The fair place to meet is Richmond, VA — the city closest to the midpoint of Atlanta and New York. From the farther side that’s about 9 hr 51 min of driving.
Recommended midpoint
Richmond, VA
From Atlanta
9 hr 51 min
470 mi to Richmond
From New York
6 hr
286 mi to Richmond
New York has the shorter trip; the split is off by about 3 hr 51 min. The alternatives below can even it out. Atlanta and New York are about 746 miles apart.
Atlanta and New York are about 746 miles apart by road. Split the difference and you arrive near Richmond, the city closest to the halfway point between them. That puts roughly 9 hr 51 min of driving on the Atlanta side and 6 hr on the New York side — the fairest single meeting point among the cities near the middle.
That's a half-day drive from each side, so Richmond suits an overnight or a weekend rather than a quick coffee — long enough to want a reason to stay, short enough to drive.
If Richmond doesn't have what you're after, Raleigh and Washington are also close to the midpoint and worth a look — each keeps the drive reasonably balanced between Atlanta and New York.
Richmond is the capital city of the U.S. state of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city since 1871. It is the fourth-most populous city in Virginia, with a population of 226,610 at the 2020 census. Read more →
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Fulton County and extends into neighboring DeKalb County. Read more →
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States. It is located at the southern tip of New York State on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors. Read more →
City descriptions adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA); photos via Wikimedia Commons, credited above.
Estimates use straight-line distance and typical road speeds; real drive times vary with route and traffic.