How to Get to Northwest Stadium for Washington Commanders Games

Planning how to get to Northwest Stadium is one of the most important parts of the overall Commanders travel experience. The stadium sits in Landover, Maryland, about 2.5 miles east of downtown D.C., which means most fans flying in or staying at a downtown D.C. hotel are not walking out the door and arriving at the gates. The geography of the area creates real choices around airports, parking, public transit, and rideshare, and the way those pieces fit together has a direct impact on how a Commanders game day actually feels. Getting this part of the trip right is what allows the rest of the Washington Commanders weekend to land cleanly.

Northwest Stadium is located at 1600 Ring Road, Landover, MD 20785, inside the census-designated place of Summerfield in Prince George's County. The venue was known as FedExField from 1999 through 2024, and was renamed Northwest Stadium on September 15, 2024 under an eight-year naming-rights agreement with Northwest Federal Credit Union. The Northwest building is reachable by car, by Metro Blue or Silver Line trains to Morgan Boulevard Station, and by rideshare. Unlike NFL stadiums embedded inside a downtown core, Northwest sits in a suburban Maryland setting just off the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495), which is why the choice between driving and the Metro is the central question for most Washington Commanders trips.

The right way to approach Commanders travel also depends on where the hotel is. A hotel in downtown D.C. puts Northwest Stadium a Metro ride away on the Blue or Silver Line, which favors transit over driving for most fans. A hotel near Reagan National Airport in Arlington puts you close to the Metro for the same Morgan Boulevard ride. A hotel in Landover, Largo, or Hyattsville puts you within a short drive of the gates. Each starting point produces a different best answer, and that is why the question of how to get to Northwest Stadium is really a question about the full Washington Commanders trip. Fans who want the logistics handled in advance can also look at Washington Commanders Travel Packages, which combine game tickets with hotel placement designed around the transit and parking realities of Landover and the D.C. area.

The goal of this guide is not just getting to the gates. The goal is doing it in a way that fits the rest of the Commanders travel plan, including arrival timing, hotel location, post-game movement, and whatever else is built into the weekend. The information below covers airports, driving and parking, public transit, and rideshare, with specific Washington Commanders details for each so the plan can be built around real conditions rather than guesses.

Flying to Washington for a Commanders Game, Airport Information

Most Commanders travel begins at one of three major airports in the D.C. region. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) is the closest, sitting about 12 miles from Northwest Stadium across the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia. The drive from DCA to Landover typically runs 25 to 35 minutes outside of game-day traffic. DCA is served by American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, and Alaska, with mostly domestic routes plus a small number of near-international destinations. For Commanders fans flying in for a single weekend, DCA is the default choice because it is closest to both the stadium and most downtown D.C. hotels.

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) sits about 32 miles west of Northwest Stadium in Virginia, and the drive runs roughly 45 to 75 minutes depending on traffic. Dulles is the regional United Airlines hub and handles most international flights into the Washington area, including direct service from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. For Commanders fans flying in from outside the United States, IAD is usually the only realistic option. The Metro Silver Line now extends to Dulles, which gives international Washington Commanders travelers a one-train option from the airport into downtown Washington and onward to the stadium with a single line transfer.

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) sits about 30 miles north of Northwest Stadium in Maryland, and the drive runs roughly 45 to 60 minutes outside of traffic. BWI is a major Southwest Airlines hub and frequently shows lower fares than DCA or IAD for fans flying from cities heavily served by Southwest. Amtrak and MARC commuter rail service connects BWI Rail Station to Washington Union Station, which puts BWI within reach of the Metro system without a rental car. For Commanders fans who can be flexible on which airport they use, comparing fares across all three is usually worth the effort.

Once on the ground, the choice of airport affects the best way into Northwest Stadium. From DCA, the Metro Blue Line runs directly toward Largo and connects to the Silver Line for the ride to Morgan Boulevard. From IAD, the Silver Line runs the entire way without a transfer. From BWI, fans typically take Amtrak or MARC into Washington Union Station and then transfer to the Metro Blue or Silver Line east to Morgan Boulevard. Driving from any of the three airports is also a viable option for Commanders fans who plan to park at the Northwest lots.

Driving and Parking at Northwest Stadium for Commanders Games

Driving to Northwest Stadium is one of the most common ways Commanders fans get to the gates, particularly for fans coming from Maryland, northern Virginia, or anywhere outside the Metro footprint. The stadium sits just off the Capital Beltway (I-95/I-495), and the official directions point fans to several routes depending on their starting point. From northern Virginia via the Wilson Bridge, fans take I-495 / I-95 north to Exit 17B toward Bladensburg, then turn left at the traffic light onto Brightseat Road. From downtown Washington, the route runs east on East Capitol Street, which becomes Central Avenue once it crosses into Maryland, then a left turn onto Garrett Morgan Boulevard. From Howard, Montgomery, or Anne Arundel counties, fans take I-495 / I-95 to Exit 19 for U.S. Route 50 East, then Exit 8 for MD-704, continuing four miles before turning onto Belle Haven Drive and then Sheriff Road for the Red Zone Lot entrance.

