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Noise pollution maps — airports, highways, freight rail by address
Noise pollution is invisible on a typical home tour but it's the #1 post-move-in regret in surveys of recent buyers. Federal datasets exist for highway, aviation, and rail noise — most buyers never see them.
Published 2026-04-25 · Last reviewed 2026-04-26 · methodology
DOT National Transportation Noise Map
Bureau of Transportation Statistics publishes a nationwide map at maps.dot.gov/BTS/NationalTransportationNoiseMap/.
Combines highway + rail + aviation noise into a 0-90+ dB color-coded map.
Updated annually. Sources: USDOT FHWA, FRA, FAA models.
Color thresholds: <50 dB residential-acceptable, 50-60 dB suburban-typical, 65-75 dB high (highway-adjacent), 75+ dB unacceptable for residential.
Airport noise — FAA Noise Exposure Maps
Every Part 150 airport publishes Noise Exposure Maps (NEMs) showing 65 dB DNL contour (Day-Night Average Sound Level).
Properties INSIDE the 65 dB contour are formally 'noise-impacted' under FAA rules.
DNL averaging includes 10 dB nighttime penalty (10pm-7am noise weighted higher).
Resale impact: properties inside 65 dB contour sell 8-15% below comparable properties outside.
Rail noise — freight especially
FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) publishes noise contours along major freight + passenger rail.
Freight rail can be 80-90 dB at trackside; horns at crossings 95-110 dB.
'Quiet zones' (no horns at crossings) reduce horn noise but increase risk; cities establish per FRA rules.
Distance matters: noise drops ~6 dB per doubling of distance from rail.
Highway noise patterns
Interstates: 70-80 dB at 100 ft from roadway; drops to 60-65 dB at 500 ft.
Trucks dominate (5-10x cars). Truck-heavy corridors (I-5 California, I-80 Pennsylvania) noisier than commuter routes.
Sound walls reduce noise 5-10 dB on residential side. Properties behind sound wall vs unprotected = $20-50k value diff.
The 4-tool verification stack
1. **DOT National Transportation Noise Map** — overall picture in <2 min.
2. **FAA airport-specific NEM** — search 'FAA Noise Exposure Map [airport-code]'.
3. **Visit at peak noise hours** — morning rush, evening rush, train horn schedule (FRA crossing data).
4. **Smartphone dB meter app** — Decibel X, NIOSH Sound Level Meter — measure actual dB at property.
What zipradar shows
Noise is NOT in our 12-dimension federation. maps.dot.gov is the canonical source — linked from /methodology/.
Pair noise check with school district + air quality + flood for the full 'liveability' pre-purchase pass.
Related zipradar topics
Glossary terms used here
NTNM (National Transportation Noise Map)
DOT/BTS map combining highway + rail + aviation noise into a 0-90+ dB color-coded nationwide layer.
DNL (Day-Night Average Sound Level)
FAA + EPA standard for cumulative airport noise — 24-hour average dB with 10 dB nighttime penalty (10pm-7am weighted higher).
NEM (Noise Exposure Map)
FAA-required Part 150 map showing 65 dB DNL contour around an airport — properties inside are formally noise-impacted.
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