Current time in Atlanta, United States
The current local time in Atlanta is shown below. Atlanta observes EST in winter and EDT during daylight saving time.
Daylight saving time
Sunrise & sunset today
Timezone facts
Atlanta in context
Atlanta sits on a plateau in north-central Georgia at around 320 metres elevation, the highest major city east of Denver. The city proper holds around 510,000 residents, with the wider metropolitan area extending across 29 counties and reaching above 6.3 million people. The compact downtown core gives way quickly to extensive suburbs that stretch north toward the Appalachian foothills.
Timezone history of Atlanta
Atlanta sits on the western edge of the Eastern timezone, around 30 minutes adrift from solar noon during standard time. The position matters for the city's role as a hub: Hartsfield-Jackson is the world's busiest airport, and routine flight schedules treat the Eastern offset as practically equivalent to Central Time at the western Georgia border, where some communities historically considered switching zones.
Working hours in Atlanta
Atlanta's working hours run 09:00 to 17:00 in finance and legal services, with the major logistics employers (Delta, UPS, Coca-Cola, Home Depot) operating shifted schedules tied to overnight freight and global shipping windows. The city's film and television production sector, which expanded rapidly through state tax incentives in the 2010s, runs to per-production rather than office schedules. Hot, humid summers push significant outdoor work into early-morning slots.