Where Is Atlanta, Georgia on a Map? A Clear Guide to the City’s Location and Layout

If you’re trying to picture Atlanta, Georgia on a map—whether you’re planning a visit, moving here, or simply getting your bearings as a resident—understanding where Atlanta sits in Georgia, the region, and the country makes everything else about the city easier to grasp.

Below is a practical guide to where Atlanta is, how the city is laid out, and how its neighborhoods and landmarks fit together.

Atlanta’s Location in Georgia and the U.S.

On a map of the United States, Atlanta is in the southeastern part of the country, in the state of Georgia.

Atlanta’s Position in Georgia

Within Georgia, Atlanta is located in the north-central part of the state:

• Roughly 1–1.5 hours south of the North Georgia mountains by car
• About 1.5–2 hours west of Augusta
• Around 4–5 hours north of coastal cities like Savannah and Brunswick
• Situated along major highway corridors, including I‑75, I‑85, and I‑20

Many maps show Atlanta as a central hub, with interstate highways radiating out from the city in multiple directions.

Regional Context: The Metro Atlanta Area

When people say “Atlanta” on a map, they often mean not just the City of Atlanta, but the larger metro Atlanta region.

The Atlanta metropolitan area stretches across multiple counties, including:

• Fulton County (Atlanta, Sandy Springs, East Point, etc.)
• DeKalb County (Decatur, Brookhaven, Stone Mountain area)
• Cobb County (Marietta, Smyrna)
• Gwinnett County (Lawrenceville, Norcross, Duluth)
• Clayton County (Forest Park, Jonesboro)
• Douglas, Fayette, Henry, and others

On a county map of Georgia, metro Atlanta appears as a cluster of counties in the north-central region, with the City of Atlanta roughly in the middle of that cluster.

Key Map Landmarks That Define Atlanta

If you pull up a map and zoom in on Atlanta, a few major features help you immediately orient yourself.

1. Interstates Crossing Downtown

Two major interstates cross in downtown:

• I‑75 / I‑85 (the “Downtown Connector”) – Runs north–south right through central Atlanta
• I‑20 – Runs east–west, crossing the Connector just south of downtown

The crossing of these highways is a major visual anchor on any map of Atlanta. If you see that intersection, you’re looking at the heart of the city.

2. The Perimeter: I‑285

Surrounding much of Atlanta is Interstate 285, commonly called “The Perimeter.”

On a map, I‑285 forms a rough loop (ring road) around the core of the city:

• Inside the Perimeter (ITP) – Generally refers to Atlanta and nearby intown neighborhoods
• Outside the Perimeter (OTP) – Suburbs and outer cities surrounding Atlanta

This ring is one of the clearest visual boundaries you’ll see on a map of metro Atlanta and is often used in local directions and real estate descriptions.

3. Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport

On the south side of the map, you’ll see Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

• Located just south of I‑285 and I‑20
• Straddles the border between Fulton County and Clayton County
• Marked on most maps with a prominent airport symbol

If you’re looking at a map and spot the long parallel runways just south of downtown, you’ve found the airport and the southern gateway to the city.

How Atlanta Is Laid Out on a City Map

Beyond just pinning Atlanta on a state or national map, it helps to understand how the city itself is structured.

Cardinal Directions in Atlanta

Locals often refer to the city in terms of quadrants, especially:

• North Atlanta – Buckhead, Midtown’s northern areas, and neighborhoods heading toward Sandy Springs
• South Atlanta – Neighborhoods closer to the airport and south of I‑20
• East Atlanta – Including East Atlanta Village, Kirkwood, Decatur area
• West Atlanta – Areas like West End, West Midtown, and beyond toward Cobb County

On a map, you can see these directions organize around downtown and the Downtown Connector.

Major Intown Areas on the Map

Think of Atlanta’s core as a cluster of key districts:

• Downtown Atlanta – Just east of the I‑75/85 Connector and south of the I‑75/85/I‑20 interchange
• Midtown – Directly north of Downtown along Peachtree Street and I‑75/85
• Buckhead – Further north along Peachtree Road and Georgia 400, north of I‑85 and north of the Brookwood area
• Westside / West Midtown – West of Midtown and the Connector, near Northside Drive and Howell Mill Road
• Eastside neighborhoods – East of the Connector and north/south of I‑20 (Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park, Little Five Points, East Atlanta Village, etc.)

When you zoom in on a digital map, these names usually appear as labeled neighborhoods or districts around the central highways and Peachtree Street.

