Jimmy Carter: Final Hours To View Late President In ATL

ATLANTA, GA — Georgia residents have less than a day to pay their final respects to the late former President Jimmy Carter before his body is flown to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Visitors have until 6 a.m. Tuesday to say their goodbyes to Carter at his beloved Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta. Afterward, a crew from the Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta will fly Carter's body to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland before a horse-drawn caisson ultimately carries him to the U.S. Capitol.

Carter will lie in state in DC before a funeral there, followed by a final, private funeral in Georgia Thursday afternoon.

At age 100, the 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize winner died four days after Christmas. He was the longest-living president in the U.S.

People from 133 countries and territories have shared at least 16,000 condolence messages since Carter's death, according to the Carter Center on Monday. He and his late wife of 77 years, Rosalynn, have been remembered as humanitarians.

"We’ve seen an incredible outpouring of love and support for President Carter, with more than 10,000 visitors paying their respects at the Carter Presidential Center in the first 24 hours," the Carter Center said in a Facebook post published Monday.

Parking is not currently available for guests at the Carter Center, but the center said MARTA is offering a free shuttle that will take visitors to and from the King Memorial rail station to the Carter Center.

Atlanta Police have said there could be traffic delays around the Carter Center, the Georgia Capitol and Atlanta City Hall.

Photography and electronic recording are not permitted, the center said, as representatives warned lines could be long.

Once in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda, members of Congress will pay their respects to Carter on Tuesday afternoon. The former commander-in-chief will lie in state through early Thursday, then, the National Funeral Service will take place at 10 a.m.

At last, Carter will return home to Plains, where a private funeral will commence at 3:45 p.m. Thursday at Maranatha Baptist Church.

Gov. Brian Kemp previously declared a state of emergency in Sumter County to assist with the farewell and interment for Carter.

The order, which allows the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency to activate the State Operations Center for resources, will end at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

People may sign an online condolence book via the Carter Center.

In place of flowers, the Carter family requested donations be made to the Carter Center, 453 John Lewis Freedom Pkwy. N.E. in Atlanta.