The New England Patriots are a professional American football team originally founded as the Boston Patriots in 1959. They are based in the Greater Boston area and currently play their home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 22 miles southwest of Boston. The team moved from Boston to Foxborough in 1971 and changed their name to the New England Patriots to reflect a broader regional identity beyond just the city of Boston. The name "Patriots" was chosen in reference to the area's historical significance as the birthplace of the American Revolution.