Noise Levels in 32820, FL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
48 dBA
Average noise across 32820
Quiet office
1,039
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
11% of 32820 residents
70 dBA
Loudest residential point
Highway traffic 50 ft away
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 32820 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 1,039 32820 residents, or 10.8%, live above that level. By land area, 34.1% of 32820 is above 55 dBA.
65.9% below 55 dBA
34.1% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 32820 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 32820
Average noise levels for 32820 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 32820. The highest population-weighted average is in southeastern 32820; the lowest is in northeastern 32820, where just 2% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, a fifth of the share in the loudest section.
Southeastern 32820
54.1 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southern 32820
53.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Eastern 32820
47.5 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
Northwestern 32820
46.6 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
Northeastern 32820
46.3 dBA · Mostly quiet
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in southeastern 32820 sounds about 72% louder than in northeastern 32820, a 7.8 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.
How far back from Colonial Dr do you need to be?
Colonial Dr produces an estimated 67 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
67 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
54 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
660 ft
39 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 32% of 32820 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 20% 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
Orlando International (MCO) sits southwest of 32820. 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 32820, particularly to the northeast, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 32820
The bar chart below shows the share of 32820 residents in each noise band. About 94% 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 32820 Compares
32820 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 32820's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 32833, 32766, 32814, and 32754.
Average noise level (dBA)
32820's 48.1 dBA pop-weighted average is at the quieter end of the spectrum. Florida as a whole averages 51.6 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 32820 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 10.8% of 32820 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, 34.1% of 32820's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Florida average of 31.8% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 32820
- 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 Colonial Dr 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 32% of 32820 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. Orlando International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southwest. Neighborhoods to the northeast of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
