Facts

Population: 404,000 in center city; 3.5 million in greater Atlanta

Location: Georgia

Elevation: 1,050 feet

Area: 131.8 sq. miles (entire metro area : 800 square miles)

Time Zone: Eastern Time Zone. When it is noon in NY City, it is noon in Atlanta. EDT observed April-October.

Weather: Average Temperatures (in Fahrenheit):

Temperatures:

Month

High

Low

January

51F

35F

February

54F

37F

March

62F

43F

April

71F

51F

May

79F

60F

June

86F

67F

July

87F

70F

August

86F

69F

September

82F

64F

October

72F

54F

November

61F

43F

December

52F

37F

Pleasant temperatures in the summer and mild winters make Atlanta a pleasure to visit year round. Dress appropriately for cooler weather Jan.-March.

National Holidays:

Jan 1: New Year's Day 3rd Monday in January: Martin Luther King Jr Day/ Robert E Lee's Birthday 3rd Monday in February: Presidents' Day/Washington's Birthday Last Monday in April: Confederate Memorial Day Last Monday in May: Memorial Day July 4: Independence Day 1st Monday in September: Labor Day 2nd Monday in October: Columbus Day Nov 11: Veterans' Day 4th Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Friday after Thanksgiving: Holiday Dec 24: Christmas Eve Dec 25: Christmas Day Holidays occurring on a Sunday are moved to a Monday

Emergency: 911

Business: 9-5 Mon.-Fri.

How to get around: Public Transportation: MARTA Call for schedules: (404)848-4711 (Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority) is one of the most advanced rapid transit systems in the United States. All buses and train stations accept the MARTA Trans card. For a flat weekly or monthly fee, patrons have unlimited use of the entire system. Cards are sold at RideStore locations at the airport and major stations and in many grocery and convenience stores. With the card, transfers are not needed. Children three and under ride free. Trains run every 4 minutes on weekdays between 5am and 7pm. From 7pm-1am they run every 10 minutes. On Saturday and Sunday they run every 10 or 15 minutes until 1am on Sunday morning and 12:30am on Monday morning. Buses follow the same schedule.

Taxis: Atlanta's 2000+ cabs operate under a limited flat rate structure by zones. The fare from the airport to the downtown business district is about $20. for one passenger. Sales tax is extra, as is baggage.

AAA Yellow Cab (404) 255-3333

Rapid Taxi Co (404) 222-9888

Yellow Cab Dunwoody (770) 394-9999

Airport: Hartsfield Atlanta International Tel: (404) 530-6600 Fax: (404) 530-6803 Distance from city: 10 miles (16km) Airport Code: ATL

Hartsfield Airport is the size of a small city and employs 35,000 people. The Atrium, a 225,000 sq. ft. 4 story structure, topped with a 60 ft. wide skylight connects the north and south terminals. It contains over 40 restaurants and shops and is also the location of a 20,000 sq. foot conference center with accommodation for the running of 15 meetings simultaneously.

Transportation between Hartsfield and the Metro Atlanta area: Buses run from 5 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 5:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. weekends and holidays. MARTA's rail system operates from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. weekends and holidays. Rail cars run every four minutes between the airport and Lindbergh Center Station. Suggestion: buy a Trans Pass and use it throughout your stay.

Metro Area Shuttles: Reservations required. Check with dispatcher at Airport Shuttle desk

Amtrak: Brookwood Station, 1688 Peachtree Street NW (404) 881-3060. Service daily to and from NY Penn Station and New Orleans

Greyhound Bus Lines: 232 Forsyth St., SW (404) 584-1728

Driving in Atlanta: Atlanta is served by three major highways: Interstate 85N (the Northeast Expressway) and its counterpart I85S (the Southwest Expressway); Interstate 75 North and South; and Interstate 20East and West. In Atlanta, the rush hour never seems to end. The public transportation is excellent, and most visitors find that it is easy to manage without a car, or by renting one for excursions way beyond the city.