The femoral artery is a large artery in the thigh and the main arterial supply to the thigh and leg. The femoral artery gives off the deep femoral artery and descends along the anteromedial part of the thigh in the femoral triangle. It enters and passes through the adductor canal, and becomes the popliteal artery as it passes through the adductor hiatus in the adductor magnus near the junction of the middle and distal thirds of the thigh.

The femoral artery proximal to the origin of the deep femoral artery is referred to as the common femoral artery, whereas the femoral artery distal to this origin is referred to as the superficial femoral artery.

The femoral artery represents the continuation of the external iliac artery beyond the inguinal ligament underneath which the vessel passes to enter the thigh. The vessel passes under the inguinal ligament just medial of the midpoint of this ligament, midway between the anterior superior iliac spine and the symphysis pubis (mid-inguinal point).^{[citation needed]}

In common usage, in clinical practice including angiology and vascular surgery, the femoral artery includes the common femoral artery, and the superficial femoral artery however, the Terminologia Anatomica (TA) only lists the femoral artery. (The TA is the international standard for human anatomical terminology developed by the Federative International Programme on Anatomical Terminology).

The relations of the femoral artery are as follows:

Common femoral artery

Superficial femoral artery

The site for optimally palpating the femoral pulse is in the inner thigh, at the mid-inguinal point, halfway between the pubic symphysis and anterior superior iliac spine. Presence of a femoral pulse indicates a systolic blood pressure of more than 50 mmHg.