List of American and Canadian cities by number of major professional sports franchises

This is a list of metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada categorized by the number of major professional sports franchises in their metropolitan areas.

Major professional sports leagues

Main article: Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada

The major professional sports leagues, or simply major leagues, in the United States and Canada are the highest professional competitions of team sports in the two countries. Although individual sports such as golf, mixed martial arts, tennis, and auto racing are also very popular, the term is usually limited to team sports.

The term "major league" was first used in 1921 in reference to Major League Baseball (MLB), the top level of professional American baseball. Today, the major northern North America professional team sports leagues are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL). ^[1] These four leagues are also commonly referred to as the Big Four. Each is the richest professional club competition in its respective sport worldwide. The best players can become cultural icons in both countries and elsewhere in the world, because the leagues enjoy a significant place in popular culture in the U.S. and Canada. The NFL and NHL each have 32 teams, and the MLB and the NBA each have 30 teams.

Baseball, football and hockey have had professional leagues for over 100 years; early leagues such as the National Association, Ohio League and National Hockey Association formed the basis of the modern MLB, NFL and NHL respectively. Basketball is a relatively new development; the NBA evolved from the National Basketball League and its splinter group the Basketball Association of America, taking on its current form in 1949. The fifth biggest professional sports league is Major League Soccer (MLS). While soccer is very popular globally, in Canada and the United States it has struggled to become established with several professional leagues being established and folding before MLS was founded in 1996. The Canadian Football League (CFL), a much smaller league (9 teams), is also popular in Canada. All six of these leagues draw 15,000 or more fans in attendance per game on average as of 2015. This list includes a ranking by teams in the Big Four (B4) and a separate ranking including MLS and CFL teams called the Big Six (B6).

The most recent market to receive a new "Big Four" team is Seattle, Washington, which saw the NHL's Seattle Kraken make their debut for the 2021-22 season. The largest urban area without a team in one of the big four leagues is the 30th-ranked Austin region, though it has a Major League Soccer team. The largest urban area without a team in one of the big six leagues is the 37th-ranked Virginia Beach-Norfolk region.

Teams by urban area

The following list contains all urban areas in the United States and Canada containing at least one team in any of the six major leagues. The number of teams in the big four leagues (B4) and the big six leagues (B6), and the city's teams in the National Football League (NFL), ^[2] Major League Baseball (MLB), ^[3] the National Basketball Association (NBA), ^[4] the National Hockey League (NHL), ^[5] Major League Soccer (MLS) ^[6] and the Canadian Football League (CFL). ^[7] No metropolitan area has teams in all six leagues, as NFL teams are exclusively in the United States and CFL teams are exclusively in Canada.

