ATLAirport Guide

Getting to ATL for a 6 a.m. flight: the road, MARTA and checkpoint hours

ATL's Main checkpoint is open 24 hours. Here are the road options, the parking and the checkpoint hours for a 4 a.m. arrival.

The blue entrance canopy of the North economy lot at Atlanta airport, with a SkyTrain car on the raised guideway above it.
The North Economy parking entrance at Atlanta airport

For a 6 a.m. flight, ATL recommends at least two hours before a domestic departure, which means 4 a.m. Check MARTA’s Red and Gold line timetables for the first train to Airport Station before you count on rail, and plan a car or ride if it arrives after 4 a.m.

MARTA: check the first train against 4 a.m.

MARTA’s Red and Gold line timetables give the first train to Airport Station. Our MARTA page has the fare: $2.50 standard, with up to four free transfers within three hours.

By car or ride: book the ride, pick the deck

ATL’s maps page puts the airport approximately 20 minutes south of downtown Atlanta during normal traffic. ATL’s security page says the busiest screening times usually fall between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., so if you arrive at 4 a.m., you’re ahead of that window. Our directions guide has ATL’s driving routes.

Uber’s page says you can reserve a ride up to 90 days ahead and cancel for free until one hour before pickup. It lists an average UberX fare from Old Fourth Ward to ATL over the past month and says that isn’t a fixed price.

If you park, ATL’s parking page prices the ATL West Deck at $30 a day. It calls the deck a 3-5 minute SkyTrain ride from check-in and arrivals and says the SkyTrain boards on Level 4. ATL says the SkyTrain runs 24 hours a day. Park Ride Lot C runs on a shuttle instead, and ATL’s parking page prints no shuttle hours for it.

To skip the early drive, our hotels page lists which airport hotels reach the terminal by train and which by shuttle.

Which checkpoint is open at 4 a.m.

ATL lists these hours on its passenger security page. Passengers can reach every concourse and gate from any checkpoint.

Checkpoint Lanes ATL lists Hours
Domestic Terminal Main Standard screening 24 hours
Domestic Terminal Lower North Standard screening, CLEAR standard 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Domestic Terminal North Standard screening, priority screening 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Domestic Terminal South TSA PreCheck, PreCheck Touchless ID, CLEAR with PreCheck 4:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
International Terminal Departures Standard screening, TSA PreCheck Standard 4:30 a.m. to midnight. PreCheck 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.

ATL’s 3:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Lower North is the checkpoint’s hours, with CLEAR standard among its lanes. CLEAR’s own page lists its standard lane on the lower level of the North side from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. So the checkpoint opens first, and if CLEAR is your lane and you arrive at 4 a.m., plan on the CLEAR lane opening at 4:30. Our security page lists each checkpoint with its hours and PreCheck lanes.

Your airline sets its own bag-drop cutoff, since ATL’s pages don’t give one. Our airlines page shows where each airline checks in.

Sources