FX began developing Atlanta in August 2013, with the pilot ordered to series in December 2014 before a full ten-episode order followed in October 2015.

Creator Donald Glover, who grew up in Atlanta and also works as a musician, said the city itself influenced the tone of the show.

Glover revealed that the second season took inspiration from the Tiny Toon Adventures episode 'How I Spent My Vacation.'

Donald Glover plays multiple roles beyond Earn, including Teddy Perkins, a mentally disturbed recluse with bleached skin, and Kirkwood Chocolate, a film and television magnate who exploits Black people in entertainment.

Production on seasons three and four was postponed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying the planned 2021 premiere.

Filming for seasons three and four began in early April 2021 in London, with additional shooting in Amsterdam and Paris, marking the show's first extensive filming outside the United States.

Atlanta is notable for being one of the few American cable television series to feature an all-Black writing staff, including Glover, his brother Stephen, members of his rap collective Royalty (Fam Udeorji, Ibra Ake, Jamal Olori), Stefani Robinson, and Taofik Kolade.

In an interview with The New Yorker, Glover explained that the characters smoke cannabis because 'they have PTSD—every Black person does.'

The series features numerous celebrities playing fictionalized versions of themselves, including Offset, Quavo and Takeoff as Alfred's drug suppliers, Michael Vick as a quarterback challenging club-goers to foot races, and Alexander Skarsgård as a sexually depraved cannibal.

Guest appearances by Liam Neeson and Soulja Boy reference their real-life 2019 controversies, respectively his comments and his 'Crank That' dance.

Atlanta's directing earned Hiro Murai and Donald Glover recognition, with Glover's Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series being the first ever awarded to an African American.