Capital One Arena
Capital One Arena in Washington, Washington, D.C. is home to the Washington Wizards (NBA, Eastern Conference) and the Georgetown Hoyas (Big East, NCAA Division I). It opened in 1997, making it 29 years old in 2026 and seats 20,356 for basketball. That makes it the 3rd-largest arena in NBA.
NBA arena (Wizards); women at McDonough Gymnasium.
Arena facts
- Location
- Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Home of
- Washington Wizards
Georgetown Hoyas - School
- Georgetown University
- Conference
- NBA · Eastern Conference · Southeast Division
Big East - Opened
- 1997
- Capacity
- 20,356
- Former names
- MCI Center (1997–2006)
Verizon Center (2006–2017) - Also home to
- Washington Capitals (NHL)
Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball (NCAA)
Washington Mystics (WNBA, 1998–2018, former) - Size rank in NBA
- 3rd of 30
Famous games at Capital One Arena
- Dec. 2, 1997: The MCI Center opened with President Bill Clinton in attendance as the Wizards beat the Seattle SuperSonics 95-78.
- Feb. 11, 2001: Allen Iverson scored 15 in the final nine minutes as the East rallied from 21 down to win the All-Star Game 111-110.
- Dec. 29, 2001: Thirty-eight-year-old Michael Jordan scored 51 points for the Wizards in a 107-90 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
- March 26, 2006: Eleventh-seeded George Mason stunned top seed Connecticut 86-84 in overtime in the regional final to reach the Final Four.
- May 12, 2017: John Wall's three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left gave the Wizards a 92-91 win over Boston in Game 6, forcing a Game 7.
Game night
Getting there. Sits atop Metro's Gallery Place station.
Seating & views at Capital One Arena
Capital One Arena seats 20,356 for basketball and was built vertically, which keeps upper seats closer to the court but leaves tight legroom up top. Seating runs from the 100-level lower bowl to the 200 level (home of the Ultra Club), a 300-level suite ring and the 400-level upper deck. A $1 billion renovation runs through 2027; six of eight new suite spaces are done for 2026-27, with upper terraces still to come.
Parking & tailgating at Capital One Arena
The arena sits directly on top of Metro's Gallery Place-Chinatown station (Red, Green and Yellow lines), and Judiciary Square, Metro Center and Archives stations are all walkable. The arena has its own garage, where grilling and tailgating are not allowed, and the official prepaid parking partner is SpotHero, which sells passes for nearby lots and garages ahead of time. With downtown traffic on game nights, Metro is the easiest way in.
Plan your trip to Capital One Arena
Arenas near Capital One Arena10
- 1D-ICharles E. Smith Center — George Washington Revolutionaries same city
- 2D-IBurr Gymnasium — Howard Bison same city
- 3D-IBender Arena — American Eagles same city
- 4WNBACareFirst Arena — Washington Mystics same city
- 5D-IXfinity Center — Maryland Terrapins 6 mi
- 6D-IEagleBank Arena — George Mason Patriots 15 mi
- 7D-IAlumni Hall — Navy Midshipmen 28 mi
- 8D-IChesapeake Employers Insurance Arena — UMBC Retrievers 30 mi
- 9D-IPhysical Education Complex — Coppin State Eagles 35 mi
- 10D-ITalmadge L. Hill Field House — Morgan State Bears 35 mi
Questions about Capital One Arena
Where do the Washington Wizards play home games?
The Washington Wizards play at Capital One Arena in Washington, Washington, D.C..
Where do the Georgetown Hoyas play home games?
The Georgetown Hoyas play at Capital One Arena in Washington, Washington, D.C..
How many people does Capital One Arena hold?
Capital One Arena seats 20,356 for basketball.
When did Capital One Arena open?
Capital One Arena opened in 1997.
What other arenas are near Capital One Arena?
Charles E. Smith Center is also in Washington. See the full list of nearby arenas on this page.
Facts are for the 2026–27 season. Distances are straight-line miles between city centers. Capacity figures vary by source. See something wrong? Let us know. Is this your arena? Get the “Listed on Hoops Arenas” badge for your website.