Atlanta vs Dallas: Which Is Better for a First Trip?

The short answer

Atlanta gathers an aquarium and a civil and human rights museum around Centennial Olympic Park, a legacy of the 1996 Olympics, and preserves Sweet Auburn, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born and preached, as a national historical park. MARTA trains and the streetcar take you on to the Beltline, a former rail corridor turned trail, and to the parks and museums of Midtown.

Dallas is a big city in North Texas whose downtown holds Dealey Plaza, where President Kennedy was assassinated, The Sixth Floor Museum and the largest urban arts district in the United States. A commuter train makes a day trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards, home of the longhorn cattle drive, easy.

Who each suits: Atlanta is for travelers interested in U.S. civil rights history, the aquarium, and slow days in parks and on trails. Dallas is for those who want Kennedy history, an arts district full of museums and performance halls, Tex-Mex and Texas-style barbecue, and the longhorn cattle drive.

• Full Atlanta travel guide →
• Full Dallas travel guide →

From the airport to the city

At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the MARTA Airport Station is inside the Domestic Terminal, and Red and Gold line trains leave from there. Average travel time is about 16 minutes to Five Points, 17 minutes to Peachtree Center and 20 minutes to Midtown, and a trip costs USD 2.50. If you land at the International Terminal, take the free shuttle (about 15 minutes) or the Plane Train to the Domestic Terminal baggage claim.

In Dallas, the DART Orange Line light rail leaves from DFW Airport Terminal A Station and runs via Irving to downtown, in under an hour (Visit Dallas). From other terminals, use the free Terminal Link shuttle bus before security or the Skylink train after security to reach Terminal A. If you land at Dallas Love Field (DAL), DART bus 5 (Love Link) takes you to Inwood/Love Field Station, where you change to the Green or Orange Line light rail.

• Atlanta: MARTA Red and Gold lines, about 16 minutes to Five Points, USD 2.50 per trip (a paper Breeze ticket adds a USD 1 fee)
• Dallas (DFW): DART Orange Line, under an hour to downtown, USD 3 for a Local 3-Hour Pass or USD 6 for a Local Day Pass
• Dallas (DFW to Fort Worth): TEXRail, USD 2 for a Local single ride
• Paying: in both cities you can tap a contactless card or phone, and each rider needs their own payment method

How many days, and getting around

The guides suggest 3 nights for Atlanta and 2 to 3 nights for Dallas. In Atlanta you can give a day each to downtown, Sweet Auburn and the Beltline, and Midtown; in Dallas, two days for downtown and the Arts District and one for a Fort Worth day trip.

MARTA trains in Atlanta cost USD 2.50 per trip regardless of distance, and one fare covers up to 4 transfers between buses and trains. Unlimited passes cost USD 9 for 1 day and USD 16 for 3 days, and the downtown streetcar is USD 1 per ride.

All 4 DART light rail lines in Dallas pass through downtown. A Local Pass costs USD 3 for 3 hours or USD 6 for a day, and if you add the TRE to Fort Worth you need a Regional Day Pass for USD 9. The M-Line Trolley between the Arts District and Uptown is free. In both cities, check hotel and food costs for your dates on booking sites.

• Atlanta: the High Museum of Art and Atlanta Botanical Garden close on Mondays
• Dallas: The Sixth Floor Museum and Dallas Museum of Art close on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science closes on Tuesdays (until April 7, 2027)
• Dallas: the TRE has no regular Sunday service (except during the State Fair of Texas), so plan a Fort Worth day trip for Monday to Saturday

What to do in Atlanta: civil rights history, parks and gardens

Around Centennial Olympic Park downtown, the Georgia Aquarium, known for its whale sharks and belugas, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (USD 28 for adults, plus tax) are within walking distance. The park's Fountain of Rings show runs daily at 12 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.

In Sweet Auburn, the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is free, and there are daily ranger talks at Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. King preached. Midtown has Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Garden next to it, with a canopy walk above the trees and indoor conservatories (orchid and tropical houses).

The Beltline's Eastside Trail, built on old rail lines, runs from Piedmont Park to Inman Park, with Historic Fourth Ward Park beside it. For food, think Southern comfort cooking, barbecue and the global food of Buford Highway.

What to do in Dallas: JFK history, the Arts District, Fort Worth longhorns

The Sixth Floor Museum in the West End (USD 27 for adults) is in the former Texas School Book Depository. It tells the story of President John F. Kennedy's assassination and legacy through film, photos and artifacts; pair it with Dealey Plaza.

The Arts District covers 20 blocks and is the largest urban arts district in the United States. General admission to the Dallas Museum of Art is free, and Klyde Warren Park, built over a freeway, has food trucks every day. In the evening, Deep Ellum, known for blues and jazz, has live music.

At the Fort Worth Stockyards, the longhorn cattle drive runs daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. (except Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving and Christmas). Take the TRE from EBJ Union Station in Dallas to Fort Worth, then the Trinity Metro Orange Line loop bus. For food, Dallas is known for Tex-Mex, Texas-style barbecue, burgers and steaks.

Weather by month

The figures below are 1981–2010 normals from the WMO World Weather Information Service — National Weather Service (USA), for Atlanta (WMO city data) and Dallas Ft Worth (WMO city data). Both cover the same period, so the same months are compared side by side.

The guides name April-May and October as the best walking months for Atlanta, and March-April and October-November for Dallas, so April and October suit both. June to August is hot in both cities, with July average highs of 32°C in Atlanta and 35°C in Dallas.

Rain falls all year in Atlanta at 85-134 mm a month, with July the wettest at 134 mm. Dallas gets more rain in May (about 125 mm) and October (about 107 mm), and 49-55 mm a month in July and August. In summer, carry water in both cities, and in Dallas plan indoor museums for the middle of the day.

• January: Atlanta high 11°C, low 1°C, 107 mm / Dallas high 14°C, low 2°C, 54 mm
• April: Atlanta high 23°C, low 11°C, 85 mm / Dallas high 25°C, low 13°C, 78 mm
• July: Atlanta high 32°C, low 22°C, 134 mm / Dallas high 35°C, low 24°C, 55 mm
• October: Atlanta high 23°C, low 12°C, 87 mm / Dallas high 26°C, low 14°C, 107 mm

How to choose, and what to check before you go

Choose Atlanta for 3 unhurried nights of civil rights history and park walks; choose Dallas if you want museums, the Arts District and a Fort Worth day trip in 2 to 3 nights. For a museum-heavy plan, avoid Mondays in Atlanta and Mondays and Tuesdays in Dallas.

If you plan to visit both cities on one trip, check the official information before you go for how to travel between them. Check the U.S. government's official information on entry requirements (visas, electronic travel authorization and so on) before you leave.

• Atlanta: a 3-night, 4-day route →
• Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson (ATL) to the city →
• Dallas: a 2-night, 3-day route →
• DFW Airport to downtown Dallas →
• Incheon → Atlanta route info →
• Incheon → Dallas route info →

FAQ

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