⚾ MLB: 1969-2020
52 1
Joined the National League as an expansion team to begin the 1969 season.
Left Montreal and relocated to Washington DC to begin the 2005 season.
🏈 NFL: 1932-2020
89 5
Formerly known as the Washington Redskins, the team competes in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the NFC East division. The team plays its home games at FedExField in Landover, M...
🏀 NBA: 1962-2020
59 1
The franchise was established in 1961 as the Chicago Packers based in Chicago, Illinois, and were renamed to Chicago Zephyrs the following season. In 1963, they relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, and b...
NHL: 1975-2020
46 1
The Capitals were founded in 1974 as an expansion franchise, alongside the Kansas City Scouts. Since purchasing the team in 1999, Leonsis revitalized the franchise by drafting star players such as Ale...
Defunct Teams
Teams that have folded or moved away from the Washington DC area.F i l t e r & S o r t Filter & Sort
🏀 ABA: 1970-1976
7
The team originated in 1967 as the Oakland Oaks, an ABA charter franchise based in Oakland, California. They moved to Washington, D.C. as the Washington Caps in 1969 but moved to Norfolk the following...
⚾ MLB: 1961-1971
11
Joined the American League as an expansion team to begin the 1961 season.
Left Washington DC and relocated to Arlington in 1972.
⚾ MLB: 1901-1960
60 1
One of the eight original American League teams beginning with the 1901 season.
Left Washington DC to relocate to Minnesota to begin the 1961 season.
🏀 NBA: 1947-1951
5
The Capitols were founded in 1946 as a charter BAA team; it became a charter NBA team in 1949. It was one of seven teams that quickly left the NBA: The NBA contracted after the 1949-1950 season, losin...
🏀 ABL: 1939-1942
4
For the 1939-40 season, the team was known as the Washington Heurich Brewers and before the 1940-41 season the team became simply the Washington Brewers.
⚾ NNL: 1936-1937
2
The team's origins lie in two local negro amateur baseball teams: the Nashville Maroons and the Elites. The Giants welcomed any competition, including white-only teams, but played independently of any leagues until the mid-1920s.
🏀 ABL1: 1926-1927
2
⚾ ECL: 1923-1925
3
Based in Washington, D.C. in the ECL, they also operated as an independent team briefly. The Potomacs moved to Wilmington, Delaware where they played as the Wilmington Potomacs. In 1925 the team folded, unable to complete the season.
⚾ NL: 1891-1899
9
Joined the National League after the American Association folded following the 1891 season. Franchise folded at the end of the 1899 season when the NL contracted back to 8 teams.
⚾ NL: 1886-1889
4
After 4 years in the National League, the franchise folded following the 1889 season.
⚾ UA: 1884-1884
1
Team disbanded after the Union Association folded following the 1884 season.
⚾ NA: 1872-1873
2
Franchise played on 11 games in the National Assocation during 1872 and folded after playing 39 games during 1873.
⚾ NA: 1867-1872
6
In their second season in the National Association, the franchise folded after playing 9 games in 1874.
⚾ NABBP: 1861-1870
10
Formed in November to rival the Potomac Club in 1859; both teams consisted mostly of government clerks. The two teams practiced in the backyard of the White House
The early history of sports contains hundreds of teams that appeared for only 1 or 2 seasons before folding. Most of these teams have no historical photographs or articles, so are omitted from this list to reduce clutter. To view a comprehensive list of all defunct teams, browse to the early leagues section for baseball, football, basketball, or hockey.