---
title: "ATL is which airport? Atlanta"
description: "ATL is Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, United States. Where the code comes from, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/atl/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is ATL?

**ATL is: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport**

Atlanta, United States

## Why the code is ATL

The first three letters of Atlanta.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** ATL
- **ICAO code:** KATL
- **Airport:** Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- **City:** Atlanta, United States
- **Opened:** 1926
- **Code origin:** Documented

It has been the busiest airport in the world by passenger numbers for most years since 1998, which is a consequence of geography and hub design rather than of Atlanta being a large destination: most people in the terminal are changing planes. The old joke that you have to connect through Atlanta to get to heaven is a fair description of Delta's network.

## The other code, KATL

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, ATL, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, KATL, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why KATL looks nothing like ATL.

## Common questions

### What airport is ATL?

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in Atlanta, United States.

### Why is Atlanta's airport called ATL?

The first three letters of Atlanta.

### What is the difference between ATL and KATL?

ATL is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. KATL is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [United States](https://atoneplace.net/country/united-states/)
- [The flag of United States](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-states/)
- [Airport codes in United States](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/united-states/)
- [What airport is JFK?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/jfk/)
- [What airport is LAX?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/lax/)
- [What airport is ORD?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ord/)
- [What airport is MCO?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/mco/)
- [What airport is DFW?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/dfw/)
- [What airport is EWR?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/ewr/)
- [What airport is SFO?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/sfo/)
- [What airport is LGA?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/lga/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]