Know before you go
- Atlanta Beltline Inc. reported 14.8 miles of mainline trail delivered and 85 percent of the loop complete or under construction in its May 2026 report.
- The Beltline has a goal of 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030 and reported 4,425 delivered.
- Southside Trail Segments 4 and 5, 1.2 miles from Boulevard to Glenwood Avenue, opened with a ribbon cutting on April 16, 2026.
The Atlanta Beltline is a loop of trails, parks and planned transit around the center of the city. The Beltline describes it as a 22-mile loop connecting 45 neighborhoods, and for many people moving intown, distance to the trail has become one of the first things they check. That makes sense, but the loop is not finished, and the experience of living next to an open trail is very different from living next to a construction fence or a future segment.
How much is open
The most complete summary is the CEO report Atlanta Beltline Inc. presented to its board on May 13, 2026. It said 85 percent of the mainline trail was either complete or under construction, that 14.8 miles of the mainline had been delivered along with 10.3 miles of connector trails, and that design was complete for the Northern Arc, with real estate acquisition in the final stages. The report expected 16.3 miles to be complete by summer 2026 and noted that unforeseen conditions on Southside Trail Segments 2 and 3 had shifted the schedule. The Beltline’s own website now invites visitors to explore over 16 miles of urban trails.
Segments to watch
| Segment | What it is | Status in Beltline reports |
|---|---|---|
| Southside Trail 4+5 | 1.2 miles, Boulevard to Glenwood Avenue | Ribbon cutting April 16, 2026 |
| Southside Trail 2+3 | 1.9 miles, west of I-75/85 to Boulevard | Expected by summer 2026 |
| Northwest Trail 4A | Part of a 0.9-mile segment from English and Culpepper to Trabert | Expected by summer 2027 |
| Northwest Trail 1 | 0.8 miles along Peachtree Creek | Expected by late 2027 |
| Northwest Trail 5 | 0.7 miles, Marietta Blvd and Huff Rd to English Street | Ribbon cutting October 30, 2025 |
| Northeast Trail 3 | 2.8 miles, Buford Highway to Peachtree Creek, with spurs to Lindbergh station and PATH400 | Out for bids |
The Southside segments connect the Grant Park, Ormewood Park and Boulevard Heights neighborhoods, according to the report. The planned Northeast Trail spur to MARTA’s Lindbergh station would link the loop to the Red and Gold rail lines; our MARTA and Commuting in Atlanta: Lines, Fares, Parking and Commute Times guide explains them.
Tip: Before you choose a home for its Beltline access, look up the nearest segment on the Beltline’s project pages and read the latest monthly design and construction update. A segment shown as a line on a map may still be a design drawing.
Parks and other projects along the loop
- Enota Park, an eight-acre park on the west side, expected by summer 2026.
- A bike park at Shirley C. Franklin Park with a 2.25-mile mountain bike trail and pump track, expected by fall 2026.
- The Atlanta Beltline Arboretum, which the Beltline announced in March 2026 as the world’s longest linear arboretum at 12.44 miles.
- ATL Spoke, a 12-month autonomous shuttle pilot connecting Southwest Atlanta, running seven days a week, 10 hours a day, every 12 to 15 minutes from May 2026.
Affordable housing
The Beltline has a goal of creating or preserving 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030. The May 2026 report said 4,425 had been delivered, 79 percent of the goal, counting units inside the Beltline tax allocation district and within half a mile of the corridor. If you are looking for income-restricted housing near the trail, the Beltline’s housing pages and the partner agencies named in the report, including Atlanta Housing and Invest Atlanta, are the places to start.
Questions to ask about a specific address
How do I get onto the trail?
Access points matter as much as distance. Some segments sit above or below street level and are reached by ramps or stairs, such as the stair and ramp access at the United Avenue bridge described in the construction updates. Walk the route yourself.
Is anything being built nearby?
Monthly updates describe wall construction, grading, lighting and camera work, sometimes with detours. Active construction can mean noise and closures for months.
What will change when the loop is finished?
The Beltline plan includes future transit, but its reports describe trail and park work as the near-term projects. Treat transit along the loop as a long-term plan, not a commuting option you can count on now.
Which taxes apply?
Homes along the Beltline are inside the City of Atlanta, so city, county and Atlanta Public Schools taxes apply. The rules are in Atlanta-Area Property Taxes by County: 2026 Rates for DeKalb, Cobb, Gwinnett and Fulton and the city’s own homestead exemption is in The Georgia Homestead Exemption for Atlanta-Area Buyers: Who Qualifies and How It Floats.
Renting first
Because segments open in stages, renting near the Beltline for a year can be a low-risk way to see how a stretch of trail feels at different hours and seasons before buying. More about the neighborhoods around it is in Intown Atlanta Neighborhoods: How to Compare Them Before You Move.