Washington, D.C., has professional football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, and soccer teams, and of those five, it’s the 2018 Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals ice-hockey team, whose fans are the most passionate. And visible: In season you’ll see the red-jersey'd devotees swarming downtown before and after matches at the Capital One Arena. Tickets to the Caps games are attainable but not cheap. It’s the tickets to the Redskins football games that remain most elusive, thanks to a loyal subscription base.
Annual Sporting Events
Citi Open: This U.S. Open series event (formerly known as the Legg Mason Tennis Classic) attracts more than 72,000 people to watch tennis pros compete for big bucks. A portion of the profits benefits the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation. The tournament takes place for about 9 days starting in mid- to late July at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park (www.citiopentennis.com, tel. 202/721-9500).
Marine Corps Marathon: Thirty-thousand runners compete in this 26.2-mile race (the third-largest marathon in the United States), which winds past major memorials. The race takes place on a Sunday in late October; 2019 marks its 44th year (www.marinemarathon.com, tel. 800/786-8762).
General Spectator Sports
Baseball -- Washington, D.C.’s Major League Baseball team, the Nationals, play at the finely designed Nationals Park (www.nationals.com; 1500 S. Capitol St. SE; tel. 202/675-6287), located in southeast Washington’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. The 41,000-seat stadium is now the centerpiece of this newly vibrant waterfront locale, whose plentiful restaurants, bars, and fun activities will keep you busy, if you want to arrive early for the game or amuse yourself afterward. Metro: Navy Yard.
Basketball -- The 20,600-seat Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW, where it meets 7th Street (www.capitalonearena.com; tel. 202/628-3200), in the center of downtown, is Washington’s premier indoor-sports arena, where the Wizards (NBA), the Mystics (WNBA), and the Georgetown University Hoyas basketball teams play. Metro: Gallery Place/Arena.
Football -- The Redskins National Football League team plays at the 85,000-seat stadium FedEx Field, outside Washington, in Landover, Maryland. Obtaining tickets is difficult thanks to season-ticket holders, but if you want to try, visit www.redskins.com/fedexfield or www.stubhub.com.
Ice Hockey -- D.C. ice hockey fans rejoiced in 2018 when their beloved Washington Capitals brought home the Stanley Cup, winning its first NHL championship in franchise history. The team rink is inside the 20,600-seat Capital One Arena, 601 F St. NW (www.capitalonearena.com; tel. 202/628-3200), in the center of downtown. Metro: Gallery Place/Arena.
Soccer -- The D.C. men’s Major League Soccer Club team, D.C. United (www.dcunited.com), which has been around since 1994, finally has its own arena, the 20,000-seat capacity Audi Field, 1711 First St. SW (www.audifielddc.com; tel. 202/587-5000, in an area called Buzzard Point, in the Southwest Waterfront, abutting the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. The city's National Women’s Soccer League team, Washington Spirit (www.washingtonspirit.com), will also play matches here. Metro: Navy Yard.
Tennis -- World Team Tennis franchise team, the Washington Kastles (www.washingtonkastles.com), plays at the Kastles Stadium at the Smith Center, 600 22nd St. NW, on the campus of George Washington University. WTT is a coed professional tennis league; the Kastles team includes Venus Williams, Madison Brengle, and Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (tel. 202/483-6647). Metro: Foggy Bottom.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.