If you’re in Atlanta, Georgia and wondering “How old are the Atlanta Falcons?”, you’re really asking about the age and history of one of the city’s most recognizable sports franchises.
The Atlanta Falcons were established in 1965, and they began playing in the 1966 NFL season. That means the team is around 60 years old, depending on whether you count from the franchise award (1965) or their first kickoff (1966).
Below is a clear breakdown of what that means for Atlanta, how the team has grown with the city, and what locals and visitors might want to know.
| Milestone | Year | What It Means for Age Today* |
|---|---|---|
| Franchise awarded to Atlanta | 1965 | Falcons are about 59–60 years old |
| First NFL season played | 1966 | Falcons have been playing for about 58–59 years |
| First home stadium (Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium) | 1966 | Start of Atlanta’s NFL game-day tradition |
*Ages are approximate because they depend on the current year and whether you count from 1965 or 1966.
The Falcons were officially born when the National Football League awarded Atlanta an expansion franchise in 1965. This was a major milestone for the city:
For locals, when you say the Falcons are about 60 years old, you’re really talking about how long Atlanta has been an NFL city.
If you live in or are visiting Atlanta, the history of the Falcons is tied closely to Atlanta stadium history.
This progression of stadiums reflects how both the Falcons and the city of Atlanta have grown up together over the decades.
Putting the Falcons’ age into local context can help:
So the Falcons are roughly as old as modern big-league Atlanta sports as we know it. When people talk about Atlanta’s professional sports history, they’re usually talking about the last five to six decades, with the Falcons right in the middle of that story.
Knowing the Falcons are about 60 years old adds context if you:
If you’ve recently moved to Atlanta or you’re in town for a weekend:
Understanding that this team has been around for decades helps explain why Falcons gear, flags, and logos are so visible across the city.
You can connect with the Falcons’ past and present at:
Over nearly 60 years, the Falcons have updated their uniforms several times, but they’ve generally kept:
Longtime Atlantans sometimes identify the era they started watching by the uniform style or logo they remember.
No. While the Falcons are decades old, many NFL franchises date back to the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The Falcons are part of a later wave of expansion teams that brought the league into growing cities like Atlanta.
Knowing the team’s long history in the city can make game day feel more meaningful. A few local-minded tips:
If you live in Atlanta, are visiting, or are just trying to understand how the Falcons fit into the city’s story, you can think of them as a middle-aged but deeply rooted Atlanta institution—old enough to have generations of fans, but still modern enough to be shaping what sports in Atlanta looks like today.