Metropolitan area	Country	Pop. rank	Population (2023 est.) [8]	B4	NFL	MLB	NBA	NHL	B6	MLS	CFL
New York City	United States	1	21,396,000	9	Giants Jets [note 1]	Yankees Mets [note 2]	Knicks Nets	Rangers Islanders Devils [note 3]	11	Red Bulls New York City FC	—
Los Angeles	United States	2	15,587,000	8	Rams Chargers [note 4]	Dodgers Angels	Lakers Clippers	Kings Ducks	10	Galaxy Los Angeles FC [note 5]	—
Washington-Baltimore	United States	4	7,853,000	6	Commanders Ravens [note 6]	Nationals Orioles [note 7]	Wizards [note 8]	Capitals	7	D.C. United	[note 9]
Chicago	United States	3	8,954,000	5	Bears [note 10]	Cubs White Sox	Bulls [note 11]	Blackhawks	6	Fire	—
San Francisco Bay Area	United States	7	6,844,000	5	49ers [note 12]	Giants Athletics	Warriors	Sharks [note 13]	6	Earthquakes	—
Boston	United States	5	7,429,000	4	Patriots [note 14]	Red Sox [note 15]	Celtics	Bruins	5	Revolution	—
Dallas–Fort Worth	United States	6	6,979,000	4	Cowboys [note 16]	Rangers	Mavericks	Stars	5	FC Dallas	—
Miami–Fort Lauderdale	United States	10	6,139,000	4	Dolphins	Marlins	Heat	Panthers	5	Inter Miami CF [note 17]	—
Philadelphia	United States	11	5,795,000	4	Eagles [note 18]	Phillies [note 19]	76ers [note 20]	Flyers [note 21]	5	Union	—
Minneapolis–Saint Paul	United States	22	2,796,000	4	Vikings [note 22]	Twins	Timberwolves [note 23]	Wild [note 24]	5	United FC	—
Denver	United States	25	2,308,000	4	Broncos	Rockies	Nuggets [note 25]	Avalanche [note 26]	5	Rapids	—
Phoenix	United States	13	4,617,000	4	Cardinals	Diamondbacks	Suns	Coyotes	4	—	—
Detroit	United States	14	4,258,000	4	Lions [note 27]	Tigers [note 28]	Pistons [note 29]	Red Wings	4	—	—
Toronto–Hamilton	Canada	8	6,837,000	3	— [note 30]	Blue Jays	Raptors [note 31]	Maple Leafs [note 32]	6	Toronto FC	Argonauts Tiger-Cats
Houston	United States	9	6,703,000	3	Texans [note 33]	Astros	Rockets	—	4	Dynamo	—
Atlanta	United States	12	5,702,000	3	Falcons	Braves	Hawks	[note 34]	4	United FC	—
Seattle	United States	15	4,001,000	3	Seahawks	Mariners [note 35]	[note 36]	Kraken	4	Sounders FC	—
Tampa Bay Area	United States	17	3,203,000	3	Buccaneers	Rays	[note 37]	Lightning	3	[note 38]	—
Cleveland	United States	21	2,871,000	3	Browns [note 39]	Guardians [note 40]	Cavaliers [note 41]	[note 42]	3	—	—
Pittsburgh	United States	33	1,738,000	3	Steelers	Pirates	[note 43]	Penguins [note 44]	3	—	—
Charlotte	United States	20	2,879,000	2	Panthers	—	Hornets [note 45]	—	3	Charlotte FC	—
St. Louis	United States	27	2,247,000	2	[note 46]	Cardinals [note 47]	[note 48]	Blues [note 49]	3	St. Louis City SC	—
Kansas City	United States	32	1,794,000	2	Chiefs [note 50]	Royals [note 51]	[note 52]	[note 53]	3	Sporting Kansas City	—
Cincinnati	United States	35	1,698,000	2	Bengals [note 54]	Reds [note 55]	[note 56]	—	3	FC Cincinnati	—
Nashville	United States	42	1,195,000	2	Titans	—	—	Predators	3	Nashville SC	—
Las Vegas	United States	26	2,260,000	2	Raiders	—	[note 57]	Golden Knights	2	—	[note 58]
Indianapolis	United States	34	1,733,000	2	Colts	[note 59]	Pacers [note 60]	—	2	—	—
Milwaukee	United States	41	1,302,000	2	[note 61]	Brewers [note 62]	Bucks [note 63]	—	2	—	—
Buffalo	United States	51	949,000	2	Bills [note 64]	[note 65]	[note 66]	Sabres	2	—	—
New Orleans	United States	52	906,000	2	Saints	—	Pelicans [note 67]	—	2	—	—
Montreal	Canada	16	3,750,000	1	—	[note 68]	—	Canadiens [note 69]	3	CF Montréal	Alouettes
Vancouver	Canada	23	2,484,000	1	—	—	[note 70]	Canucks	3	Whitecaps FC	Lions
Orlando	United States	19	3,075,000	1	—	—	Magic	—	2	Orlando City SC	—
Salt Lake City	United States	24	2,463,000	1	—	—	Jazz	—	2	Real Salt Lake	—
Portland	United States	28	2,117,000	1	—	—	Trail Blazers	—	2	Timbers	—
Columbus	United States	36	1,599,000	1	[note 71]	—	—	Blue Jackets	2	Crew	—
Calgary	Canada	39	1,349,000	1	—	—	—	Flames	2	—	Stampeders
Edmonton	Canada	43	1,186,000	1	—	—	—	Oilers	2	—	Elks [note 72]
Ottawa	Canada	45	1,087,000	1	—	—	—	Senators [note 73]	2	—	Redblacks [note 74]
Winnipeg	Canada	61	774,000	1	—	—	—	Jets [note 75]	2	—	Blue Bombers
San Diego	United States	18	3,078,000	1	[note 76]	Padres	[note 77]	—	1	[note 78]	—
San Antonio	United States	29	2,088,000	1	[note 79]	—	Spurs	—	1	—	[note 80]
Sacramento	United States	30	1,976,000	1	—	—	Kings	—	1	—	[note 81]
Raleigh	United States	37	1,588,000	1	—	—	—	Hurricanes	1	—	—
Jacksonville	United States	40	1,306,000	1	Jaguars	—	—	—	1	—	—
Memphis	United States	47	1,060,000	1	[note 82]	—	Grizzlies	—	1	—	[note 83]
Oklahoma City	United States	48	1,013,000	1	—	—	Thunder [note 84]	—	1	—	—
Green Bay	United States	—	328,268 [15]	1	Packers	—	—	—	1	—	—
Austin	United States	31	1,943,000	0	—	—	—	—	1	Austin FC	—
Regina	Canada	—	249,217 [15]	0	—	—	—	—	1	—	Roughriders
Totals	—	—	–	124	32	30	30	32	162	29 [note 78]	9