Parking at Northwest Stadium is structured around prepaid permits sold through Ticketmaster. All general parking is prepaid only, and 2025-season passes were posted as sold out on the official site, with passes still available on resale through Ticketmaster. Parking pricing for the standard Green Pass typically runs 50 to 70 dollars per car, the Gold Pass for preferred lots runs 75 to 90 dollars, and Premium and Club passes run 100 dollars and up. Bus and RV parking requires a separate Bus/RV pass and uses the Sean Taylor Road entrance. Limousines require an A-Limo pass and enter via Garrett Morgan Road. Lots E and H are the designated accessible parking lots, with Lot E entered from Sean Taylor Road and Lot H from Garrett Morgan Road, both requiring a state-issued placard or plate alongside a prepaid pass.

The Gray Lot is the one exception to the prepaid rule. The Gray Lot is cash only, cannot be pre-purchased, and operates on a first-come basis on event days. Per the official Northwest site, the Gray Lot can sell out two to three hours before kickoff, so Commanders fans planning to use it should arrive early or have a backup plan. If the Gray Lot fills before arrival, third-party lots farther from the gates are typically available, though those operators are not affiliated with the Northwest organization. Parking lots open about three hours before kickoff, which is also the official recommendation for arrival time, and tailgating is permitted in most lots with grills and canopies allowed but glass containers prohibited.

The exit from Northwest Stadium is the part of the Washington Commanders driving plan that catches first-time visitors off guard. With more than 60,000 fans funneling onto the Capital Beltway and surrounding surface streets at the same time, the lots near the gates can take 45 minutes to an hour to fully clear after a Commanders game. The Beltway itself adds 45 to 60 minutes on sellout games, so many fans use Sheriff Road east to surface streets or Central Avenue (MD-214) east toward Annapolis as alternative routes. Both options are slower than an empty Beltway would be but tend to move consistently rather than stopping in traffic.

Driving still gives Washington Commanders fans the most flexibility, especially for trips that extend beyond the game itself. A car makes it easier to combine the trip with stops in downtown Washington, Old Town Alexandria, Annapolis, or Baltimore. For weekends that include multiple stops across the D.C. area, driving is often the most reliable way to manage time around Northwest Stadium without depending on Metro timing or rideshare availability. Pairing a prepaid permit with a planned exit route is the simplest way to keep the day on schedule.

Public Transit to Northwest Stadium for Commanders Games

Public transit is the strongest alternative to driving for Washington Commanders fans coming from inside the D.C. region. The Metro Blue and Silver Lines both serve Morgan Boulevard Station, which sits on Garrett Morgan Boulevard about one mile (a 20-minute walk) from the Northwest gates. Riders simply exit the station, turn left onto Garrett Morgan Boulevard, and follow the sidewalk to the stadium. There are no shuttle services from Morgan Boulevard to Northwest Stadium under normal operations, so the walk is the standard route. Metro Access vans can be scheduled in advance for accessibility, with drop-off and pickup at Gates A and E pre- and post-event.

Reaching Morgan Boulevard from downtown Washington is straightforward for most Washington Commanders fans. Riders can board the Blue Line from stations including Foggy Bottom, Farragut West, McPherson Square, Metro Center, Federal Triangle, Smithsonian, L'Enfant Plaza, Federal Center SW, and Capitol South, all running directly toward Largo and Morgan Boulevard. Silver Line riders join the route at the same Center City stations and continue east toward Largo. Travel time from downtown Washington to Morgan Boulevard typically runs 25 to 40 minutes depending on the starting station and time of day.

Morgan Boulevard Station has a $15 special event parking fee in effect during Northwest Stadium events for any non-Metro rider. The fee is waived for Metro riders who use the same SmarTrip card to ride to Morgan Boulevard and exit the station parking facility, with one important exception: the qualifying ride must begin at a station other than Downtown Largo, Morgan Boulevard, Addison Road, Capitol Heights, or Benning Road. The $15 rate stays in effect from the start of the event through two hours after. Washington Commanders fans driving in from a closer suburban start should factor that detail into the cost comparison between Metro parking and Northwest Stadium prepaid lots.