Atlanta’s Coordinates and Elevation (For Map and GPS Users)

If you’re using GPS or looking at more detailed maps:

• Approximate coordinates for Downtown Atlanta:
  • Latitude: about 33.75° N
  • Longitude: about 84.39° W

This places Atlanta:

• Slightly north of the midpoint of Georgia
• Inland, well away from the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico

Atlanta also sits on the Piedmont plateau, giving the city a higher elevation than many other major Southeastern cities. This is why you sometimes see Atlanta described on maps or guides as being in the “foothills of the Appalachians.”

North vs. South: Atlanta’s Position on Larger Maps

Understanding Atlanta’s broader position helps if you’re planning regional travel.

Relative to Major Nearby Cities

On a typical southeastern U.S. map, Atlanta is:

• Northwest of Macon (roughly 1.5 hours by car)
• West of Athens (home of the University of Georgia, about 1.5 hours away)
• Northeast of Montgomery, Alabama
• Southeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Southwest of Greenville and Charlotte, North Carolina

This makes Atlanta a regional transportation hub, with many other cities reachable by I‑75, I‑85, or I‑20.

Air and Rail Corridors

On transportation maps, you’ll also see:

• Hartsfield–Jackson Airport as a major node for flights throughout the U.S. and internationally
• Amtrak’s Crescent line, which runs through Atlanta connecting New Orleans, Birmingham, and points north like Charlotte, Washington, D.C., and New York

Neighborhoods and ZIP Codes: Finding Specific Areas on a Map

If you’re trying to locate a specific Atlanta neighborhood or address, it helps to understand how ZIP codes and city boundaries appear on maps.

City of Atlanta vs. Metro Atlanta

On formal maps, the City of Atlanta is a specific area, primarily in Fulton County and extending into DeKalb County.

Surrounding it are separate cities and towns (some people still refer to them as “Atlanta” for convenience), such as:

• Decatur (east of Atlanta, in DeKalb County)
• Sandy Springs (north, in Fulton County)
• Marietta and Smyrna (northwest, in Cobb County)
• College Park, East Point, and Hapeville (south of central Atlanta, near the airport)

When you look at political or jurisdiction maps, each of these has its own boundary, even if they all feel like part of greater Atlanta.

Common Atlanta ZIP Code Patterns

On a ZIP code map, you’ll notice:

• 30303, 30308, 30309 – Cover major parts of Downtown and Midtown
• 30305, 30324, 30326 – Cover much of Buckhead
• 30310, 30311, 30314 – Cover many West and Southwest Atlanta neighborhoods
• 30307, 30316, 30317 – Cover areas like Inman Park, Little Five Points, East Atlanta, and Kirkwood

Using these ZIP codes on a map or in a navigation app can help you quickly narrow down the general side of town you’re dealing with.

Simple Visual Summary: How Atlanta Sits on a Map

You can imagine Atlanta’s position like this:

Using Official Atlanta Resources to Orient Yourself

If you want more precise or official maps of Atlanta, Georgia, you can look for resources from public agencies and offices. These often provide zoning maps, neighborhood maps, transit maps, and city boundary maps.

Some key Atlanta-based entities that maintain or share maps include:

• City of Atlanta Department of City Planning
  55 Trinity Avenue SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303

• Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) – Produces maps of the Atlanta metropolitan area, including transportation and land use

• Fulton County Government – GIS Department
  141 Pryor Street SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303

• MARTA (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) – Provides rail and bus route maps covering much of the city and surrounding areas
  Headquarters: 2424 Piedmont Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30324

These kinds of maps can help you see city limits, neighborhood boundaries, rail and bus lines, and more detailed street-level information than a basic road atlas.

Practical Tips for Reading Atlanta on a Map 🗺️

If you’re new to navigating Atlanta on a map (physical or digital), a few simple habits help:

• Find the Downtown Connector first – Once you spot I‑75/85 running north–south, you can orient the rest of the city around it.
• Locate I‑285 to distinguish city vs. suburbs – Inside the loop: core urban Atlanta. Outside: surrounding suburbs and edge cities.
• Use Peachtree as a mental spine – Many major neighborhoods—Downtown, Midtown, Buckhead—are aligned along Peachtree Street/Road.
• Check direction labels carefully – Streets such as Peachtree Street NE vs. SW indicate which quadrant you’re in.
• Zoom out periodically on digital maps – This helps you understand how far you are from downtown, the airport, or the Perimeter.

Understanding where Atlanta, Georgia sits on the map—from national scale all the way down to neighborhood streets—makes it much easier to plan commutes, choose where to stay or live, and appreciate how the city fits into the broader region.