- Exactly Where Is Old Trafford Stadium?
- Don’t Get These Two Mixed Up — Old Trafford Football vs Old Trafford Cricket
- How to Get to Old Trafford Stadium
- What Can You Do at Old Trafford?
- Why Old Trafford Is Where It Is — A Bit of History
- Old Trafford in 2026 — A New Stadium Is Being Built Next Door
- Old Trafford Stadium — Quick Facts
- Frequently Asked Questions
Exactly Where Is Old Trafford Stadium?
Full Address and Postcode
The official address is Sir Matt Busby Way, Stretford, Manchester, M16 0RA. That said, there’s a small but important detail for drivers: the postcode you plug into your sat-nav depends on the day.
- Matchday postcode: M16 0RA
- Non-matchday postcode: M17 1FP (for car park E2, the only visitor car park open outside of matchdays)
Use the wrong one and you could end up circling the wrong side of the ground. The GPS coordinates, if you need them, are 53.4635° N, 2.2923° W.
Which City and Borough Is Old Trafford In?
Despite what the name suggests, Old Trafford stadium is technically not in the City of Manchester — it’s in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, which is part of Greater Manchester. The neighbourhood of Old Trafford borders both Manchester and Salford. It’s a subtle distinction that trips up a surprising number of visitors when booking hotels or using public transport apps.
How Far Is Old Trafford from Manchester City Centre?
The stadium is roughly two miles south-west of Manchester city centre. By tram, that’s about 15 minutes from Piccadilly Station. On foot — if you’re feeling ambitious — it’s a solid 40-minute walk from the centre along Chester Road. In other words: take the tram.
Don’t Get These Two Mixed Up — Old Trafford Football vs Old Trafford Cricket
This catches more visitors than you’d think. There are actually two famous venues called “Old Trafford” in this part of Manchester, and they’re only about an eight-minute walk apart on the same road.
- Old Trafford football stadium — home of Manchester United FC, the subject of this article, on Sir Matt Busby Way.
- Emirates Old Trafford cricket ground — home of Lancashire County Cricket Club since 1864, on Brian Statham Way.
The Metrolink tram stop called Old Trafford sits right next to the cricket ground, not the football stadium. If you get off there, you’ll need to walk past the cricket ground for about five more minutes to reach Manchester United’s ground. Alternatively, the Wharfside tram stop (on the Trafford Park line) drops you closer to the football stadium’s East Stand. Either way, it’s walkable — just don’t panic when you step off the tram and see cricket pavilions instead of a red stadium.
How to Get to Old Trafford Stadium
By Metrolink Tram (the Best Option)
The tram is genuinely the easiest way to get here, especially on matchdays when the roads around the ground become gridlock. Four Metrolink lines serve the area — Altrincham, Eccles, South Manchester, and Trafford Park — all stopping within a 10-minute walk of the ground.
From Manchester Piccadilly Station, it’s around 15 minutes to Old Trafford tram stop. From Manchester Victoria, head to Exchange Square and pick up the Eccles line. Wharfside stop (Trafford Park line) puts you closest to the East Stand entrance. All three nearby stops — Old Trafford, Wharfside, and Exchange Quay — are under 10 minutes on foot from the ground.
By Bus
Several bus routes stop near the stadium, including routes 250, 255, 256, 263, and 79. These run from Piccadilly Gardens in the city centre. Journey time is roughly 20–25 minutes depending on traffic. On matchdays, expect buses to be busier and slower than usual — the tram will almost always beat them.
By Car and Parking
A word of warning upfront: driving to Old Trafford on a matchday is a test of patience. Roads around the stadium — including the local motorway network — get extremely congested, and Chester Road is closed to vehicles approximately 90 minutes before kickoff.
If you’re driving from the M60, take junctions 7–8 and follow Chester Road (A56) northbound for about two miles, then turn left onto Sir Matt Busby Way (on non-matchdays only — it’s a no-through road on matchdays). On matchdays, access to official car parks E1 and E2 can only be made via Wharfside Way — not Chester Road. Using the wrong approach will see you redirected around the entire traffic system, costing you serious time.
To book official club parking in advance, visit manutd.com/tickets. Trust me, you do not want to be stuck in an unofficial car park after a derby.
By Train
Northern Rail operates a service to Manchester United Football Ground station, which sits adjacent to the South Stand (Sir Bobby Charlton Stand). This runs on matchdays only from major city centre stations, on the Liverpool–Manchester line. Check National Rail for timetables before your visit, as times vary by fixture.
