[6] Rockville, along with neighboring Gaithersburg and Bethesda, is at the core of the Interstate 270 Technology Corridor which is home to numerous software and biotechnology companies as well as several federal government institutions.

The city, one of the major retail hubs in Montgomery County, has several upscale regional shopping centers.

By the first millennium BC, a few of these groups had settled down into year-round agricultural communities that exploited the native flora, including sunflowers and marsh elder.

By AD 1200, these early groups (dubbed Montgomery Indians by later archaeologists) were increasingly drawn into conflict with the Senecas and Susquehannocks who had migrated south from Pennsylvania and New York.

Within the present-day boundaries of the city, six prehistoric sites have been uncovered and documented, along with numerous artifacts several thousand years old.

The indigenous population carved a path on the high ground, known as Sinequa Trail, which is now downtown Rockville.

The most populous and prosperous urban center in this new county was George Town, but its location at the far southern edge rendered it worthless as a seat of local government.

[8] On July 16, 1803, when the area was officially entered into the county land records with the name "Rockville", derived from Rock Creek.

Stuart and an army of 8,000 Confederate cavalrymen marched through and occupied Rockville on June 28, 1863,[11] while on their way to Gettysburg and stayed at the Prettyman house.

In 1913, on the birthday of Jefferson Davis, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected a statue near the Rockville courthouse dedicated to Confederate soldiers from Montgomery County.

[14] In 1873, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad arrived, making Rockville easily accessible from Washington, D.C. (See Metropolitan Branch.)

The Blue Ridge Transportation Company provided bus service for Rockville and Montgomery County from 1924 through 1955.

After 1955, Rockville would not see a concerted effort to develop a public transportation infrastructure until the 1970s, when the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) began work to extend the Washington Metro into Rockville and extended Metrobus service into Montgomery County.

The mid-20th century saw substantial growth in Rockville, especially with the annexation of the Twinbrook subdivision in 1949, which added hundreds of new homes and thousands of new residents to the city.

In 1954, Congressional Airport closed, and its land was sold to developers to build residences and a commercial shopping center.

[16] These new areas provided affordable housing and grew quickly with young families eager to start their lives following World War II.

During the Cold War, it was considered safer to remain in Rockville than to evacuate during a hypothetical nuclear attack on Washington, D.C.

Although efforts to restore the town center continue, the majority of the city's economic activity has since relocated along Rockville Pike (MD Route 355/Wisconsin Avenue).

The city is closely associated with the neighboring towns of Kensington and the unincorporated census-designated place, North Bethesda.

[23] According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Rockville is in hardiness zone 7a,[24] meaning that the average annual minimum winter temperature is 0 to 5 °F (−18 to −15 °C).

Six councilmembers were also elected: Kate Fulton, Adam Van Grack, Izola (Zola) Shaw, David Myles, Marissa Valeri, and Barry Jackson.

[42] The six councilmembers are Kate Fulton, Adam Van Grack, Izola (Zola) Shaw, David Myles, Marissa Valeri, and Barry Jackson.

Boards and commissions allows members of the community to partner with city staff to shape Rockville's future by sharing expertise and advising the Mayor and Council.

Prior to integration in 1961, black students were educated at George Washington Carver High School in Rockville.

The Brunswick Line of the MARC commuter rail system runs to and from Washington, D.C., and can be accessed at Rockville Station.

Ride On buses provides service within the city and to places within the county like Gaithersburg, Clarksburg and Silver Spring.

[49] The city features a town center, which includes a library, ice skating facility (in winter), and restaurants and gift shopping options.