Notes

1. Seven NFL teams have previously played in the New York City area: the New York Giants (1921; no relation to the current Giants), the Brooklyn Lions/Horsemen 1926, the New York Yankees (1927-1929), the Orange/Newark Tornadoes (1929-1930), the Staten Island Stapletons (1929-1932), the Brooklyn Dodgers/Tigers/Yanks (1930-1945) and the New York Bulldogs/Yanks (1949-1951).
2. The New York Mutuals played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, but were expelled at the end of that season. The next year, the Hartford Dark Blues moved to nearby Brooklyn (then an independent city) and played the 1877 season as the Hartfords before it dissolved. The Gothams/Giants played in Manhattan from 1883 and the Brooklyn Atlantics/​Grays/​Bridegrooms/​Grooms/​Bridegrooms/​Superbas/​Trolley Dodgers/​Superbas/Robins/​Dodgers played in Brooklyn (which became part of New York City in 1898) from 1890 (when it joined the NL from the AA); both teams respectively moved to San Francisco and Los Angeles in 1958. Before the move to the West Coast, the Dodgers played several home games in Jersey City at Roosevelt Stadium. The Newark Peppers were a member of the Federal League in 1915.
3. The New York/Brooklyn Americans played in the NHL from 1925 until suspending operations in 1942, and were disbanded in 1946.
4. The Rams and Chargers are both in their second stints in the Los Angeles market. The Rams arrived from Cleveland in 1946 and played in the L.A. area until moving to St. Louis after the 1995 season; they would return to L.A. in 2016. The Chargers were originally based in Los Angeles, playing there for the AFL's first season in 1960 before moving to San Diego, where they would play until returning to L.A. in 2017. In addition to the Rams and Chargers, two other NFL teams have called Los Angeles home. The Buccaneers (no relation to NFL franchise in Tampa) played in the 1926 season; despite representing Los Angeles, the team operated out of Chicago because of the difficulty of transcontinental travel in the era before modern air travel. The Oakland Raiders played in Los Angeles from 1982 to 1994, before they moved back to Oakland.
5. Club Deportivo Chivas USA was a Major League Soccer club that existed between 2005 and 2014 before folding. ^[9]
6. The Washington Senators played 1 season in the NFL (then APFA) in 1921. The Commanders were known as the Redskins from 1937, when they moved from Boston, until 2020 when the name was temporarily changed to the Washington Football Team; the Commanders name was adopted in 2022. Baltimore was home to two NFL teams, both named the Colts. The original Colts played in the 1950 NFL season before folding, while the second Colts team played from 1953 until it relocated to Indianapolis following the 1983 season.
7. Before the then-Montreal Expos moved to Washington in 2005, four MLB teams (two per league) had played in Washington. In the National League, the original Nationals played from 1886 to 1889. Three teams also played under the name of the Washington Senators: The NL's Senators, who played from 1892 until it was contracted in 1899, and two American League Senators teams (the Senators/​Nationals/​Senators, who moved to Minneapolis in 1960 and a new Senators team which moved to Dallas in 1971). The original Orioles joined the National League in 1892 from the defunct American Association and played there until they were contracted from the NL in 1899. Another Orioles team played in the American League for two years, before dissolving after the 1902 season.
8. The Washington Capitols were a charter member of what became the NBA; the team dissolved midway through the 1950-1951 season. Baltimore was home to two NBA teams, both named the Bullets. The original Bullets played in the American Basketball League and NBA from 1944 to 1954. The second team was founded in 1963, following the relocation of the Chicago Zephyrs to Maryland. For the next 11 seasons, the Bullets played in Baltimore before moving to Landover, Maryland, within the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, in 1973.
9. Baltimore was granted a CFL expansion franchise in 1994, the Baltimore Stallions, which relocated to Montreal after the 1995 season to become the current Montreal Alouettes.
10. The Chicago Tigers played one season in the NFL (then APFA) in 1920, while the Chicago Cardinals were a charter franchise of the NFL, before moving to St. Louis in 1960.
11. Chicago has had two prior NBA teams: the Stags existed from 1946 to 1950 before folding and the Packers/Zephyrs played from 1961 to 1963, before moving to Baltimore.
12. The Oakland Raiders called Oakland home from 1960 until 1982 and again from 1995 until 2019 before relocating to Las Vegas becoming the Las Vegas Raiders.
13. The California Golden Seals were an NHL expansion team which played in Oakland from 1967–76, when they moved to Cleveland to become the Cleveland Barons.
14. Before the Patriots joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, three other NFL teams had played in Boston: the Bulldogs (1929, disbanded), the Braves/Redskins (1932-1936, moved to Washington) and the Yanks (1944-1948, moved to New York and became the Bulldogs).
