Noise Levels in 97267, OR | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
54 dBA
Average noise across 97267
Quiet office to normal conversation
9,679
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
32% of 97267 residents
78 dBA
Loudest residential point
City bus interior
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across 97267 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 9,679 97267 residents, or 31.7%, live above that level. By land area, 36.1% of 97267 is above 55 dBA.
63.9% below 55 dBA
36.1% above 55 dBA
See how noise in 97267 compares to similar-sized zip codes.
Noise by Part of 97267
Average noise levels for 97267 residents, grouped by direction from the center of 97267. The highest population-weighted average is in northeastern 97267; the lowest is in northern 97267, where just 29% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Northeastern 97267
58.9 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Eastern 97267
58.5 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern 97267
54.4 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Western 97267
53.5 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northern 97267
52.9 dBA · Moderate
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in northeastern 97267 sounds about 52% louder than in northern 97267, a 6.0 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 Interstate Route 205 do you need to be?
Interstate Route 205 produces an estimated 71 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
71 dBA
Highway traffic 50 ft away
165 ft
58 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
330 ft
51 dBA
Quiet office
660 ft
43 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 32% of 97267 sits under tree canopy (heavier than most zip codes) and roughly 40% 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
Portland International (PDX) sits north of 97267. 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 97267, particularly to the south, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across 97267
The bar chart below shows the share of 97267 residents in each noise band. About 73% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 5% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How 97267 Compares
97267 sits the lowest among the peer group. Below: how 97267's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with 97222, 97086, 97068, and 97266.
Average noise level (dBA)
97267's 53.8 dBA pop-weighted average is the lowest among the peer group. Oregon as a whole averages 52.9 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than 97267 because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 31.7% of 97267 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, 36.1% of 97267's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Oregon average of 24.2% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to 97267
- 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 Interstate Route 205 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 97267 is under tree cover (heavier 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. Portland International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the north. Neighborhoods to the south of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
