Noise Levels in International District, Seattle, WA | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
63 dBA
Average noise across International District
Busy restaurant
5,227
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
100% of International District residents
82 dBA
Loudest residential point
Food blender at arm’s length
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across International District 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 5,227 International District residents, or 100.0%, live above that level. By land area, 100.0% of International District is above 55 dBA.
0.0% below 55 dBA
100.0% above 55 dBA
See how noise in International District compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of International District
Average noise levels for International District residents, grouped by direction from the center of International District. The highest population-weighted average is in northwestern International District; the lowest is in northern International District, where just 96% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, roughly the same as the share in the loudest section.
Northwestern International District
71.7 dBA · Loud
City bus interior
Western International District
71.7 dBA · Loud
City bus interior
Southeastern International District
67.4 dBA · Loud
Highway traffic 50 ft away
Central International District
63.9 dBA · Loud
Busy restaurant
Northern International District
59.6 dBA · Loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
To the human ear, noise in northwestern International District sounds about 131% louder than in northern International District, a 12.1 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-5 do you need to be?
I-5 produces an estimated 78 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
78 dBA
City bus interior
165 ft
63 dBA
Busy restaurant
330 ft
55 dBA
Quiet office to normal conversation
660 ft
46 dBA
Quiet office
¼ mile
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 8% of International District sits under tree canopy (lighter than most neighborhoods) and roughly 74% 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 International District. 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
Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) sits south of International District. 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 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of International District, particularly to the north, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.
How Noise Is Distributed Across International District
The bar chart below shows the share of International District residents in each noise band. About 0% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 69% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How International District Compares
International District sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how International District's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Atlantic, North Delridge, Westlake, and Leschi.
Average noise level (dBA)
International District's 62.9 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. Washington as a whole averages 51.3 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than International District because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 100.0% of International District residents live in blocks where outdoor levels exceed the EPA's 55 dBA threshold. That's more than any of its peer group. Measured by land area instead, 100.0% of International District's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Washington average of 27.7% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to International District
- 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-5 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 8% of International District is under tree cover (lighter than most neighborhoods), 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. Seattle-Tacoma International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the south. Neighborhoods to the north of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