15. The Red Caps/​Beaneaters/​Doves/​Rustlers/​Braves/​Bees/​Braves played in the National League from the league's 1876 inception until it moved to Milwaukee in 1953.
16. Two other top-level football teams have played as the Dallas Texans. The first Texans played in the NFL for one season in 1952. The second Texans were one of the eight original teams of the AFL in 1960, and played under that name through the 1962 season, after which they moved to Kansas City, Missouri and began play under their current name of Kansas City Chiefs.
17. Miami Fusion F.C. was an MLS club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that played from 1998 to 2001 when they folded. ^[10]
18. The Frankford Yellow Jackets played from 1924-1931.
19. The Athletics played in the National League's inaugural season in 1876, before being expelled from the league. Another Athletics team was established in the American League in 1901 and played until 1954, when the team moved to Kansas City.
20. The Philadelphia Warriors played from 1946-1962.
21. The Quakers played in the NHL for the 1930-1931 season. Afterwards, the team suspended operations for the next five years before officially announcing their dissolution in 1936.
22. The Minneapolis Marines/Red Jackets played in the NFL from 1921-1924 and again from 1929-1930.
23. The Minneapolis Lakers played in the NBA (formerly BAA) from 1947 to 1960, when the team moved to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Lakers.
24. The Minnesota North Stars were an NHL expansion team that played in Bloomington from 1967 to 1993, when the team moved to Dallas and became the Dallas Stars.
25. The Denver Nuggets joined the NBA in 1949 as a result of the BAA's merger with the NBL, but dissolved following their first NBA season; the current Denver Nuggets joined the NBA as part of the ABA–NBA merger of 1976 and are not related to the original Nuggets.
26. The Kansas City Scouts relocated to become the Colorado Rockies in 1976, but subsequently moved again and were renamed the New Jersey Devils in 1982. The current Colorado Avalanche were established when the Quebec Nordiques relocated from Quebec City in 1995.
27. Detroit was home to the NFL (then APFA) Detroit Heralds/Tigers from 1920-1921, the Detroit Panthers from 1925-1926, and finally the Detroit Wolverines in 1928.
28. The Detroit Wolverines played in the National League from 1881 until the team disbanded in 1888.
29. The Detroit Falcons played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, but disbanded following that season.
30. While Toronto has not had an NFL franchise, the Buffalo Bills did host one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at the Rogers Centre from 2008 to 2013 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
31. The Toronto Huskies played in the inaugural season of what would become the NBA, before dissolving. The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that played a total of 16 home games in Toronto from 1971 to 1975. ^[11]
32. The Hamilton Tigers played in the NHL from 1920 to 1925 before relocating to New York City to become the New York Americans; that team folded in 1946.
33. Houston hosted the Houston Oilers from 1960 (where they played in the AFL until its merger with the NFL in 1970) through 1996 when the team moved to Tennessee—initially being called the Tennessee Oilers in its first season in Memphis and its second season in Nashville until ultimately being renamed the Tennessee Titans upon the opening of the team's current Nashville stadium in 1999.
34. The NHL expanded to Atlanta in 1972 with the Atlanta Flames, but the team departed for Calgary, Alberta in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames. In 1999 another expansion franchise, the Atlanta Thrashers, was established, but this team moved to Winnipeg and became the current Winnipeg Jets in 2011.
35. The Seattle Pilots played one season in 1969, before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.
36. The Seattle SuperSonics began play in 1967, but in 2008 was moved to Oklahoma City and was renamed as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
37. The Toronto Raptors temporarily played in Tampa in Amalie Arena due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21.
38. The Tampa Bay Mutiny was a charter franchise of MLS in 1996. However, the franchise folded in 2001. ^[10]
39. Five other NFL teams have played in the Cleveland area: the Tigers (1920-1922; the team suspended operations and could not pay an annual guarantee), the Indians/Bulldogs (1923-1927, when the team moved to Detroit and became the Wolverines), the Indians (1931), the Rams (1937-1946; moved to Los Angeles) and the original Browns (1950-1995). The original Browns' owner Art Modell had planned to move the Browns to Baltimore but was threatened by legal action from both Cleveland and Browns fans; the dispute was resolved when Modell was given an expansion franchise in Baltimore using existing Browns personnel, while the city of Cleveland was allowed to retain the team's intellectual property for a new Browns franchise.
