Noise Levels in 33909, FL | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
52 dBA
Average noise across 33909
Quiet office to normal conversation
6,933
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
26% of 33909 residents
72 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 33909 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 6,933 33909 residents, or 25.7%, live above that level. By land area, 27.6% of 33909 is above 55 dBA.
72.4% below 55 dBA
27.6% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 33909 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 33909
Average noise levels for 33909 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 33909. The highest population-weighted average is in southern 33909; the lowest is in western 33909, where just 12% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Southern 33909
56.8 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Eastern 33909
55.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 33909
53.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northern 33909
52.6 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
Western 33909
50.9 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office
To the human ear, noise in southern 33909 sounds about 51% louder than in western 33909, a 5.9 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 Del Prado Blvd do you need to be?
Del Prado Blvd produces an estimated 69 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
69 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
330 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
660 ft
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 4% of 33909 sits under tree canopy (much lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 32% 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
Southwest Florida International (RSW) sits southeast of 33909. 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 33909, 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 33909
The bar chart below shows the share of 33909 residents in each noise band. About 70% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 2% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 33909 Compares
33909 sits at the quieter end of the spectrum. Below: how 33909's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 33990, 33993, 33904, and 33916.
Average noise level (dBA)
33909's 52.2 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 33909 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 25.7% of 33909 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, 27.6% of 33909'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 33909
- 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 Del Prado Blvd 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 4% of 33909 is under tree cover (much lighter 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. Southwest Florida International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the southeast. Neighborhoods to the northwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