Public transit works well for most Washington Commanders fans coming from downtown Washington, Arlington, Alexandria, Tysons, Reston, or anywhere along the Blue or Silver Line corridors. The combination of frequent Metro service, the direct ride to Morgan Boulevard, and the absence of a parking fee at the Northwest gates gives fans a transit option that often beats driving for cost and post-game time. Two limits to keep in mind: the Metro may close before late games end, and there is no reliable bus shuttle to the stadium, so timing the return trip around the published Metro schedule matters more for night games than for early Sunday kickoffs.

Rideshare to Northwest Stadium for Commanders Games

Uber and Lyft both operate throughout the D.C. region and serve Northwest Stadium through a designated Rideshare Lot located at the back side of the Red Zone Lot. The official Washington Commanders rideshare destination is the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex at 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD 20785, which has a dedicated ingress lane to the Rideshare Lot. Entering that address into Uber or Lyft routes the driver to the correct entry point rather than the main parking gates, which are restricted to permit holders.

Arrival by rideshare is usually straightforward in the hours leading up to a Washington Commanders game. Demand from downtown Washington, Arlington, Alexandria, and the Maryland suburbs is steady but spread out, so wait times stay manageable and routes flow well outside of the final 45 minutes before kickoff. Pricing from downtown Washington to Northwest Stadium typically runs 30 to 55 dollars without surge, depending on origin neighborhood and the day of the week. Rides from Reagan National Airport tend to land in the 35 to 65 dollar range without surge.

Post-game rideshare is where the Washington Commanders official guidance is firm. The Northwest team specifically advises fans not to request rideshare pickups at the stadium after games. Rideshare drivers generally will not accept rides during the post-game window because of the traffic surrounding Landover, and surge pricing tends to spike for 30 to 60 minutes after the final whistle. The official recommendation is to use the Metro for the return trip or to walk a stop or two and request a pickup from a Metro station away from the stadium.

Rideshare works best for Washington Commanders fans who want a one-way ride to the gates without managing parking, and who plan to take the Metro home or build extra cushion into the post-game schedule. Uber and Lyft handle the arrival cleanly, but the demand pattern after Commanders games is uneven and can produce real waits. For Metro-accessible fans, comparing rideshare against the Blue or Silver Line is usually the right call because the train often beats rideshare on both cost and post-game time.

Did You Know: Northwest Stadium

Northwest Stadium opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, named for the Washington owner who oversaw construction. After Daniel Snyder purchased the Washington team and stadium from the Cooke estate in May 1999, the building was briefly renamed Redskins Stadium before naming rights were sold to FedEx for a 27-year deal at an average of $7.6 million per year. The venue was renamed FedExField on November 21, 1999, and carried that name until February 2024 when FedEx exited the contract two years early. The stadium operated as Commanders Field through the spring and summer of 2024 before the current Northwest Stadium name was rolled out on September 15, 2024 ahead of the Washington Commanders home opener against the New York Giants.

The Northwest naming-rights deal was struck in August 2024 with Northwest Federal Credit Union, an eight-year agreement reported as worth more on average than the previous FedEx deal. The deal runs through 2032 and includes Northwest branding throughout the building, on the Washington Commanders practice jerseys, and across team community programs. The Washington team itself was sold by Daniel Snyder to a group led by Josh Harris in July 2023 for $6.05 billion, a price that set the record for a North American sports franchise sale at the time. Harris's company, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), now operates non-NFL events at the building, while the Washington Commanders organization runs the football side directly.

Capacity has shifted over time. Northwest Stadium had the largest capacity in the NFL at 91,000 from 2004 through 2010, when 14,000 upper-deck seats were removed in the early 2010s and another 4,000 came out by 2015, putting capacity at 62,000 by 2022. In 2025, 1,500 seats were re-added, bringing the current capacity to 64,000. The current Washington Commanders lease at the Landover site runs through 2027. In 2025, the Washington Commanders and D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced plans to build a new Washington Commanders stadium at the former RFK Stadium site in Washington, D.C., with a target completion of 2030. Until that opens, Northwest Stadium remains the home of the Washington Commanders and the focus of every Washington Commanders travel plan to the D.C. area.

Plan Your Commanders Trip With Elite Sports Tours

At Elite Sports Tours, planning how to get to Northwest Stadium is built into the structure of the trip from the beginning. Hotel location, arrival timing, walkability, transit access, and parking strategy all affect how smooth a Washington Commanders weekend feels once you land. Instead of leaving those decisions to the last minute, we help travelers line up the pieces in a way that reduces friction and protects the quality of the overall trip.

This matters most for out-of-town visitors who are flying in, checking into a hotel, and trying to judge whether the Metro Blue Line, Silver Line, rideshare, or driving is the better fit for their schedule. The right choice depends on where you stay, when you arrive, and how much flexibility you want before and after kickoff. When those details are planned properly, the entire Washington Commanders experience feels easier and more controlled.