40. 2 former baseball teams played in the National League: the Blues (1879-1884, when the teams was folded into the Brooklyn Grays) and the Spiders (1889-1899, when the team was contracted from the league). The Guardians were known as the Indians from 1914 to 2021.
41. The Cleveland Rebels played in the inaugural season of the NBA's predecessor, the BAA, before dissolving.
42. The California Golden Seals of the NHL relocated to Cleveland for the 1976–77 season and were renamed the Barons. However, the team was merged into the Minnesota North Stars following the 1977–78 season.
43. Pittsburgh had one of the founding members of what became the NBA: the Pittsburgh Ironmen. However, they only played a single season (1946–47) before folding.
44. The Pirates played in the NHL from 1925 until the team moved to Philadelphia in 1930 due to the effects of the Great Depression.
45. The original Hornets franchise played in the NBA from 1988 to 2002, before moving to New Orleans. The current Hornets were established in 2004 as the Charlotte Bobcats, but re-assumed the Hornets name in 2014, after the New Orleans Hornets renamed themselves the Pelicans and transferred their records and statistics from their time as the original Hornets to the current Charlotte franchise.
46. St. Louis has hosted four NFL teams: the St. Louis All-Stars in 1923, the St. Louis Gunners who played the last 3 games of the 1934 season, the St. Louis Cardinals who played from 1960 to 1988 before moving to Phoenix, Arizona, and the St. Louis Rams who played from 1995 to 2015, before moving back to Los Angeles.
47. Before the Cardinals joined the National League from the defunct American Association in 1892, St. Louis had been home to two NL teams: the St. Louis Brown Stockings, which dissolved in 1877, and the Maroons, which joined the NL in 1885 from the defunct Union Association and moved to Indianapolis in 1887. In addition, the Browns played in the American League from 1901 until it moved to Baltimore in 1954.
48. St. Louis has been home to two NBA teams: the St. Louis Hawks, who moved to Atlanta and became the Atlanta Hawks in 1968 and the St. Louis Bombers, who folded in 1950. St. Louis was also home to the American Basketball Association (ABA)'s Spirits of St. Louis before the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.
49. The Eagles, a relocation of the Ottawa Senators, played in the NHL for the 1934-1935 season; after a request to suspend operations for the following season was rejected by the NHL, the team was disbanded and its players dispersed among the league's remaining teams.
50. Kansas City was home to the Kansas City Blues/Cowboys from 1924-1926.
51. Kansas City was home to the National League Kansas City Cowboys in 1886 and the American League's Kansas City Athletics from 1955 until it moved to Oakland in 1968.
52. Kansas City had an NBA team from 1972 to 1985, having moved from Cincinnati, Ohio where they were known as the Cincinnati Royals. The team was known as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings from 1972 to 1975 because it played home games in both Kansas City, Missouri and Omaha, Nebraska. Starting with the 1975–76 season, the team played exclusively in Kansas City and was known as the Kansas City Kings. The Kings moved to Sacramento, California in 1985.
53. In 1974 the Kansas City Scouts were granted an NHL expansion franchise. However, the franchise became the Colorado Rockies in 1976.
54. Cincinnati was home to the NFL (then APFA) Cincinnati Celts in 1921 and later the Cincinnati Reds from 1933-1934.
55. The Red Stockings, informally known as the "Reds", played in the National League from 1876 until it was expelled in 1880 for violating league rules. The current Reds joined the NL in 1890 from the AA.
56. The Cincinnati Royals were an NBA team founded as the Rochester Royals in 1948, before moving to Cincinnati in 1957. Upon moving to Kansas City, Missouri in 1972, the team was renamed as the Kansas City-Omaha Kings.
57. Las Vegas has never had an NBA team, but the Utah Jazz played 11 home games in Las Vegas during the 1983-1984 season.
58. The Las Vegas Posse were a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1994 season.
59. The Indianapolis Blues played in the National League for the 1878 season, while the St. Louis Maroons moved to Indianapolis and played as the Hoosiers from 1887 until the team dissolved in 1889. A second Indianapolis Hoosiers team took the field in 1914, and won the championship of the new Federal League, which is officially considered to be a major league. The franchise moved to Newark, New Jersey for the league's second and final season.
60. Before the Pacers joined the NBA in 1976 as a result of the ABA–NBA merger, two NBA teams had played in Indianapolis: the Indianapolis Jets of the NBL joined the BAA (the NBA's immediate predecessor) in 1948, but dissolved the following year when the NBL merged with the BAA, in favor of the NBL's Indianapolis Olympians. The Olympians would disband in 1953.
