Highmark Stadium Stadium

Outdoor stadium in Buffalo; home of the Bills

Outside Buffalo, Highmark Stadium stages NFL games and large concerts; visitors attend Buffalo Bills match days for tailgating, stadium atmosphere and seasonal events.

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Highmark Stadium at a Glance#

Address: Highmark Stadium, 1 Bills Drive, Orchard Park, New York, USA

Website: https://www.highmarkstadium.com

Hours: Varies by event; stadium open to ticket holders on event days

About Highmark Stadium#

Highmark Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium in Orchard Park, New York, serving as the home field of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills. The venue opened in the early 1970s and remains the Bills’ principal home stadium.

The stadium features an open bowl layout and a seating capacity in the low 70,000s, which contributes to a strong home-field atmosphere and often cold, windy conditions late in the season. Large parking areas and a prominent tailgating culture surround game days.

Originally opened in 1973, the facility has been renovated and renamed several times; the current commercial name reflects a recent naming-rights agreement. The stadium is located in the Buffalo metropolitan area and is the region’s primary professional football venue.

The stadium sits in the suburb of Orchard Park, roughly ten miles south of downtown Buffalo and is the main large-scale sports venue serving the city and surrounding communities.

  • History: The stadium opened in 1973 and has been the home venue for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills since its opening. It has undergone multiple name changes over the decades.
  • Capacity and climate: Seating capacity is around 71,000 and the open-bowl design exposes games to seasonal cold weather, making late autumn and winter matches notable for wind and snow conditions.

How to Get to Highmark Stadium#

Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, NY) is on the southern outskirts of Buffalo. By car it’s roughly 10-15 miles from downtown Buffalo - commonly a 20-30 minute drive depending on traffic; use the regional expressways heading south out of the city and follow local Orchard Park signage. On game days the NFTA and the team operate shuttle/bus services from downtown Buffalo and nearby park-and-ride lots; taxis and rideshares also serve the stadium.

Tips for Visiting Highmark Stadium#

  • Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park) is well outside downtown Buffalo-if you're coming for a game, allow plenty of time for highway traffic and post-game congestion and follow the stadium's official parking and shuttle information.
  • If you want to experience the local game-day atmosphere, arrive at the parking lots well before kickoff for tailgating; if you prefer to avoid the busiest crowds and long exits, choose an official peripheral lot with a shuttle or park-and-ride.
  • Check the stadium's official transport pages for event-day bus or shuttle services from Buffalo and nearby transit hubs-using an organised shuttle can save a lot of time compared with finding and exiting on-site parking.

Best Time to Visit Highmark Stadium#

Aim to visit on a game day during the NFL season for the liveliest experience, but be prepared for cold, wind and possible snow late in the season.

NFL season (game days)
September - January · 5 - 10°C (early season) down to -10°C or colder late season with wind/snow possible
If you want the full local atmosphere, attend a Buffalo Bills game during the NFL season - expect large, energetic crowds and possible cold/winter weather late in the season.
Off‑season / Summer
May - August · 18 - 28°C
Fewer scheduled games and events mean lower crowds; stadium is quieter though occasional concerts or events can draw visitors.
Spring
March - April · 5 - 15°C
Shoulder period with limited event activity and generally lighter crowds compared with the regular season.

Weather & Climate near Highmark Stadium#

Climate

Highmark Stadium's climate is classified as Warm-Summer Continental - Warm-Summer Continental climate with warm summers (peaking in July) and freezing winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from -9°C to 27°C. Moderate rainfall (993 mm/year).

Air Quality: AQI 26 Good
Best Time to Visit
JulyAugustJune
Temperature & Rainfall
Temperature Range
35°
Warmest Month
-24°
Coldest Month
Monthly Conditions
Month Comfort Temp Feels Rain Sky Humidity Wind UV Daylight
January Poor -9° - -1° -11° 70 mm overcast 88% 5.2 m/s 0.2 low 9.3h
February Poor -9° - 1° -10° 57 mm overcast 87% 4.8 m/s 0.3 low 10.4h
March Poor -4° - 6° -4° 69 mm overcast 83% 4.7 m/s 0.6 moderate 11.8h
April Acceptable 2° - 13° 4° 75 mm partly cloudy 79% 4.5 m/s 1.0 high 13.2h
May Good 8° - 20° 14° 82 mm partly cloudy 77% 3.9 m/s 1.5 high 14.4h
June Very Good 13° - 24° 19° 95 mm partly cloudy 74% 3.5 m/s 1.7 very high 15.1h
July Excellent 16° - 27° 21° 83 mm partly cloudy 70% 3.3 m/s 1.8 very high 14.8h
August Excellent 15° - 26° 20° 91 mm partly cloudy 70% 3.1 m/s 1.5 very high 13.7h
September Very Good 11° - 22° 16° 101 mm partly cloudy 72% 3.4 m/s 1.1 high 12.3h
October Good 5° - 16° 10° 84 mm overcast 78% 4.0 m/s 0.6 moderate 10.9h
November Poor 0° - 8° 1° 95 mm overcast 82% 4.6 m/s 0.3 low 9.6h
December Poor -5° - 2° -7° 91 mm overcast 87% 4.9 m/s 0.1 low 9.0h