The LA28 out-of-state venues span seven cities that aren’t Los Angeles at all, and if you’re only planning around LA proper, you could easily miss the fact that softball, canoe slalom, and most of the Olympic football tournament happen somewhere else entirely. I’m breaking down what each of these seven cities is hosting, why they were chosen, and what it actually means for your trip planning if one of your target sports lives outside California altogether.
| City | Sport(s) Hosted | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | Softball, canoe slalom | OKC Softball Park, OKC Whitewater Center |
| New York, NY | Football (soccer) | New York Stadium |
| Columbus, OH | Football (soccer) | Columbus Stadium |
| Nashville, TN | Football (soccer) | Nashville Stadium |
| St. Louis, MO | Football (soccer) | St. Louis Stadium |
| San José, CA | Football (soccer) | San José Stadium |
| San Diego, CA | Football (soccer) | San Diego Stadium |
Why LA28 Isn’t Just in Los Angeles
LA28 is the first Games since 1948 to not build any new permanent venues, and that decision extends beyond the Los Angeles region itself. Rather than construct new stadiums for events that don’t fit cleanly into LA’s existing venue map, organizers spread specific sports across seven zones in other US cities, using stadiums and facilities that already exist there. Six of those seven host Olympic football tournament matches, while the seventh, Oklahoma City, hosts an entirely different pair of sports. This isn’t a last-minute add-on either: LA28 announced these seven zones as part of its official venue plan, treating them with the same zone-based structure used across the rest of the Games.
The Seven Out-of-State Zones
Oklahoma City: Softball and Canoe Slalom
Oklahoma City hosts softball at the OKC Softball Park and canoe slalom at the OKC Whitewater Center, using existing facilities rather than anything built new for the Games. OKC’s relationship to LA28 is closer than the other six out-of-state cities in one specific way: residents of Oklahoma City were included alongside Los Angeles-area residents in the original locals presale for tickets, a distinction none of the six football host cities received.
New York: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
New York hosts Olympic football matches at New York Stadium, which is actually still under construction and expected to be completed in 2027, ahead of the Games. It’s the future home of New York City FC, giving the venue an established local soccer identity even before its Olympic debut.
Columbus: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
Columbus hosts football matches at Columbus Stadium, the home venue of MLS club Columbus Crew, giving Ohio its own stake in the Olympic football tournament despite sitting nowhere near the West Coast.
Nashville: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
Nashville hosts football matches at Nashville Stadium, home to Nashville SC, extending the tournament’s footprint into Tennessee.
St. Louis: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
St. Louis hosts football matches at St. Louis Stadium, home of St. Louis CITY SC, one of MLS’s newer clubs, bringing Olympic football to the Midwest.
San José: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
San José hosts football matches at San José Stadium, shared home of the San Jose Earthquakes and Bay FC, keeping this venue within California even though it’s roughly 340 miles from downtown LA.
San Diego: Football Group Stage and Knockout Matches
San Diego hosts football matches at San Diego Stadium, a venue shared by San Diego FC, San Diego Wave FC, and San Diego State University, making it the closest of the seven out-of-state venues to Los Angeles itself.
The Football Tournament’s East-to-West Structure
LA28’s football tournament is deliberately designed to move geographically from east to west as the competition progresses, starting group stage matches spread across all six football host cities and narrowing toward the West Coast as teams advance. The medal matches themselves, including both the men’s and women’s gold medal games on July 28 and July 29, 2028, are not played at any of these seven out-of-state venues at all — they’re held at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, back within the Greater LA zone system. That’s an important planning distinction: if you’re specifically chasing medal-round football, your trip stays centered on LA regardless of which teams make it that far, while group stage and knockout matches are where the out-of-state cities actually come into play.