61. Milwaukee had an NFL franchise from 1922-1926 called the Milwaukee Badgers. A few years after the Badgers folded, the Green Bay Packers would play a portion of their home schedule in Milwaukee on a regular basis from 1933 until 1994.
62. Prior to the Brewers, three MLB teams have played in Milwaukee. In the National League, the Grays played in the 1878 NL season, while the Braves played in the city from 1953 until it moved to Atlanta in 1965. The original Brewers played in the American League's inaugural season in 1901 before moving to St. Louis and becoming the Browns.
63. Milwaukee was home to the Milwaukee Hawks from 1951-1955.
64. Before the Bills joined the NFL as a result of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, two other NFL teams played in the Buffalo area. The All-Americans/​Bisons/​Rangers/​Bisons played in the city under several different owners until 1929 (not playing the 1928 season), while the Tonawanda Kardex Lumbermen played in Tonawanda in the 1921 season, but disbanded after a lopsided loss in their sole NFL game. From the 2008 to 2013 seasons, the Bills hosted one of their regular season games and a number of preseason games at Toronto's Rogers Centre as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
65. The Bisons played in the National League from 1879 until it left the league in 1885; the Bisons have played in the minor leagues in one form or another since. In addition, the Toronto Blue Jays played a majority of their home games in Buffalo during the 2020 season due to COVID-19-related issues preventing the Blue Jays from playing in Toronto.
66. The Buffalo Braves were an NBA team that moved to San Diego, California in 1978 to become the San Diego Clippers.
67. The New Orleans Jazz played in the NBA in 1974 before moving to Salt Lake City in 1979. The Pelicans themselves (not related to the Jazz) were formerly a relocation of the Charlotte Hornets, but in 2013 the renamed Pelicans transferred its records and statistics from their time in Charlotte to the Charlotte Bobcats, who were about to reassume the Hornets name. The Pelicans are now considered an expansion team starting play in 2002 as the New Orleans Hornets, then renaming themselves as the Pelicans in 2013.
68. Montreal was home to a Major League Baseball team, the Montreal Expos, beginning in 1969. However, the team moved to Washington, D.C. in 2005, where it was renamed as the Washington Nationals. ^{[12] [13] [14]}
69. Montreal was home to two other NHL clubs. The Montreal Wanderers who played a portion of the NHL's inaugural 1917/18 season, and the Montreal Maroons who played in the NHL from 1924-1938.
70. The expansion Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA began play in 1995. However, in 2001 the team moved to Memphis, Tennessee and was renamed as the Memphis Grizzlies.
71. Columbus had an NFL team called the Columbus Panhandles that played from 1920-1926.
72. The Elks were known as the Eskimos from 1949 until 2020, then temporarily calling themselves the Edmonton Football Team before adopting the Elks name in 2021.
73. An earlier Ottawa Senators played in the NHL from 1917-1934.
74. Two CFL teams have previously played in the Ottawa area: The Rough Riders, who existed from 1876 to 1996 and the Renegades, who played from 2002 to 2006.
75. The original Winnipeg Jets relocated to become the Phoenix Coyotes (known as the Arizona Coyotes since 2014) in 1996. The current Winnipeg Jets were established by the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.
76. San Diego hosted the San Diego Chargers from 1961 (where they initially played in the AFL until the league's merger with the NFL in 1970) through 2016, at which point the team moved back to its original city of Los Angeles for the 2017 season.
77. San Diego has had two NBA franchises: the San Diego Rockets and the San Diego Clippers. The Rockets represented San Diego from 1967 until 1971 when they moved to Houston, Texas to become the Houston Rockets. Seven years later, the Buffalo Braves moved to town and were renamed the San Diego Clippers, where they played until 1984, when the team relocated to Los Angeles and became the Los Angeles Clippers.
78. San Diego FC, an MLS expansion team, is scheduled to begin play in 2025.
79. San Antonio served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Saints during the 2005 NFL season due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.
80. The San Antonio Texans were a CFL team that played in 1995 CFL season, having relocated from Sacramento, California, where the team had been called the Sacramento Gold Miners, but folded after a single season.
81. The Sacramento Gold Miners were a CFL expansion team based in Sacramento, California for two years before relocating to become the San Antonio Texans.
82. The NFL's Houston Oilers relocated to Memphis for one season (as the Tennessee Oilers) in 1997 before moving to Nashville to become the Tennessee Titans.
83. The Memphis Mad Dogs were a CFL expansion franchise that existed for only the 1995 season.
84. Oklahoma City served as a temporary home for the New Orleans Hornets for two seasons due to the effects of Hurricane Katrina.

