Noise Levels in North Riverdale, Dayton, OH | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map
56 dBA
Average noise across North Riverdale
Quiet office to normal conversation
2,176
Residents above the EPA 55 dBA threshold
57% of North Riverdale residents
68 dBA
Loudest residential point
Highway traffic 50 ft away
This map shows modeled outdoor noise across North Riverdale 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 2,176 North Riverdale residents, or 56.6%, live above that level. By land area, 58.2% of North Riverdale is above 55 dBA.
41.8% below 55 dBA
58.2% above 55 dBA
See how noise in North Riverdale compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.
Noise by Part of North Riverdale
Average noise levels for North Riverdale residents, grouped by direction from the center of North Riverdale. The highest population-weighted average is in southern North Riverdale; the lowest is in northern North Riverdale, where just 24% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, about half the share in the loudest section.
Southern North Riverdale
57.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Southeastern North Riverdale
57.3 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Central North Riverdale
56.9 dBA · Moderate-loud
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
Northwestern North Riverdale
55.7 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
Northern North Riverdale
55.6 dBA · Moderate-loud
Quiet office to normal conversation
To the human ear, noise in southern North Riverdale sounds about 13% louder than in northern North Riverdale, a 1.7 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 Riverside Dr do you need to be?
Riverside Dr produces an estimated 60 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
60 dBA
Normal conversation an arm’s length away
165 ft
46 dBA
Quiet suburban street at night
330 ft
38 dBA
Soft rainfall
660 ft
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
¼ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
½ mile
35 dBA
Soft rainfall
Calculated from the model's calibrated attenuation formula. About 22% of North Riverdale sits under tree canopy (heavier than most neighborhoods) and roughly 51% 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
James M Cox Dayton International (DAY) sits north of North Riverdale. 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 55 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of North Riverdale, 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 North Riverdale
The bar chart below shows the share of North Riverdale residents in each noise band. About 32% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 11% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.
How North Riverdale Compares
North Riverdale sits the highest among the peer group. Below: how North Riverdale's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with Hillcrest, West Wood, Walnut Hills-Dayton, and Residence Park.
Average noise level (dBA)
North Riverdale's 55.7 dBA pop-weighted average is the highest among the peer group. Ohio as a whole averages 51.1 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than North Riverdale because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.
Share of residents above 55 dBA
About 56.6% of North Riverdale 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, 58.2% of North Riverdale's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Ohio average of 26.4% and a national average of 28.1%.
What This Means if You're Moving to North Riverdale
- 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 Riverside 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 22% of North Riverdale is under tree cover (heavier than most neighborhoods), 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. James M Cox Dayton International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the north. Neighborhoods to the south of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.
