When people ask about Atlanta landmarks, several institutions instantly come to mind: from Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home, to the Hight Museum of Art to the only aquarium in North America with a whale shark.
And making that list without a doubt, is the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport: one of the crowned jewels of the city. The Atlanta Airport is more than just a means to get somewhere else, though. It’s a staple of the community, a massive job provider for Atlantans, an arts hub, and much more. And it just turned 100 years old. Keep scrolling to learn more.
The Atlanta Airport’s origins
The Atlanta Airport’s origins start on an abandoned auto racetrack, when Mayor Walter A. Sims signed a short, five-year lease, committing the city to developing the location into an airfield.
From there, Atlanta didn’t get its first control tower until 1939. And then, the Atlanta Airport states, “Atlanta was declared an air base by the U.S. Government. Candler Field would double in size during World War II.”
A year later, in 1941, Delta Air Services (later known as Delta Air Lines) moved its headquarters from Louisiana to Atlanta.
And the Atlanta Airport gets its modern-day, official name in 2003, when the Atlanta City Council legislated a name change of the Airport to honor late Atlanta Mayor Maynard H. Jackson: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The name honors and recognizes both Mayor Jackson and William B. Hartsfield’s vision and support for the airport.
Wanna see the FULL history? Visit the Atlanta Airport’s website, here!
The Atlanta Airport today
Today, the Atlanta Airport is the busiest airport in the world. Annually, it transports more than 100 million passengers.
In 2025, its centennial year, ATL recorded 805,268 aircraft operations (according to Road Genius). Its record remains 904,301 operations, recorded in 2019.
Of course, when it comes to food and drink, the airport is its own (not so) little neighborhood! The airport contains 161 restaurants spread across 8 concourses, with everything from sit-down dining and craft cocktails to quick grab-and-go meals on the go.
And if you’re looking to kill a little time at the Atlanta Airport, you’ll have no trouble finding some gorgeous art to enjoy! With rotating exhibits, permanent collections, immersive history, and so much more, the Atlanta Airport is an art treasure-trove, hidden in plain sight. Learn all about the airport’s art initiatives on their website, here!
The time capsule
100 years is a very long time–and the Atlanta Airport foresees another 100 in the books! In fact, in celebration of its first 100 years, and in preparation for the next century, the Atlanta Airport recently buried a time capsule on Stogner Hill.
The Time Capsule contains important historical memorabilia from the past century, and will not be opened until 2126, in 100 years.
Atlanta News First reports on what’s inside the capsule, including:
- A copy of the airport’s original lease agreement
- Mail from the first airmail flight in 1926
- A View-Master of runway 10-28, which opened in 2006
- Domestic Terminal Canopy LED light
- Concourse D Expansion Project 3D Printed module
- Mayor’s 5K on the runway medals
- A letter from Mayor Andre Dickens
- Environmental, Social and Governance report
- COVID-19 care kit
But that’s not all. Inside the capsule is a personal letter from General Manager Ricky Smith addressed directly to the airport’s future stewards. According to ANF, it starts,
To the people of ATL in 2126, if you’re reading this, you already know something we don’t. You know what happened next.
We won’t know what the Atlanta Airport is like in 100 years. Most of us didn’t know firsthand what the airport was like when it began, in 1925. But look! Here were are right smack dab in the middle. And both the stewardship of the past and the potential for the future lies in our hands. Let’s make it good.
Happy 101, Atlanta Airport!