By Taxi
Use postcode M16 0RA for navigation. Average fares as of 2026:
- From Manchester Piccadilly Station: around £10, roughly 15 minutes
- From Manchester Airport: around £35, roughly 20–30 minutes
On matchdays, factor in extra time — and extra fare — for the traffic. Pre-booking a cab for after the match is a wise move.
By Bicycle
Cycling is a genuinely underrated way to arrive. The club provides free cycle racks at car parks N2 (Sir Alex Ferguson Stand), E2 (East Stand), and W2 (West Stand). Bring your own lock, and note that bikes secured outside these designated areas may be removed.
What Can You Do at Old Trafford?
Watch a Match
The obvious one — and nothing beats the atmosphere of a sold-out Old Trafford on a European night or a Premier League derby. The stadium has four stands: the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand (North), the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand (South), the East Stand, and the West Stand. Tickets sell out fast for the big games, so book through the official site at manutd.com well in advance.
Stadium Tour and Museum
You don’t need a match ticket to experience Old Trafford. The Manchester United Museum & Tour is open to everyone, and it’s genuinely excellent — even if, like many visitors, you’re not a United fan.
Opening hours (as of 2026):
- Sunday–Thursday: 09:30–16:00
- Friday–Saturday: 09:30–17:00
- Closed on home matchdays
The standard 80-minute guided tour takes you through the players’ dressing rooms, the tunnel, pitchside, and the manager’s dugout. The three-floor museum covers everything from the Busby Babes to the Treble of 1999. Official Members receive up to 50% off tour tickets.
New for 2026, the club has brought back “Take To The Pitch” — a stadium tour followed by a coaching session on the actual Old Trafford turf, after a successful 2025 launch. There’s also a new Training Ground Tour experience that takes you behind the scenes at United’s first-team facility. If you’re visiting with kids or die-hard fans, these are worth looking at on the official site.
Tour bookings can be rescheduled (with at least two working days’ notice on 0161 676 7770) but are non-refundable — so if you’re flying in, don’t book non-refundable travel until your local fixture schedule is confirmed.
Red Café, Megastore, and More
The Red Café, situated in the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand next to the museum entrance, is open from 9am to 4pm daily — a solid spot for a pre-tour breakfast or lunch. The official Megastore in the East Stand stocks the full range of club merchandise. And if you’re staying overnight, Hotel Football — the football-themed hotel across the canal, co-founded by Gary Neville — is a popular choice for visiting fans and is literally a short stroll from the South Stand.
Why Old Trafford Is Where It Is — A Bit of History
The stadium’s location isn’t accidental. In 1909, Manchester United’s new chairman John Henry Davies was looking for a site worthy of a club that had just won the First Division and FA Cup. He settled on a patch of land adjacent to the Bridgewater Canal, just off the north end of Warwick Road in Old Trafford — an industrial area that had good rail access and room to build big.
Scottish architect Archibald Leitch — who designed many of Britain’s great early stadiums — drew up the plans. The original vision was for 100,000 spectators. Old Trafford opened on 19 February 1910 with a match against Liverpool. The ground was badly damaged by German bombing in 1941, and United shared Maine Road with Manchester City for eight years while it was rebuilt.
The surrounding area — historically the industrial engine room of Greater Manchester, close to the Manchester Ship Canal and Trafford Park — is now the focus of the most ambitious stadium regeneration project in British sporting history.
Old Trafford in 2026 — A New Stadium Is Being Built Next Door
If you’ve heard rumours that Old Trafford is being replaced, they’re true — and things moved significantly in early 2026.
In March 2025, Manchester United officially confirmed plans to build a brand-new 100,000-seat stadium on land adjacent to the current ground, designed by Foster + Partners (the firm behind projects like the Millennium Bridge and Wembley’s roof). The design features a vast canopy roof sheltering a public plaza described as twice the size of Trafalgar Square. Components will reportedly be prefabricated and transported via the Manchester Ship Canal — a clever nod to the area’s industrial past.
Then in January 2026, the Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation (OTR MDC) officially launched — described by the club as a “landmark moment.” Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has backed it as the biggest sports project in the UK since the 2012 Olympics, and former Olympic champion Lord Sebastian Coe chairs the new development body.
The wider regeneration plan includes:
- more than 15,000 new homes
- approximately 90,000 new jobs
- an estimated £7bn+ per year added to the UK economy
- a rebuilt Old Trafford Metrolink station with direct walkable access to the new ground
The new stadium is targeted to be ready for the 2030–31 football season. Once it opens, the current Old Trafford is expected to be demolished — making now, arguably, a meaningful time to visit the original Theatre of Dreams while it still stands.
