Noise Levels in 22308, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
55 dBA
Average noise across 22308
Quiet office to normal conversation
4,985
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
37% of 22308 residents
66 dBA
Loudest residential point
Highway traffic 50 ft away
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 22308 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 4,985 22308 residents, or 37.2%, live above that level. By land area, 38.7% of 22308 is above 55 dBA.
61.3% below 55 dBA
38.7% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 22308 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 22308
Average noise levels for 22308 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 22308. The highest population-weighted average is in eastern 22308; the lowest is in northeastern 22308, where just 23% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about two-thirds of the share in the loudest section.
Eastern 22308
56.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northern 22308
55.8 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southeastern 22308
55.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Western 22308
54.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northeastern 22308
53.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in eastern 22308 sounds about 23% louder than in northeastern 22308, a 3.0 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 66 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 soft rainfall.
At source
66 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
54 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
48 dBA
Quiet office
660 ft
41 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 48% of 22308 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 27% 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.
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Airport Noise
Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl (DCA) sits north of 22308. 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 45 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 22308, particularly to the south, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 22308
The bar chart below shows the share of 22308 residents in each noise band. About 47% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 1% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 22308 Compares
22308 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 22308's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 22303, 22301, 22307, and 22302.
Average noise level (dBA)
22308's 54.7 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 22308 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 37.2% of 22308 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, 38.7% of 22308'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 22308
- 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 48% of 22308 is under tree cover (heavier than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is low-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. Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the north. Neighborhoods to the south of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