For fans looking to simplify the entire process, Washington Commanders Travel Packages combine game tickets, hotel accommodations in optimal locations, and a structured approach to getting to Northwest Stadium. This removes uncertainty and allows you to focus on the experience rather than the logistics.

Commanders Transportation FAQ

What is the best way to get to Northwest Stadium for Commanders games?

For Washington Commanders fans staying in downtown Washington, Arlington, or Alexandria, the Washington Metro Blue or Silver Line to Morgan Boulevard Station is usually the fastest and most cost-effective option. Morgan Boulevard sits about a 20-minute walk from the Northwest gates. For fans driving in from Maryland or northern Virginia, prepaid permits at the Northwest lots are the most efficient option. Rideshare through Uber or Lyft is a viable third choice for the trip in, though the Northwest team advises against using rideshare for the post-game return.

How much is parking at Northwest Stadium?

Standard Green Pass parking at Northwest Stadium runs 50 to 70 dollars per car, the Gold Pass for preferred lots runs 75 to 90 dollars, and Premium and Club passes start at 100 dollars. All general parking is prepaid only through Ticketmaster. The Gray Lot is the one cash-only, first-come exception, and it can sell out two to three hours before kickoff for high-demand Commanders games.

Is there public transit to Northwest Stadium?

Yes. The Washington Metro Blue and Silver Lines both run directly to Morgan Boulevard Station, which sits about one mile (a 20-minute walk) from the Northwest gates. There are no shuttle services from the station to the stadium under normal operations, so fans walk along Garrett Morgan Boulevard. Metro Access vans can be scheduled in advance and drop off at Gates A and E.

Can you take Uber or Lyft to Northwest Stadium?

Yes for arrival, but with caution for the return trip. Uber and Lyft route to the Rideshare Lot at the Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex at 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD 20785. The Northwest team officially advises fans not to request rideshare pickups at the stadium after games because of post-game traffic, and recommends taking the Washington Metro home instead.

How early should you arrive at Northwest Stadium?

The official Northwest recommendation is to arrive about three hours before kickoff for the smoothest entry. Parking lots open at the same window. Washington Commanders fans planning to tailgate should arrive close to the gate opening to lock in position. For high-demand Commanders games and primetime kickoffs, arriving earlier helps avoid the heaviest Capital Beltway traffic.

Explore More Commanders Travel Guides

Want to make the most of your NFL road trip? Be sure to check out these related guides for a seamless and memorable experience:

• Washington Commanders Travel Guide for Fans: Plan the perfect trip to catch a Washington Commanders game live at Northwest Stadium.
• How to Get to Northwest Stadium for Washington Commanders Games: Learn the best transportation options for getting to the game without hassle.
• Best Hotels Near Northwest Stadium for Washington Commanders Games Guide: Find the best hotels for Washington Commanders games when planning your sports trip.
• Where the Washington Commanders Stay on the Road Guide: Get insider information on where the Washington Commanders stay when they're on the road and how you can book accommodations close to the action.
• Best Seats and Ticket Options at Washington Commanders Games Guide: Explore the best seating options at Northwest Stadium, from affordable seats to premium suites.
• Northwest Stadium Tours and Attractions Guide: Take an insider's look at Northwest Stadium with exclusive tours and fan experiences.
• Washington Commanders Travel Packages: Explore complete travel packages, including tickets and hotels, for your next trip to see the Washington Commanders.

Editorial Note & Travel Expertise

This guide is based on real-world experience planning Washington Commanders travel and helping fans navigate Northwest Stadium across different types of trips. Every recommendation reflects how transportation, parking, and arrival timing actually work when attending Washington Commanders games, not just general directions or surface-level advice. Northwest Stadium is one of the more transit-accessible stadiums in the NFL when approached with a plan, but the way you plan your arrival still has a direct impact on how smooth your day feels.

Washington Commanders travel often involves more than just getting to Northwest Stadium. Hotel location, flight timing, and transportation choices all connect, and small decisions can change how efficiently you move throughout the day. The goal of this guide is to provide practical, accurate information so you can build a plan that fits your schedule, avoids unnecessary delays, and allows you to focus on the Washington Commanders experience once you arrive.

Travel Information Disclaimer

Transportation routes, parking availability, and transit schedules for Northwest Stadium can change based on game-day operations, municipal projects, and demand. Parking prices, lot access, and Washington Metro service may vary depending on the Washington Commanders schedule and attendance levels.

Public transit services, including the Washington Metro Blue and Silver Lines and Morgan Boulevard Station operations, may adjust frequency or timing based on Washington Commanders schedules. Rideshare availability and wait times can fluctuate significantly before and after Washington Commanders games depending on demand. Travelers should confirm current transportation details, parking options, and timing closer to their travel date to ensure the most accurate planning around Northwest Stadium.

Updated May 2026