The Cardinals moved to Arizona for the 1988 NFL season.

Quick Scoop

The NFL’s Cardinals franchise relocated from St. Louis to the Phoenix area in 1988 , with league owners approving the move on March 15, 1988. They initially played as the Phoenix Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe before later adopting the Arizona Cardinals name to represent the entire state.

In simple terms:

  • Last season in St. Louis: 1987.
  • First season in Arizona: 1988.

So if you’re wondering “when did the Cardinals move to Arizona?” — it was right before the 1988 season, with their Arizona era officially starting that year.

TL;DR: The Cardinals moved from St. Louis to Arizona in 1988, starting play there that season.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.