F 8:30AM-6PM, Sa-Su 8:30AM-5PM; July–Labor Day: Tu-F 8:30AM-6PM, Sa-Su 8:30AM-5PM; Labor Day–24 Dec: Tu-Su 9:30AM-5:30PM; Closed 25 Dec–Easter. A big farmer's market on a 37 acre farm that, throughout the seasons, lets you pick your own strawberries, blackberries and raspberries, pumpkins, and finally Christmas trees! Family-friendly events are common, such as: hayrides and bonfires, strawberry blossom tours, Bunnyland, and birthday parties. 

Eat

• Agrodolce Ristorante, 21030J Frederick Rd, ☏ +1 301 528-6150. 

• India Palace, 19743 Frederick Rd, ☏ +1 301 540-3000. 11AM-10PM daily. A nice, comfortable Indian restaurant with a full bar that is most popular for its lunch buffet. The buffet is perfectly fine, if not much distinct from any other Indian buffet, but it is unique in offering "all-you-can-drink" beverages, including mango lassi! Most Indian restaurants charge exorbitant prices on their lassis, so this is a decadent treat. Lunch buffet: $12, dinner: $15-25. 

• Lancaster County Dutch Market, 12613 Wisteria Dr, ☏ +1 301 515-1019. Th 10AM-6PM, F 9AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-3PM; restaurant: Th-F until noon, Sa all day. A great spot for groceries or a sit-down meal, they have various vendors selling baked goods, fresh local produce, cheeses, candy, Amish soft pretzels, and fresh cut flowers. There is also a BBQ pit on-site (mostly serving chicken, with the odd rotisserie rabbit thrown in) as well as a small full-service restaurant. Restaurant: $5-14, BBQ pit: $4-10. 

• Royal Bagel Bakery & Deli, 19725 Germantown Rd, ☏ +1 301 428-1888. M-F 6AM-8PM, Sa-Su 6AM-4PM. Run by a family who were baking bagels in New York, who realized it was time to introduce great New York bagels to the fine state of Maryland. The bagels are indeed excellent (along with the great breakfast bagel sandwiches), but there are also a bunch of tasty pastries and cakes behind the counter. From the deli come the enormous subs, which are some of the best around. $3-10. 

• Sabai Sabai Simply Thai, 19847M Century Blvd, ☏ +1 301 528-1400. M-Th 11AM-3PM,4:30PM-10PM, F 11AM-10:30PM, Sa 11:30AM-10:30PM, Su noon-9:30PM. A very stylish restaurant, with food that has a good claim to being the best Germantown has to offer. Full bar, crowded F-Sa nights, and very vegetarian friendly. $9-25. 
• Cafe Hong Kong, 13038 Middlebrook Road, ☏ +1 301 972-6362. Sunday through Thursday from 11:30AM-10PM. Friday and Saturday from 11:30AM-10:30PM.. Arguably the best Chinese restaurant in Germantown. The food is always hot and very good. Dinner-sized portions tend to be very large here, and are far too much food for one person in one sitting. Lunch items usually cost between $6-8 apiece, and dinner items tend to cost $9-12 apiece. Chef's specialties are only a few dollars more, and appetizers tend to be cheaper.. 
• Honey Pig BBQ, 19743 Frederick Road, ☏ (301) 972-2436NOCC. Monday – Saturday : 10 AM to 3 AM Sunday : 10 AM to 2 AM. Authentic Korean restaurant owned by a Korean immigrant that serves Korean BBQ, bibimbap and other Korean specialties at reasonable prices. They also have locations in Ellicot City, Annandale and Centreville. (updated Mar 2016)

Drink

• The Greene Turtle. Your typical sports bar/restaurant. 
• Buffalo Wings and Beer, 18307 Leaman Farm Road, ☏ +1 301 528-2022. Sunday-Thursday 11AM-1AM; Friday-Saturday 11AM-2AM. Bar and restaurant with a few pool tables and dart boards. Daily specials and happy hour specials on beer and food. 

Sleep

Most hotels in this area cater to long-term guests on business.

• 1 Fairfield Inn & Suites, 20025 Century Blvd, ☏ +1 301 916-0750. Probably Germantown's most popular hotel, which, along with the Homestead Suites, is right by a movie theater. Indoor pool, free WiFi, free hot breakfast. $110-210. 
• 2 Hampton Inn, 20260 Goldenrod Ln, ☏ +1 301 428-1300. A good value at a standard chain hotel. $90-170. 
• 3 Homestead Studio Suites, 20141 Century Blvd, ☏ +1 301 515-4500. An extended-stay–oriented hotel with "studio suites," which are a bit nicer than your average hotel room, and include kitchens. WiFi comes with a one-time per stay $5 charge. $70-130. 

Go next

• South on I-270 leads south to Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Bethesda towards D.C. and north to Frederick.

• Just northwest of Germantown are some good outdoor attractions, especially Sugarloaf Mountain—the Maryland Capital Region's favorite climb, with great views over the surrounding farmland, as well as Little Bennett Regional Park, which has tent campgrounds.

Routes through Germantown

Hagerstown via ← Frederick ←	W  E	→ Gaithersburg → Washington, D.C.
Martinsburg ← Boyds ←	NW  SE	→ Gaithersburg → Washington, D.C.