Northwest Stadium is the home football venue of the Washington Commanders, located in Landover, Maryland, about 2.5 miles east of Washington, D.C. Designed by HOK Sport (now Populous), it opened on September 14, 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, named in honor of the team’s late longtime owner, and cost roughly $251 million to build.
Since opening, the stadium has carried several corporate names, including Redskins Stadium, FedExField for a quarter-century, and briefly Commanders Field, before becoming Northwest Stadium in 2024 under a naming-rights deal with Northwest Federal Credit Union. Beyond football, it has hosted 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup matches and major concerts, though its capacity has shrunk considerably from its record-setting peak.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Washington Commanders (NFL)
- Location: Landover, Maryland
- Opened: September 14, 1997
- Original capacity: About 80,116
- Capacity: About 64,000 (current)
- Architect: HOK Sport (now Populous)
- Construction cost: About $251 million
- Notable fact: Held the NFL’s largest capacity at about 91,000 from 2004 to 2010
A Stadium of Many Names
Few NFL venues have changed names as often as Northwest Stadium. It opened in 1997 as Jack Kent Cooke Stadium, was briefly called Redskins Stadium in 1999, then spent 25 years as FedExField under a naming-rights agreement with FedEx. When that deal ended, the venue was renamed Commanders Field in 2024 before Northwest Federal Credit Union secured naming rights later that same year, giving the stadium its current identity.
Through every name change, the stadium’s role as the Commanders’ home base has stayed constant. Its bowl-shaped seating and open-air design have made it a fixture of the Washington, D.C. sports landscape for over two decades.
From Record Capacity to Renovation
At its peak, the stadium seated about 91,000 fans, making it the largest stadium in the NFL from 2004 to 2010. Ownership has since removed seating in stages, bringing capacity down to roughly 64,000 today, a shift aimed at improving sightlines and the overall fan experience.
The venue has also drawn persistent criticism over aging infrastructure and maintenance issues. The Commanders have announced plans to relocate to a new stadium on the RFK Campus in Washington, D.C., targeted to open around 2030, after which Northwest Stadium is expected to be demolished.
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Northwest Stadium FAQs
What team plays at Northwest Stadium?
The Washington Commanders of the NFL have played their home games at Northwest Stadium since it opened in 1997.
Why has Northwest Stadium had so many names?
Its name has changed with ownership tributes and corporate naming-rights deals, going from Jack Kent Cooke Stadium to Redskins Stadium, FedExField, Commanders Field, and finally Northwest Stadium in 2024.
How big is Northwest Stadium?
It currently seats about 64,000 fans, down from an original capacity of roughly 80,116 and a peak of about 91,000 in the mid-2000s.
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Photo: Maryland GovPics / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.