Noise Levels in 23511, VA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
59 dBA
Average noise across 23511
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
816
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
8% of 23511 residents
84 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 23511 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 816 23511 residents, or 7.6%, live above that level. By land area, 13.4% of 23511 is above 55 dBA.
86.6% below 55 dBA
13.4% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 23511 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 23511
Average noise levels for 23511 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 23511. The highest population-weighted average is in central 23511; the lowest is in southern 23511, where just 28% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Central 23511
63.5 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Eastern 23511
63.5 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northwestern 23511
63.5 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Southeastern 23511
63.5 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Southern 23511
59.2 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in central 23511 sounds about 35% louder than in southern 23511, a 4.3 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 I-64 do you need to be?
I-64 produces an estimated 76 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
76 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
61 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
53 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
44 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
¼ mile
36 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 2% of 23511 sits under tree canopy (much lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 80% 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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Rail Noise
Active freight rail runs through parts of 23511. 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
Norfolk International (ORF) sits southeast of 23511. 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 23511, particularly to the northwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 23511
The bar chart below shows the share of 23511 residents in each noise band. About 24% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 77% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 23511 Compares
23511 sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how 23511's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 23509, 23661, 23663, and 23707.
Average noise level (dBA)
23511's 59.4 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. Virginia as a whole averages 52.8 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 23511 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 7.6% of 23511 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, 13.4% of 23511'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 23511
- 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 I-64 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 2% of 23511 is under tree cover (much lighter than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is high-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. Norfolk International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southeast. Neighborhoods to the northwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
