Shabbat Times in Atlanta: How to Know When Shabbat Starts and Ends

If you’re in Atlanta, Georgia and looking for Shabbat times, you’re really asking two main things:
What time does Shabbat begin on Friday (candle lighting)?
What time does Shabbat end on Saturday (Havdalah)?

Because Atlanta’s sunrise and sunset change throughout the year, Shabbat times are different every week. This guide explains how Shabbat times work specifically for Atlanta, how to check accurate times, and what else you should know if you live in or are visiting the city.

What “Shabbat Times Atlanta” Usually Means

When people search for “Shabbat times Atlanta”, they usually want:

• Friday candle lighting time in Atlanta
• Shabbat end / Havdalah time on Saturday night
• Sometimes: earliest and latest times for specific prayers or activities (like Mincha before Shabbat)

In Jewish tradition:

• Shabbat begins shortly before sunset on Friday, usually observed as about 18 minutes before sunset in many communities.
• Shabbat ends when three stars are visible in the sky, which is often calculated as a set number of minutes after sunset on Saturday (the exact number can vary by custom).

Atlanta’s location (roughly 33.7° N latitude) means that day length changes significantly with the seasons, so you cannot rely on a single time every week. You need a current, date-specific time based on Atlanta’s local sunset.

How to Find Today’s Shabbat Times in Atlanta

Because times change daily, the most reliable approach is to use a Shabbat time calculator or local synagogue information and make sure it’s set to Atlanta, GA.

When checking, be sure:

1. The city is set to Atlanta, Georgia (or your exact suburb if available).
2. The date is correct (especially around travel or time changes).
3. The halachic custom (e.g., 18 minutes before sunset for candle lighting, 42–72 minutes after sunset for Havdalah) matches what you or your community follow.

🕯️ At a glance, for any given Friday in Atlanta:

Because the exact minutes depend on the date and halachic method, you should always look up the specific time for that week.

Seasonal Patterns: How Shabbat Times Shift in Atlanta

Although you must check exact times for each date, it helps to understand how things generally run through the year in Atlanta:

Winter (roughly November–February)

• Sunset is early, often in the 5:20–5:40 PM range at its earliest, sometimes even a bit earlier.
• Candle lighting is usually sometime after 5:00 PM in the heart of winter.
• Shabbat ends relatively early on Saturday evening, often in the 6:15–6:45 PM window, depending on the exact date and custom used.

This season is when many Atlanta families feel the “short Friday” most intensely—people often leave work earlier or prepare Thursday night.

Spring and Fall (around March–April and September–October)

• Times shift week by week—earlier in fall, later in spring.
• Around the spring and fall time changes, be extra careful to verify that:
  • The time zone is correctly set to Eastern Time (ET)
  • The calculator or printed schedule reflects Daylight Saving Time where applicable.

Shabbat in Atlanta during these transitional seasons feels more moderate: Friday nights are not too early or too late, and Saturday nights end at a comfortable hour.

Summer (roughly May–August)

• Sunset is late, often after 8:30 PM at peak summer.
• Candle lighting can be close to 8:15–8:30 PM or later at the height of summer.
• Shabbat ends late, sometimes after 9:30 PM, depending on the halachic opinion used for Havdalah.

Many Atlanta families and visitors choose to make an early Shabbat in summer (accepting Shabbat earlier on Friday) if their rabbinic authority allows, especially with kids or early bedtimes.

Time Zone, Daylight Saving, and Atlanta Shabbat Times

Atlanta uses Eastern Time (ET) and observes Daylight Saving Time. That affects the clock time of Shabbat, though not the underlying sun position.

Key points:

• Standard Time (EST): roughly early November to early March
• Daylight Time (EDT): roughly early March to early November

When clocks “spring forward” or “fall back,” Shabbat times jump by the clock, but they still correspond to sunset.

If you’re visiting Atlanta from another time zone:

• Confirm your phone and devices have correctly adjusted to Eastern Time.
• When checking online or in printed materials, make sure the time zone matches local Atlanta time.

