ATLAirport Guide

One day in Atlanta before your flight home: a MARTA day plan and when to leave

Pick a MARTA stop near Peachtree Center, Midtown or the King sites, then count back from ATL's two-hour domestic and three-hour international advice.

The High Museum of Art in Midtown Atlanta seen from its ramp walk across the lawn.
High Museum of Art

The Red and Gold lines both end inside the Domestic Terminal, so the ride back to your flight is one train. ATL asks you to be at the airport at least two hours before a domestic departure and three hours before an international one. MARTA prints the average ride to Airport from every station, so choose your stops, then count back from your flight.

Pick a cluster of stops

Stop MARTA’s average travel time to Airport What’s close, per Discover Atlanta
Peachtree Center 17 minutes The Hub food hall at Peachtree Center. About a half-mile walk to Centennial Olympic Park, then the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Midtown 20 minutes About a half-mile walk to Piedmont Park, past bars and restaurants
Arts Center 22 minutes High Museum of Art and the Woodruff Arts Center, with the Center for Puppetry Arts less than a half-mile away
King Memorial 19 minutes Oakland Cemetery, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and The King Center. It’s on the Blue and Green lines, so change at Five Points

Our first-day guide lists what else sits near the downtown stops, and our Midtown guide covers the MARTA stops and fares to Midtown.

The Atlanta Streetcar links downtown sights, and it’s a separate fare. MARTA’s fare page lists it at $1.00 with no transfers. Discover Atlanta says it runs about every 15 minutes. Its stops are Centennial Olympic Park, Woodruff Park, Municipal Market (also called Sweet Auburn Curb Market) and the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park. Discover Atlanta’s neighborhood route names Municipal Market for lunch at Metro Deli Soul Food or Miss D’s Pralines.

Count back from your flight

Step What to allow
At the airport At least two hours before a domestic departure and three hours before an international one, per ATL’s security page
Security ATL’s live wait times run from Low (0–15 min) to Extended (60+ min). The busiest times are usually 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and the days before and after holidays and long weekends
MARTA The average travel time to Airport in the table above, plus the wait for a train. The Airport Station is between the North and South baggage claims in the Domestic Terminal

Our security wait times guide explains the bands, and our guide to how early to arrive covers airline cutoffs and when checkpoint hours decide your time. MARTA’s trip planner and On the Go app show real-time train schedules, and Discover Atlanta’s local says trains run less often on weekends than on weekdays.

Late flights and the International Terminal

ATL lists Domestic Terminal Main as open 24 hours. The North, Lower North and South checkpoints stop screening at 9:00 p.m., and International Terminal Departures runs 4:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Our security page has every checkpoint’s hours.

MARTA ends at the Domestic Terminal. If you’re flying from the International Terminal, MARTA says the free shuttle between the terminals operates 24/7 with 15 minutes of travel time, and it boards outside Baggage Claim of the Domestic Terminal. Our MARTA rail page has the station and the fares.

Your bags

ATL publishes no left-luggage desk or lockers. MARTA’s and Discover Atlanta’s pages don’t say where to leave a bag for the day either, so ask your hotel before you check out. Our guide to leaving a bag covers what ATL does list and the off-site storage companies.

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