Northwest Stadium Game Day Guide
Washington Commanders · Landover, MD
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags may be no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches; one-gallon clear bags and clutches about 4.5 x 6.5 inches are also permitted.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Medically necessary items are allowed after inspection at a designated gate.
- Backpacks, diaper bags, fanny packs, large purses, and other non-compliant bags are prohibited.
- Gate opening
General stadium gates open two hours before kickoff; SeatGeek Legends Plaza and the Merrill Touchdown Club open three hours before kickoff.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Mobile tickets
Access Commanders tickets in the team app and present the rotating barcode or a ticket saved to the phone's wallet at the entrance.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Add the ticket to the phone before arriving for faster entry.
- Re-entry
After exiting Northwest Stadium, a guest may return only with a full, unused ticket for that day's event.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Prohibited items
Northwest Stadium prohibits weapons, outside food and drink, most containers, non-compliant bags, detachable camera lenses five inches or longer, umbrellas, strollers outside suites, noisemakers, drones, and other listed items.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Guests may be denied entry if they refuse screening or attempt to enter with a prohibited item.
- Review the complete official list before leaving home.
- First aid
First aid stations are at Sections 103 and 125 on the Main Concourse, Sections 303 and 324 on the Club Level, and Sections 403 and 430 on the Upper Concourse.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Nursing and lactation
Nursing pods for feeding or pumping are on the Club Level beside the elevator towers at Sections 303 and 324.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms with baby-changing stations are at the Gate A and Gate E elevator towers on every level.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Tickets for children
Children younger than three may attend a Commanders game without a ticket after receiving a lap pass at an entrance gate; children three and older need a ticket.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- The child must be present when the lap pass is issued.
- Guest services
Guest Services booths are across from Sections 104, 124, 304, 324, 404, and 431.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- For event-day assistance, text SAFE to 703-266-6263 or call 301-276-6100.
- Service animals
Task-trained dogs and miniature horses, including service animals in training, are permitted; emotional support animals are not.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- The animal must remain leashed throughout the visit. Contact tickets@commanders.com for seating accommodations.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking is prohibited in seating bowls, the main concourse, Legends Plaza, portals, tunnels, the Gate A ramp, and restrooms; use only the published designated smoking areas.
Applies to: Washington Commanders games
- Designated locations include exterior ramps beginning on Level 2, the exterior Upper Concourse, and smoking decks outside the Club Level at E Tower.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Northwest Stadium, hour by hour.
Lots Open for Tailgating
Stadium parking lots open 4 hours before kickoff. Early arrivals start setting up grills and claiming their tailgate spots.
Tailgate Scene Builds
The lots fill with burgundy and gold. The smell of half-smokes and BBQ drifts across the asphalt as fans gather around portable TVs watching early games.
Gates Open
Stadium gates open. Head inside to explore the concourse, check out the team shop, or grab a crab cake sandwich early.
Player Warmups
Players take the field for warmups. Arrive early for a chance to see the Commanders up close from the lower bowl.
Find Your Seats
Grab your game-day food and settle in. The energy builds as Hail to the Commanders echoes through the stadium.
Game Time
67,000+ fans strong in burgundy and gold. Northwest Stadium is loudest when the Commanders are competitive, and the faithful show up regardless of the record.
Exit Strategy
Metro runs extended hours on game days. If driving, I-495 Beltway traffic clears within 30-45 minutes. Many fans stay in the lots to continue tailgating.
Tips & Fan Reports
Get there early - leaving later than you think because of traffic is guaranteed. Take a walk around and check out the tailgating scene even if you're not set up yourself.
The stadium itself is showing its age. But the fans are loyal and the tailgating culture has gotten better in the lots along Garrett Morgan Blvd.
Bring layers for late-season games, Northwest Stadium is open-air and the Maryland wind can be sharp.
Eat before you get to the stadium. The food options inside are below average for an NFL venue. Ben's Chili Bowl has a stand but the line is long.
Metro Blue or Silver Line to Morgan Boulevard is the easiest option. Parking at the stadium is expensive and the roads around Landover are a nightmare.
The Metro Blue/Silver Line to Morgan Boulevard is the easiest way to get there from anywhere in the DC area.
Wear burgundy and gold. Commanders fans are fiercely loyal to the team's identity and history.
Weather
Northwest Stadium is open air, so these are the conditions you sit in.
Across the NFL season the warmest month is September, with an average high of 82°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 28°F. October is the wettest month at 4.2 inches and January the driest at 3.0 inches.
That January low ranks 15th coldest of the 32 NFL venues, and October here ranks 15th wettest.
September
4.1 inchesOctober
4.2 inchesNovember
3.2 inchesDecember
3.7 inchesJanuary
3.0 inchesWashington Commanders Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
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How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: General stadium gates open two hours before kickoff; SeatGeek Legends Plaza and the Merrill Touchdown Club open three hours before kickoff.
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Commanders and Northwest Stadium A-Z, accessibility, entry, parking, mobile-ticketing, and mobile-pay guidance reviewed for all structured venue-policy topics.