Noise Levels in 22046, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
58 dBA
Average noise across 22046
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
10,066
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
60% of 22046 residents
82 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 22046 at 100-meter resolution, combining road, aviation, and rail sources. Green areas measure below 45 dBA. Orange and red exceed the EPA's 55 dBA outdoor threshold linked to long-term health effects. Use the layer toggles to view each source on its own or all together.
What the numbers sound like
- 30 dBAWhisper
- 40 dBASoft rainfall
- 45 dBAQuiet suburban street at night
- 50 dBAQuiet office
- 55 dBAEPA outdoor threshold: light traffic 100 ft away
- 60 dBANormal conversation an arm's length away
- 65 dBABusy restaurant
- 70 dBAHighway traffic 50 ft away
- 80 dBACity bus interior
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 10,066 22046 residents, or 60.3%, live above that level. By land area, 67.5% of 22046 is above 55 dBA.
32.5% below 55 dBA
67.5% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 22046 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 22046
Average noise levels for 22046 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 22046. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 22046; the lowest is in western 22046, where just 45% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about two-thirds of the share in the loudest section.
Northern 22046
66.4 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northeastern 22046
64.4 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Eastern 22046
59.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central 22046
57.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Western 22046
57.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in northern 22046 sounds about 85% louder than in western 22046, a 8.9 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.
How far back from do you need to be?
produces an estimated 82 dBA at its loudest centerline points. Noise drops logarithmically with distance, with the exact rate depending on what's between you and the road. Tree cover, walls, terrain, and pavement type all matter. At roughly a quarter mile back, traffic fades into the noise level of a quiet office.
At source
82 dBA
Food blender at arm’s length
165 ft
69 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
330 ft
61 dBA
Busy restaurant
660 ft
54 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
¼ mile
46 dBA
Quiet office
½ mile
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 39% of 22046 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 30% is impervious surface like pavement and rooftops. Both are folded into the per-place decay rate above. Heavier canopy pulls noise down faster with distance; impervious surfaces slow the drop.
-->
Rail Noise
Active freight rail runs through parts of 22046. For most blocks the rail-only contribution is small. Combined road-plus-rail noise rarely exceeds road noise on its own. The exceptions are the handful of blocks within roughly a quarter mile of the right-of-way during pass-through hours.
Use the Rail toggle on the map above to isolate rail's contribution from road and aviation.
Airport Noise
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl (DCA) sits east of 22046. 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 75 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 22046, particularly to the west, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 22046
The bar chart below shows the share of 22046 residents in each noise band. About 15% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 22% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 22046 Compares
22046 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 22046's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 22205, 22302, 22151, and 22206.
Average noise level (dBA)
22046's 58.3 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Virginia as a whole averages 52.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 22046 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 60.3% of 22046 residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's fewer than any of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 67.5% of 22046'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 22046
- 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 39% of 22046 is under tree cover (heavier than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is low-density developed open space. 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. Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
