About this Location

Facility Overview

The UMD Shuttle-Gaithersburg Diamond Ave. Park & Ride lot is an expansive, open-air surface parking facility situated at 580 West Diamond Avenue in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Strategically positioned directly adjacent to Interstate 270 (Eisenhower Memorial Highway) and MD Route 117, this transit-oriented hub serves as a critical park-and-ride anchor for regional commuters, university students, and government personnel. Because it is a ground-level, uncovered asphalt lot, there are no vertical clearance height restrictions, making it exceptionally accommodating for standard passenger vehicles, full-size pickup trucks, passenger vans, and high-profile SUVs alike. Clear bay striping, wide circulation aisles, and dedicated bus turnaround lanes ensure that everyday drivers can navigate the lot effortlessly alongside regional mass transit coaches.

Prime Location & Nearby Attractions

Conveniently located in western Montgomery County, the facility places commuters within minutes of notable institutional, commercial, and recreational centers:

University of Maryland, College Park Shuttle Service: Primary staging point for the Shuttle-UM commuter bus connecting Gaithersburg directly to the UMD campus in College Park.
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST): Located less than one mile away, making this lot a viable transfer and carpool point for campus visitors and staff.
Old Town Gaithersburg & Gaithersburg MARC Station: Approximately 1 mile east along Diamond Avenue, featuring historic railroad exhibits, local eateries, and commuter rail connections.
Bohrer Park at Summit Hall Farm: Under a 5-minute drive away, featuring an activity center, miniature golf, skate park, and sprawling outdoor recreation grounds.
RIO Lakefront & Downtown Crown: Located approximately 3 miles south, offering premier waterfront dining, AMC Theatres, and upscale retail shopping.

Access, Navigation & Transit Connectivity

Ingress and egress are straightforward via designated entrances on West Diamond Avenue (MD 117). The facility is engineered to handle morning and evening rush-hour volumes smoothly, with signalized intersections nearby facilitating left- and right-hand turns onto arterial roads. Interstate 270 (Exit 10 / Clopper Road & West Diamond Avenue) is accessible within seconds of departing the lot, offering rapid connections south toward Bethesda, Silver Spring, and Washington, D.C., or north toward Germantown and Frederick. In addition to the University of Maryland Shuttle-UM routes, the transit plaza serves Montgomery County Ride On buses and Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT MTA) commuter bus lines connecting directly to Shady Grove Metro Station (Red Line).

Facility Amenities & Key Features

Open-Air Surface Parking: Generous outdoor stalls offering unlimited vertical clearance for large trucks and tall SUVs.
Public Transit Integration: On-site bus shelters, concrete loading bays, and posted schedules for UMD shuttles and Ride On buses.
Safety & Visibility: High-mast overhead lighting illuminating the parking field and pedestrian waiting zones during early morning and late evening hours.
ADA Accessibility: Designated ADA-compliant accessible spaces located adjacent to transit shelters and paved pedestrian pathways.
Bicycle Accommodations: Integrated bike racks for multimodal first-mile/last-mile commuters.
No Daily Parking Fee: Publicly maintained commuter park-and-ride offering complimentary daytime parking for transit riders and carpoolers.

Ideal For

UMD Students, Faculty & Staff: Commuters boarding the dedicated Shuttle-UM express route directly to the College Park campus without driving into Prince George\'s County traffic.
Ride On & Metro Commuters: Drivers connecting to local bus routes bound for the Shady Grove Metro terminal.
I-270 Carpoolers & Vanpoolers: Drivers seeking a dependable, zero-cost rendezvous point to utilize I-270 High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.
NIST & Local Business Contractors: Daily visitors meeting colleagues or consolidating vehicles for nearby corporate campuses.

Visitor & Driver Tips

To secure optimal parking spots close to the bus shelters, plan to arrive before 7:30 AM on typical academic and business weekdays, as spaces fill quickly during peak morning departure windows. While the lot is well illuminated, remember to lock all doors, roll up windows, and remove personal belongings and electronics from plain view. Overnight parking is generally restricted to registered transit users and must comply with posted Montgomery County and MDOT commuter lot regulations. Drivers using GPS navigation should set their destination specifically to 580 W Diamond Ave to enter smoothly via the primary deceleration lane on MD 117.