As of early 2026, there is no disruption to matchday or tour operations. The current stadium is fully open and operational.
Old Trafford Stadium — Quick Facts
- Full address: Sir Matt Busby Way, Stretford, Manchester, M16 0RA
- Club: Manchester United FC
- Nickname: The Theatre of Dreams
- Opened: 19 February 1910
- Current capacity: approximately 74,197 (largest club stadium in the UK)
- Nearest tram stops: Wharfside (Trafford Park line), Old Trafford, Exchange Quay
- Distance from city centre: approximately 2 miles south-west
- Matchday postcode for sat-nav: M16 0RA
- Non-matchday postcode for sat-nav: M17 1FP
- New stadium target opening: 2030–31 season
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the full address of Old Trafford stadium?
The full address is Sir Matt Busby Way, Stretford, Manchester, M16 0RA, United Kingdom. On matchdays use M16 0RA for sat-nav; on non-matchdays, M17 1FP will take you directly to the visitor car park (E2) off Wharfside Way.
Is Old Trafford in Manchester or Salford?
Neither, technically. Old Trafford stadium is in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, which is part of Greater Manchester but a separate local authority from the City of Manchester. The neighbourhood of Old Trafford borders both Manchester and Salford, which is why there’s often confusion.
What is the difference between Old Trafford football ground and Old Trafford Cricket Ground?
They are two completely separate venues, both in the same Old Trafford neighbourhood, about an 8-minute walk apart. The football stadium (subject of this article) is home to Manchester United FC on Sir Matt Busby Way. The cricket ground, officially known as Emirates Old Trafford, is home to Lancashire County Cricket Club on Brian Statham Way and has hosted Test cricket since 1884. The Old Trafford Metrolink tram stop is adjacent to the cricket ground, so football visitors should continue walking past it, or use the Wharfside stop instead.
How long does it take to get to Old Trafford from Manchester city centre?
By Metrolink tram, it’s roughly 15 minutes from Piccadilly Station to Old Trafford or Wharfside tram stops, then up to a 10-minute walk to the ground. By taxi it’s about 15 minutes in normal traffic (around £10 from Piccadilly). By car on a matchday, budget significantly longer — the area gets very congested from about 90 minutes before kickoff.
Is there parking at Old Trafford on matchdays?
Yes, the club offers official car parks (primarily E1 and E2), but on matchdays these can only be accessed via Wharfside Way — not Chester Road, which closes to traffic before the match. Parking must be booked in advance at manutd.com/tickets. The area fills up fast, so the Metrolink tram is strongly recommended if you’re not driving specifically for accessibility reasons.
Can you visit Old Trafford without a match ticket?
Absolutely. The Manchester United Museum & Tour runs daily (except home matchdays) from 09:30, offering guided 80-minute tours of the stadium including the tunnel, dressing rooms, dugout, and pitchside. The Red Café and Megastore are also open to the public. No match ticket is required for any of these experiences.
Will Old Trafford be demolished? When is the new stadium being built?
Yes — the plan is to build a brand-new 100,000-seat stadium on land adjacent to the current ground, designed by Foster + Partners. The Old Trafford Regeneration Mayoral Development Corporation officially launched in January 2026. Manchester United are targeting the 2030–31 season for the move, after which the current Old Trafford is expected to be demolished. For now, the existing stadium remains fully operational.
What is Old Trafford’s capacity in 2026?
The current official capacity is approximately 74,197 seats, making it the largest club football stadium in the United Kingdom and the second-largest football stadium overall in the country (after Wembley). The new stadium planned for 2030–31 will have a capacity of 100,000.
Is the Old Trafford stadium tour worth it?
For football fans — and honestly, for many non-fans too — the answer is yes. Visitor reviews consistently praise the knowledgeable guides, the pitchside access, and the depth of the museum. Most visitors spend around two hours on site, and many say they could have spent longer. Book directly through manutd.com rather than third-party sites to avoid paying a premium, and arrive 30 minutes before your tour slot to explore the museum first.
How close is Old Trafford to Manchester Airport?
Manchester Airport is approximately 8–9 miles south of Old Trafford stadium. By taxi, expect around 20–30 minutes and a fare of roughly £35 (as of 2026, depending on traffic). By public transport, take the Metrolink tram from the Airport station — you can change at Cornbrook and be at Old Trafford or Wharfside in around 40–45 minutes total.
