ATL Airport to Downtown Atlanta - MARTA Fares, Times, Taxi Rates

Atlanta is one of the few big American airports with a rail station inside the terminal, and the trip downtown is short enough that a layover of five hours can include a walk through Centennial Olympic Park. The station is at the west end of the Domestic Terminal, the same place as the SkyTrain and the hotel shuttles, so the choice between a night at the airport and a night in the city can be made after you land. Here is how MARTA, taxis and rideshare work from ATL in 2026, with times and fares checked on MARTA’s and the airport’s own sites in September.

Finding MARTA in the terminal

MARTA’s Airport station is inside the Domestic Terminal, between the North and South baggage claims at the west end, behind the SkyTrain doors W1 and W2. From either baggage claim walk towards the atrium and follow the MARTA signs; the faregates are a two-minute walk from the carousels. A RideStore beside the gates sells Breeze cards and answers questions. If you land at the International Terminal, take the free terminal-to-terminal shuttle (arrivals level, between doors A1 and A2, every 15 minutes) to the Domestic Terminal first; there is no MARTA station on the international side.

Fares and how to pay

A one-way trip costs $2.50 anywhere on the rail and bus system, with up to four free transfers within three hours. The simplest way to pay is to tap a contactless credit or debit card, or a phone or watch wallet, at the faregate; use the same card or device when you transfer or you will be charged again. Breeze cards ($2, reloadable) and single-trip Breeze tickets are sold at the machines. Passes cost $9 for one day, $14 for two, $16 for three, $19 for four, $23.75 for seven and $95 for 30 days, and pay for themselves on the second day if you plan more than two rides. Seniors and riders with disabilities pay $1 with a reduced-fare card; children 46 inches and under ride free, two per paying adult.

Trains, times and stations

Two lines leave the airport, the Red Line to North Springs and the Gold Line to Doraville, and they share the same track through the city, so the first train that arrives is the right one for downtown and Midtown. Average times from the airport are 1 minute to College Park (the stop for the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Airport College Park), 4 to East Point, 12 to West End, 16 to Five Points, 17 to Peachtree Center, 18 to Civic Center, 20 to Midtown, 22 to Arts Center and 32 to Buckhead; Doraville is 40 minutes and North Springs 43. Trains run from 4:45 am to about 1 am on weekdays and from 6 am to about 1 am at weekends, every 10 minutes in the weekday rush hours, every 12 minutes midday, and every 20 minutes early in the morning, after 7 pm and all weekend. Check MARTA’s service alerts before an early flight: weekend track work sometimes means single-tracking and longer waits.

Where to get off

Peachtree Center is the stop for the downtown convention hotels, Peachtree Street and the Georgia World Congress Center on foot (or one more stop to GWCC/CNN Center on the Blue and Green lines from Five Points). Five Points is the interchange for everything, a block from Underground Atlanta and a ten-minute walk to the State Capitol. For the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Centennial Olympic Park and the College Football Hall of Fame, use Peachtree Center and walk west for ten minutes, or take the Atlanta Streetcar ($1) from Peachtree Center to Centennial Olympic Park. Midtown station is for the Fox Theatre and Georgia Tech, Arts Center for the High Museum and the Woodruff Arts Center. Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena are at GWCC/CNN Center, one stop west of Five Points.

Taxis

Taxis load in Aisle A (stalls A3 to A10) of the Ground Transportation Center at the west end of the Domestic Terminal, and outside door A1 on the arrivals level of the International Terminal. The city sets flat fares from the airport to three zones: $37.50 to downtown, $39.50 to Midtown and $49.50 to Buckhead, for one passenger including the $1.50 airport fee, plus $2 for each extra person and a $2 or $3 fuel surcharge when petrol is expensive. Outside those zones the meter runs at $3.50 for the first eighth of a mile and $0.30 for each further eighth. The drive downtown takes 15 to 20 minutes outside the rush hour and 30 to 40 minutes within it, which is why MARTA is often the faster choice between 4 and 7 pm.

Rideshare

Uber, Lyft and two local operators are licensed at ATL. At the Domestic Terminal the pick-up point is the North Economy lot: go through North baggage claim, take the escalators down near door LN1, follow the orange signs and request the ride only when you reach the lot. At the International Terminal, exit through A1 or A2 and cross to the outer kerb. Fares to downtown are typically $25 to $40 off-peak and rise steeply during storms and after big events at the stadium. Shared-ride vans in Aisle B of the GTC charge a maximum of $16.50 a person to downtown, $18.50 to Midtown and $30 to Buckhead.

Hotels with a MARTA option

Only one hotel on this site is near a MARTA station: the Hotel Indigo Atlanta Airport College Park, one block from College Park station and a one-minute ride from the airport, which gives it a rail link both to the terminal and to downtown (17 minutes) as well as its 24-hour shuttle. The four Gateway Center hotels are on the SkyTrain, not MARTA, but the SkyTrain and MARTA share the west end of the Domestic Terminal, so from the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway or the SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway downtown is a two-minute SkyTrain ride plus 16 minutes on MARTA. Our Atlanta layover guide works out how long a layover needs to be for each of those trips.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is MARTA from the airport to downtown?

$2.50 one way, the same as any MARTA trip, with up to four free transfers within three hours. Tap a contactless bank card or phone wallet at the faregate, or buy a Breeze card or ticket from the machines. A 1-day pass is $9, a 2-day $14, a 3-day $16 and a 7-day $23.75. Children 46 inches and under ride free with a paying adult.

How long does MARTA take from the airport to downtown?

About 16 minutes to Five Points, the downtown hub where all lines meet, 17 minutes to Peachtree Center (the convention hotels and Peachtree Street), 20 minutes to Midtown and 22 to Arts Center; Buckhead is 32 minutes. Both the Red and Gold lines leave from the airport and follow the same route through downtown, so take whichever comes first.

What hours does MARTA run from the airport?

Weekdays from 4:45 am to about 1 am, weekends from 6 am to about 1 am. Trains come every 10 minutes in the weekday peaks (6 to 9 am and 3 to 7 pm), every 12 minutes at midday, every 20 minutes early morning, after 7 pm and all weekend. For a flight before 6 am at the weekend, MARTA will not get you there.

How much is a taxi from the airport to downtown?

Taxis charge flat fares from the airport: $37.50 to downtown, $39.50 to Midtown and $49.50 to Buckhead for one passenger, plus $2 for each additional person. Taxis load in Aisle A of the Ground Transportation Center at the Domestic Terminal and outside door A1 at the International Terminal. Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) is usually cheaper off-peak; pick-up is in the North Economy lot at the Domestic Terminal.

Information last verified: September 25, 2026