Planning a Trip Around an Out-of-State Venue
If a sport you care about is happening in one of these seven cities, treat that leg of your trip as its own separate logistics problem rather than an extension of your LA itinerary. These cities aren’t connected to LA’s zone-based transit system, aren’t served by the same accommodation guidance built around LA’s neighborhoods, and in most cases require a separate flight or long drive rather than a quick transfer. If you’re trying to catch both an LA-based session and an out-of-state one, build in a full travel day between them rather than assuming you can treat this the way you’d treat moving between two zones within Greater LA. The ticket draw system itself works the same way regardless of city, registering once through LA28’s official platform covers sessions in all zones, out-of-state included, so there’s no separate registration process to worry about beyond the standard one.
Distance and Flight Time from Los Angeles
How much of a separate trip you’re actually planning depends heavily on which city you’re headed to, since these seven venues range from a short domestic hop to a full cross-country flight. San Diego is the closest by far, roughly a two-to-three hour drive or a quick flight under an hour, making it realistic to treat as a long day trip rather than an overnight stay if your schedule allows. San José sits about 340 miles north, generally a little over an hour by air, which keeps it firmly in weekend-trip territory rather than requiring extensive time off. Oklahoma City runs around two and a half hours by air, still comfortably a same-day or overnight trip. Nashville and St. Louis both sit in the three-and-a-half to four hour flight range, while Columbus stretches to roughly four to four and a half hours. New York is the furthest by a wide margin, typically five hours or more by air, making it the one city on this list that genuinely deserves its own dedicated multi-day trip rather than a quick add-on to an LA-based itinerary. These are approximate nonstop flight times and will vary by airline and route, so check current listings once you’re locking in actual dates.
Essential Internal Resources
For the full Greater LA zone breakdown, if you’re combining trips: LA 2028 Olympics Venues and Zones Guide.
For how the same out-of-state zones apply to the Paralympics: LA28 Paralympic Games: Complete Guide.
For booking accommodation near an out-of-state venue: LA28 Airbnb Accommodation: Complete Guide.
For entry requirements that apply no matter which city you’re flying into: LA28 Visa Requirements: Complete Entry Guide.
Master Your Destination: City Budget Guides
Building a multi-city LA28 trip, or stopping elsewhere along the way? Here’s our full lineup of city budget guides, grouped by region.
Americas New York · Chicago · Toronto · Mexico City · Buenos Aires
Europe Paris · Madrid · Rome · Barcelona · Prague · Berlin · Amsterdam · Lisbon · Vienna · Budapest · Milan · Dublin · Istanbul
Asia-Pacific Tokyo · Bangkok · Seoul · Sydney · Singapore
Africa Cape Town
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cities host LA28 events outside of Los Angeles?
Seven cities: Oklahoma City, New York, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San José, and San Diego.
What does Oklahoma City host at LA28?
Softball and canoe slalom, both at existing OKC facilities rather than newly built venues.
Do the out-of-state cities host Olympic football medal matches?
No. Group stage and knockout matches happen across the six out-of-state football cities, but both gold medal matches are played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, within the Greater LA zone system.
Do I need a separate ticket registration for out-of-state venues?
No. The same LA28 Ticket Draw registration covers sessions in every zone, including all seven out-of-state cities, so one registration is enough
Is San Diego or San José closer to Los Angeles?
San Diego is significantly closer, making it the more realistic out-of-state add-on for a primarily LA-based trip, while San José sits roughly 340 miles north.
Want More Free Travel Resources?
Grab the free 2026 Travel Dupes Cheat Sheet for workarounds on combining an LA-based Games trip with a side trip to one of these seven out-of-state cities without blowing your travel budget. Subscribe at the top of parandjahtravels.com to download it instantly.
Conclusion
LA28 is a national Games in practice, not just a Los Angeles one, and the seven out-of-state venues are proof of that. Whether you’re chasing softball and canoe slalom in Oklahoma City or an early-round football match in Nashville or Columbus, treat that leg of your trip as its own logistics puzzle, separate from your LA itinerary, and remember that no matter how far group stage football travels, the medal matches always come home to the Rose Bowl.
Marsha Rowe is the Founder and Travel Strategist at Parandjah Travels. She uncovers high-intent travel intelligence, specializing in slow travel frameworks and sports event logistics.