Noise Levels in 23314, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
51 dBA
Average noise across 23314
Quiet office to normal conversation
1,321
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
15% of 23314 residents
72 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 23314 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 1,321 23314 residents, or 15.4%, live above that level. By land area, 25.0% of 23314 is above 55 dBA.
75.0% below 55 dBA
25.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 23314 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 23314
Average noise levels for 23314 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 23314. The highest population-weighted average is in western 23314; the lowest is in northeastern 23314, where just 4% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Western 23314
53.0 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northwestern 23314
52.2 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern 23314
50.4 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
Northern 23314
48.5 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
Northeastern 23314
48.4 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in western 23314 sounds about 38% louder than in northeastern 23314, a 4.6 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 72 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
72 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
330 ft
54 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
47 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
40 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 47% of 23314 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 22% 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
Norfolk International (ORF) sits east of 23314. The U.S. Department of Transportation models aviation noise around this airport from federal traffic data, 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 65 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of 23314, 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 23314
The bar chart below shows the share of 23314 residents in each noise band. About 71% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 0% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 23314 Compares
23314 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 23314's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 23702, 23664, 23511, and 23661.
Average noise level (dBA)
23314's 51.4 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 23314 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 15.4% of 23314 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, 25.0% of 23314'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 23314
- 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 47% of 23314 is under tree cover (heavier than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is woody wetlands. 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. Norfolk International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