Teams by state/province/territory

The number of Big Six teams based on their home state is shown in the map below:

US States by number of major sports teams

The number of Big Six teams based on their home state/province/territory is shown in the map below:

Big 6 sports teams

State Province Districts	Pop. rank (2014) (U.S. [16] + Canada [17] )	Big four teams (B4)	NFL [2]	MLB [3]	NBA [4]	NHL [5]	Big six teams (B6)	MLS [6]	CFL [7]
California	1	15	Chargers Rams 49ers	Angels Dodgers Athletics Padres Giants	Warriors Clippers Lakers Kings	Ducks Kings Sharks	18	Galaxy Los Angeles FC Earthquakes	—
Florida	3	9	Jaguars Dolphins Buccaneers	Marlins Rays	Heat Magic	Panthers Lightning	11	Orlando City SC Inter Miami CF	—
Texas	2	8	Cowboys Texans	Astros Rangers	Mavericks Rockets Spurs	Stars	11	Dynamo FC Dallas Austin FC	—
New York	4	8	Bills [note 1] [note 2]	Mets Yankees	Nets Knicks	Sabres Islanders Rangers	9	New York City FC [note 3]	—
Pennsylvania	7	7	Eagles Steelers	Phillies Pirates	76ers	Flyers Penguins	8	Union	—
Ohio	8	6	Bengals Browns	Reds Guardians	Cavaliers	Blue Jackets	8	Crew FC Cincinnati	—
Illinois	6	5	Bears	Cubs White Sox	Bulls	Blackhawks	6	Fire	—
Ontario	5	4	— [note 1]	Blue Jays	Raptors	Senators Maple Leafs	8	Toronto FC	Tiger-Cats Redblacks Argonauts
Massachusetts	16	4	Patriots	Red Sox	Celtics	Bruins	5	Revolution	—
Colorado	24	4	Broncos	Rockies	Nuggets	Avalanche	5	Rapids	—
Minnesota	23	4	Vikings	Twins	Timberwolves	Wild	5	United FC	—
Missouri	20	4	Chiefs	Royals Cardinals	—	Blues	5	St. Louis City SC	—
Arizona	17	4	Cardinals	Diamondbacks	Suns	Coyotes	4	—	—
Michigan	11	4	Lions	Tigers	Pistons	Red Wings	4	—	—
New Jersey	12	3	Giants [note 2] Jets [note 2]	—	—	Devils	4	Red Bulls [note 3]	—
Washington, D.C.	— [note 4]	3	— [note 5]	Nationals	Wizards	Capitals	4	D.C. United	—
Georgia	9	3	Falcons	Braves	Hawks	—	4	United FC	—
Tennessee	19	3	Titans	—	Grizzlies	Predators	4	Nashville SC	—
Washington	15	3	Seahawks	Mariners	—	Kraken	4	Sounders FC	—
North Carolina	10	3	Panthers	—	Hornets	Hurricanes	4	Charlotte FC	—
Maryland	21	3	Ravens Commanders [note 5]	Orioles	—	—	3	—	—
Wisconsin	22	3	Packers	Brewers	Bucks	—	3	—	—
Alberta	30	2	—	—	—	Flames Oilers	4	—	Stampeders Elks
Indiana	18	2	Colts	—	Pacers	—	2	—	—
Louisiana	27	2	Saints	—	Pelicans	—	2	—	—
Nevada	35	2	Raiders	—	—	Golden Knights	2	—	—
Quebec	14	1	—	—	—	Canadiens	3	CF Montréal	Alouettes
British Columbia	28	1	—	—	—	Canucks	3	Whitecaps FC	Lions
Oregon	31	1	—	—	Trail Blazers	—	2	Timbers	—
Utah	37	1	—	—	Jazz	—	2	Real Salt Lake	—
Manitoba	47	1	—	—	—	Jets	2	—	Blue Bombers
Oklahoma	32	1	—	—	Thunder	—	1	—	—
Kansas	38	0	—	—	—	—	1	Sporting Kansas City [note 6]	—
Saskatchewan	48	0	—	—	—	—	1	—	Roughriders
34 states/­provinces/­districts		124	32	30	30	32	162	29	9

