One stop on the Red Line from Gaithersburg
Gaithersburg is a driving city, and the shop is one Metro stop from Shady Grove. Park at the garage, ride one stop to Rockville, and the car is waiting a block from the platform when you come back.
Shady Grove to Rockville is a single stop
Gaithersburg has no Metro station inside the city limits; Shady Grove, just outside them, is the end of the Red Line. Rockville is the very next station toward Glenmont. For anyone who already drives to Shady Grove, that makes a repair visit almost free of hassle: leave the car with us in the morning, ride one stop back to your commute, and pick it up on the way home.
- Shady Grove
- Rockville · Karnon
- Twinbrook
- North Bethesda
- Grosvenor–Strathmore
- Medical Center
- Bethesda
By car: MD-355
Frederick Road becomes Hungerford Drive at Gude Drive, then runs into downtown Rockville and passes the station a block from the shop. From Olde Towne it is roughly five to six miles; from Kentlands, Lakelands or the Quince Orchard side, closer to seven or eight. On I-270, downtown Rockville is Exit 6 (MD-28, Montgomery Avenue).
By bus
Ride On Route 55 runs seven days a week between Rockville station and the Germantown Transit Center along MD-355, stopping at Shady Grove and the Lakeforest Transit Center. Route 59 (Rockville station to Montgomery Village Center) runs along Stonestreet Avenue itself.
By MARC
Gaithersburg has two Brunswick Line stations of its own, Gaithersburg in Olde Towne and Metropolitan Grove, and the same line stops at Rockville. MARC is a weekday service, so treat it as a workday option only.
Safety inspection here, emissions test in Derwood
Two different things, and Gaithersburg drivers deal with both. The Maryland State Inspection (required when a used car is sold, titled or transferred) is done at licensed private stations like Karnon Automotive. The VEIP emissions test is run by the state, and the nearer of Montgomery County’s two full-service stations is at 15910 Chieftain Ave in Derwood, off Redland Road just east of MD-355, a few miles from either end of this trip.
There is also a self-service emissions kiosk at the MVA branch at 15 Metropolitan Grove Rd in Gaithersburg, which also handles titling and registration. Fail the emissions test there or in Derwood and the repair is a shop job: the check-engine fault gets diagnosed and fixed here, then the car goes back for its retest.
A city that runs on its cars
Gaithersburg is a commuting city: in recent Census estimates about half of its workers drive alone to work, the most common household owns two cars, and the average commute is close to half an hour. NIST sits directly west of I-270, and the city’s big employers include AstraZeneca and NIST itself. A car that is off the road for a week is a real problem here, which is why the drop-off-and-ride routine matters more than a shop being a few minutes closer.
What you get for the trip: ASE Master Certified technicians, a quote before any work starts, an explanation in English, Spanish or French, and a shop that has been at the same Rockville address since 2008. Appointments are recommended for the fastest service: call (301) 444-4410 to book. Walk-ins are welcome if you have time and a little patience, and a quick call first will tell you whether there is room right now.