Local Atlanta Context: Where People Look Up Shabbat Times

Many people in Atlanta rely on:

• Synagogue bulletins or websites
• Printed Shabbat schedules available in shuls
• Community calendars distributed in neighborhoods like Toco Hills, Sandy Springs, or Dunwoody

Some centrally located synagogues where you may find weekly posted Shabbat times include (always confirm current schedules directly with them):

• Congregation Beth Jacob
  1855 LaVista Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
  Phone: (404) 633-0551

• Congregation Shearith Israel
  1180 University Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30306
  Phone: (404) 873-1743

• Congregation Or VeShalom
  1681 North Druid Hills Rd NE, Brookhaven, GA 30319
  Phone: (404) 633-1737

• Chabad centers in the Atlanta area (such as in Intown, Toco Hills, Alpharetta, Sandy Springs, and others) often publish local Shabbat candle lighting and Havdalah times for their neighborhood.

These institutions generally follow accepted local halachic standards and align their service times accordingly.

Why Shabbat Times in Atlanta Can Differ Slightly by Source

If you compare Shabbat times from different Atlanta sources, you might see a few minutes of difference. Common reasons include:

• Different end-of-Shabbat standards (for example, 42, 50, or 72 minutes after sunset)
• Slight rounding differences (to the nearest minute vs. exact seconds)
• Use of different halachic opinions for “sea level” vs. elevation or degrees of sun below the horizon

Practically:

• Candle lighting times around Atlanta are usually very consistent—often identical across sources.
• Havdalah times may vary slightly; many people choose one standard and stick with it consistently.

If you’re new to Atlanta or visiting, it’s reasonable to:

1. Ask a local rabbi or synagogue office which custom their community follows.
2. Use that same approach for your stay to remain consistent.

Shabbat Times When Traveling To or From Atlanta

If you’re flying into or out of Atlanta (Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport) close to Shabbat:

• Remember that Shabbat starts and ends based on your current location, not your departure or home city.
• If you’re in the air as Shabbat begins or ends, the situation can get halachically complex; frequent travelers often consult a rabbinic authority in advance.

For practical planning:

• Build in a safety buffer before candle lighting if you’re arriving in Atlanta on Friday.
• If you’re leaving Atlanta just before Shabbat, confirm whether you will reach your destination before its local candle lighting time.

Practical Tips for Managing Shabbat in Atlanta

Here are some local-minded pointers that many Atlanta residents and visitors find helpful:

• Plan around Friday traffic:
  Atlanta’s Friday rush hour, especially on I-285, I-75, I-85, and GA-400, can be heavy. In winter, when candle lighting is early, allow extra time to get home or to your hotel.

• Check times for your exact date:
  Don’t rely on a “general pattern” from a prior week. Times can shift a few minutes weekly, and more around time changes.

• Pay attention to Jewish holidays:
  On some holidays (like Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Passover), candle lighting times in Atlanta are often listed alongside Shabbat times. Make sure you’re looking at the correct day.

• If you’re staying in a hotel:
  Many visitors choose hotels within walking distance of synagogues in neighborhoods such as:

  • Toco Hills area (near LaVista Rd and N Druid Hills Rd)
  • Sandy Springs / Perimeter
  • Dunwoody / North Atlanta

  Ask local congregations for suggestions that work well for walking on Shabbat.

• Eruv awareness:
  Several Atlanta neighborhoods with observant communities maintain an eruv (a symbolic boundary allowing carrying in public areas on Shabbat according to many opinions). If this is relevant to you, check with local shuls in that neighborhood to confirm whether the eruv is up for that Shabbat.

Quick Reference: What You Need to Do Each Week in Atlanta

To stay aligned with correct Shabbat times in Atlanta:

1. Look up the specific date for Atlanta, GA (not just Eastern Time in general).
2. Note the candle lighting time (about 18 minutes before sunset) and plan to:
   • Finish driving, shopping, and preparing before that time.
   • Light candles and accept Shabbat no later than that time (according to common practice).
3. Note the Shabbat end / Havdalah time used in your community.
4. If in doubt, call or visit a local synagogue office earlier in the week to confirm.

By understanding how Shabbat times are set, how they shift through the seasons in Atlanta, and how local communities handle them, you can confidently plan your week—whether you live here full-time, are staying for a weekend, or are just passing through.