Noise Levels in 95117, CA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
56 dBA
Average noise across 95117
Quiet office to normal conversation
11,271
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
42% of 95117 residents
83 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 95117 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 11,271 95117 residents, or 41.6%, live above that level. By land area, 43.6% of 95117 is above 55 dBA.
56.4% below 55 dBA
43.6% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 95117 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 95117
Average noise levels for 95117 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 95117. The highest population-weighted average is in northern 95117; the lowest is in southwestern 95117, where just 26% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Northern 95117
69.7 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Northwestern 95117
60.5 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central 95117
56.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern 95117
54.0 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Southwestern 95117
53.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in northern 95117 sounds about 210% louder than in southwestern 95117, a 16.3 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-280 do you need to be?
I-280 produces an estimated 79 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 quiet suburban street at night.
At source
79 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
65 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
57 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
660 ft
49 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
42 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 6% of 95117 sits under tree canopy (lighter than most zip codes) and roughly 62% 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
Norman Y Mineta San Jose International (SJC) sits northeast of 95117. 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 95117, particularly to the southwest, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 95117
The bar chart below shows the share of 95117 residents in each noise band. About 62% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 18% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 95117 Compares
95117 sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how 95117's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 95128, 95032, 95134, and 95070.
Average noise level (dBA)
95117's 55.8 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. California as a whole averages 54.0 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 95117 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 41.6% of 95117 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, 43.6% of 95117's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a California average of 36.0% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 95117
- 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-280 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 6% of 95117 is under tree cover (lighter than most zip codes), and the dominant land cover is medium-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. Norman Y Mineta San Jose International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the northeast. Neighborhoods to the southwest of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