Notes

1. The NFL's Buffalo Bills held one of the team's regular season games each year and a number of pre-season games at Toronto's Rogers Centre from 2008 to 2013 as part of the Bills Toronto Series.
2. The New York Giants and Jets both play their home games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
3. The New York Red Bulls play their home games in Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.
4. Washington, D.C. would have the 57th largest population if it were a state.
5. The Washington Commanders play their home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
6. Sporting Kansas City play their home games at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

See also

• U.S. cities with teams from four major league sports
• List of auto racing tracks in the United States by city
• List of professional golf tournaments in the United States by city
• List of professional sports teams in the United States and Canada
• Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
• Major professional sports teams of the United States and Canada
• List of top level minor league sports teams in the United States by city
• List of soccer clubs in the United States by city

References

1. Everson, Darren (May 7, 2009). "The Four Sports Commissioners Weigh In". The Wall Street Journal. p. D9. Retrieved March 29, 2011.
2. "NFL Football Teams". NFL.com. NFL Enterprises. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
3. "MLB Team Contact Information". MLB.com . MLB Advanced Media . Retrieved July 27, 2020.
4. "Team Index". NBA.com. NBA Media Ventures. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
5. "Teams". NHL.com. NHL Enterprises. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
6. "Clubs". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 18, 2016.
7. "CFL.ca – Official site of the Canadian Football League". Canadian Football League. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
8. "Demographia World Urban Areas – 19th Annual Edition" (PDF). Demographia. August 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 27, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
9. "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment" (Press release). Major League Soccer. October 27, 2014. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
10. Freedman, Jonah (January 5, 2012). "The Throw-In: Did eliminating Tampa, Miami save MLS?". Major League Soccer. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
11. Buffery, Steve (November 3, 2004). "The road was paved". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
12. Bloom, Barry M. (September 29, 2004). "MLB selects D.C. for Expos". MLB.com . Retrieved September 29, 2004.
13. "Ballpark financing issue may kill deal". ESPN.com. Associated Press. December 15, 2004.
14. "Announcement will come Wednesday". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 28, 2004.
15. Metro population
16. Table 2. Cumulative Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico and Region and State Rankings: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014 (Report). United States Census Bureau. December 23, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
17. "Estimates of population, Canada, provinces and territories". Statistics Canada. December 17, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.

External links

• North American Pro Sports Teams – Lists every league that has operated in Canada and/or the United States. Grouped by city.