Skip to Content

Most neighborhood noise complaints involve things like loud music on too late at night, or too early in the morning, barking dogs that simply refuse to stop no matter the time of day, or couples having loud fights in the apartment upstairs. But what about road and airplane noise? It's something that ends up adding to the ambient sounds of the city, but it does affect you and it is something that can drive some people crazy and hurt your quality of life. If you're interested in finding out the relative levels of noise caused by transportation in your area, the National Transportation Noise Map is the resource you'll want to check out.

Created by the US Department of Transportation, there are some disclaimers on how you want to interpret this data:

The National Transportation Noise Map is developed using a 24-hr equivalent sound level (LEQ, denoted by LAeq) noise metric. The results are A-weighted noise levels that represent the approximate average noise energy due to transportation noise sources over the 24 hour period at the defined receptors. This map includes simplified noise modeling and is intended for the tracking of trends, it should not be used to evaluate noise levels in individual locations and/or at specific times.

Not surprisingly, the loudest areas are freeways and airports, with airport flight paths being the loudest areas, but it's also interesting to see places like West Hollywood and Downtown get tons of road noise, apparently due to the density of the street systems there. You can see that same dynamic at work in New York City:

If you want to explore the map yourself, go here. Thanks to Laura J. Nelson on Twitter for sharing this map.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Announcing the L.A. TACO Media Lab: For the Future of Local Journalism In Los Angeles

To start, we’re teaming up with the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism to help provide education and training expertise to a new generation of journalists. The school has developed a new course, “Bridging the Gap Between L.A. Influencers and Independent Journalists,” which will provide time and space for USC students to contribute to the L.A. TACO Media Lab. 

From Highland Park to High-End Steakhouse: How a Linebacker From Franklin High Became the Master of Mastro’s

L.A.-born Walter Mayen worked his way up in the kitchen, from shucking oysters to running one of the most legendary steakhouses in the country. And even has the scar to prove it.

April 24, 2025

The Eight Best Latino-Owned Coffee Pop-Ups Serving Labubu, Gansito, and Duvalín Lattes From Their Front Yards

Beyond the specifics behind the perfect pour, a high-quality bean, and a great aroma, coffee is about community, the people who serve it, and the people we share it with.

April 24, 2025

Wes Avila’s Game-Changing Sweet Potato Taco Is Back In Flauta Form (And Better Than Ever)

Thirteen years after Wes Avila first turned the classic taco de papa on its head by using in-season, local sweet potatoes, he continues to evolve his iconic, accidentally vegetarian taco. Avila’s sweet potato taco has been copied by many in L.A. and beyond. It’s also one of the best-sellers at his taquería in Kyoto, PioPiko, proving that this taco is also effectively also huge in Japan.

April 23, 2025

Meet the ‘Final Four’ Taquerías In the Semi-Finals! Just Ten Days Left For Our Live Event

Did your favorite spot make it to the Sabr-Ocho? The competition is getting fierce.

April 23, 2025
See all posts