Noise Levels in 20152, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map

Population Above the EPA Outdoor Threshold

The EPA's 55 dBA outdoor reference level is a common benchmark for residential noise exposure, especially for activity interference, annoyance, and long-term community noise concerns. About 12,220 20152 residents, or 37.9%, live above that level. By land area, 41.9% of 20152 is above 55 dBA.

See how noise in 20152 compares to similar-sized zip codes.

Noise by Part of 20152

Average noise levels for 20152 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 20152. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 20152; the lowest is in southwestern 20152, where just 18% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.

To the human ear, noise in northern 20152 sounds about 49% louder than in southwestern 20152, a 5.8 dBA gap. Every 10 dBA roughly doubles perceived loudness. Within any of these directions, two homes a quarter mile apart can still differ by 10 or more dBA depending on how close they sit to a major highway.

Airport Noise

Washington Dulles International (IAD) sits northeast of 20152. The U.S. Department of Transportation measures aviation noise around this airport directly, and the model uses those federal measurements rather than synthetic predictions.

Blocks under the approach and departure paths carry combined road-plus-aviation noise, with some exceeding 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 20152, particularly to the southwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.

How Noise Is Distributed Across 20152

The bar chart below shows the share of 20152 residents in each noise band. About 43% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 11% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.

How 20152 Compares

20152 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 20152's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 20105, 20155, 20120, and 22033.

Average noise level (dBA)

20152's 54.7 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Virginia as a whole averages 52.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 20152 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.

Share of residents above 55 dBA

About 37.9% of 20152 residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's in the middle of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 41.9% of 20152's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Virginia average of 30.0% and a national average of 28.1%.

What This Means if You're Moving to 20152

• Distance from highways matters more than the neighborhood name. Two homes in the same zip code can differ by 20 dBA if one sits 100 meters from and the other 500 meters away. The model captures this at 100-meter resolution, so noise exposure changes block by block.
• Tree canopy can help reduce modeled noise exposure. Roughly 26% of 20152 is under tree cover (about average for zip codes), and the dominant land cover is medium-intensity developed land. Both are measured from federal USDA Forest Service and USGS satellite imagery at 30-meter resolution. Streets with 60% or higher canopy show 3 to 5 dBA lower noise than comparable streets with bare ground or pavement, which is why the per-place decay rate above already accounts for it.
• Airport noise is directional. Washington Dulles International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northeast. Neighborhoods to the southwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.

Sources & Methodology