In conversation, higways in Atlanta are referred to by number: 75, 85, 285, and 400 (but usually I-20, oddly enough).
I-285 forms a complete loop around the city with about a 10-mile radius. This is known as "the Perimeter". Rather than using cardinal directions, people (especially traffic reporters) refer to the "inner loop" and "outer loop"—clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively. The northern intersection of I-285 and I-85 is "Spaghetti Junction," and I-285 and I-75 on the north end is sometimes called "the Cobb Cloverleaf."
Downtown, I-75 and I-85 merge into a single highway for 7.5 miles; this is called "the (Downtown) Connector" or just "75/85." This is one of the busiest stretches of highway in the U.S.; it has high traffic not only during rush hour, but also on weekends when special events are taking place downtown (which is at least every few weeks).
During peak traffic times, traffic meters on many on-ramps use stop lights to space out cars in order to avoid jams. Flashing lights and signs saying "Prepare to stop" will warn you when the meters are in effect. Treat the meters like ordinary stop lights when lit, and ignore them when off.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Metro Atlanta
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Metro Atlanta - updated May 2024
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Metro Atlanta Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
