Latitude and Longitude of Atlanta, Georgia: What They Are and How to Use Them

If you live in Atlanta, plan to visit, or are just trying to understand where the city sits on the map, knowing the latitude and longitude of Atlanta, Georgia is a useful starting point.

The central coordinates for Atlanta are:

• Latitude: 33.7490° N
• Longitude: 84.3880° W

You’ll often see this written as 33.7490° North, 84.3880° West or simply 33.7490, -84.3880 (the minus sign indicates west of the Prime Meridian).

Understanding Atlanta’s Coordinates

What latitude and longitude mean

• Latitude measures how far north or south a place is from the Equator.
  • Atlanta’s 33.7490° N means it is about one-third of the way from the Equator to the North Pole.
• Longitude measures how far east or west a place is from the Prime Meridian (in Greenwich, England).
  • Atlanta’s 84.3880° W places it well into the eastern half of the United States, in the Eastern Time Zone.

These coordinates uniquely identify Atlanta’s downtown core, roughly around the Five Points area and the cluster of buildings near Peachtree Street and Marietta Street.

Quick Reference: Key Atlanta Coordinates

Here is a simple reference table with the approximate latitude and longitude of several well-known points in Atlanta. These are rounded for everyday use, not for surveying or aviation.

These numbers help you plug Atlanta locations into GPS devices, map apps, or navigation systems with better precision than just a city name.

Why Latitude and Longitude Matter in Atlanta

For residents

If you live in the Atlanta area, coordinates can help when:

• Sharing precise locations in areas with similar street names or new developments.
• Giving directions for deliveries, rideshare pickups, or meet-ups in large complexes or parks.
• Setting up smart home devices, weather stations, or security systems that ask for your exact location.

For example, in large apartment communities or mixed-use developments like Atlantic Station, a latitude/longitude point can get someone to the correct entrance more reliably than “off 17th Street.”

For visitors

Visitors often use Atlanta’s coordinates when:

• Planning travel to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
  • Airport coordinates: about 33.6407° N, 84.4277° W.
• Saving locations like Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, or World of Coca-Cola into maps or GPS for offline use.
• Using rental cars or navigation devices that work best with coordinates.

If you ever lose cell service or are using a standalone GPS unit, these numbers become especially useful.

How to Use Atlanta’s Latitude and Longitude in Practice

In navigation apps and GPS devices

Most modern apps let you enter coordinates directly:

• Decimal degrees format (most common):
  • Example: 33.7490, -84.3880
  • The first number is latitude (north positive, south negative), the second is longitude (east positive, west negative).
• Degrees, minutes, seconds (DMS) format:
  • Atlanta’s center is often approximated as 33°44'56" N, 84°23'17" W.
  • Some older GPS units or mapping tools prefer this format.

When entering into a car’s navigation system around metro Atlanta, make sure to:

1. Confirm you’re using the correct format (decimal vs. DMS).
2. Check that the GPS recognizes the location near Atlanta, GA, and not another city with a similar name.

For emergency and safety situations

While you should always call 911 first in an emergency, coordinates can help if you are:

• In a large park area like Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area or farther out in Stone Mountain Park.
• Somewhere without clear street signs or marked intersections.

On smartphones, many devices can share your coordinates directly from the map app, which can assist responders in locating you if needed.

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

Where Atlanta sits within Georgia

Atlanta is located in north-central Georgia, not far from the foothills of the Appalachian region.

• Latitude 33.7490° N places Atlanta:

  • South of cities like Chattanooga, Tennessee and Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • North of Macon and Savannah within Georgia.

• Longitude 84.3880° W puts Atlanta:

  • West of the Atlantic coast.
  • In line with parts of Alabama to the west and South Carolina to the east.

This position contributes to Atlanta’s climate, time zone, and daylight patterns, which residents may notice in the relatively mild winters and hot, humid summers.

Time zone and daylight

Because of its longitude, Atlanta is firmly in the Eastern Time Zone (ET).

• Longitude around 84° W is well within the band that uses Eastern Time in the United States.
• Sunrise and sunset times vary across metro Atlanta, but the differences from one neighborhood to another are small; coordinates mainly matter if you’re comparing Atlanta to other cities.

Local Examples Using Atlanta Coordinates

City government and planning

Agencies like the City of Atlanta Department of City Planning and Fulton County use latitude and longitude for:

• Zoning maps and property records
• Infrastructure planning (roads, utilities, transit)
• Public safety mapping for police, fire, and EMS services

If you’re dealing with property boundaries, permits, or surveys within the city, you may see coordinates listed on documents or plats.

Key office (check current hours before visiting):

• City of Atlanta Department of City Planning
  55 Trinity Avenue SW
  Atlanta, GA 30303
  Main City Hall line: often listed via the City of Atlanta’s general information number.

Transportation around Atlanta

Transportation agencies and operators use coordinates to manage:

• MARTA rail and bus routes
• Traffic signals and highway systems, especially along interstates like I-75, I-85, and I-20
• Flight paths in and out of Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Pilots and aviation staff use more detailed coordinate systems and additional data, but they are all built around the same latitude/longitude framework that places Atlanta at about 33.7° N, 84.4° W.

Getting Your Exact Coordinates in Atlanta

If you want your precise latitude and longitude at a specific spot in Atlanta—your house, a trailhead, or a business entrance—you can:

• Use your phone’s map app and press and hold your location pin to see exact coordinates.
• Use a handheld GPS device, which is common among hikers, surveyors, and some contractors.
• Look up your property via county GIS mapping systems (for example, Fulton, DeKalb, or Cobb County GIS tools), which often display latitude and longitude for parcels.

Keep in mind:

• Coordinates can differ slightly even within a single city block.
• For normal navigation, the rounded city center coordinates (33.7490° N, 84.3880° W) are usually more than enough.
• For detailed surveying, engineering, or legal property work, a licensed surveyor typically provides the highly accurate coordinates needed.

Key Takeaways for Atlanta

• Atlanta’s primary coordinates:
  • 33.7490° N (latitude)
  • 84.3880° W (longitude)
• These coordinates point to the downtown Atlanta area and are used across navigation systems, planning documents, and mapping tools.
• Residents and visitors can use these numbers for GPS navigation, location sharing, and better understanding of where Atlanta sits within Georgia and the United States.
• For everyday purposes—driving directions, trip planning, or exploring the city—knowing that Atlanta is at about 33.7° North, 84.4° West gives you a precise and practical sense of its place on the map.