Noise Levels in Old North End, Burlington, VT | Find Quiet Neighborhoods With Our Sound Map

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 4,381 Old North End residents, or 39.5%, live above that level. By land area, 43.0% of Old North End is above 55 dBA.

See how noise in Old North End compares to similar-sized neighborhoods.

Noise by Part of Old North End

Average noise levels for Old North End residents, grouped by direction from the center of Old North End. The highest population-weighted average is in southern Old North End; the lowest is in eastern Old North End, where just 22% of residents live in blocks above the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, three-quarters of the share in the loudest section.

To the human ear, noise in southern Old North End sounds about 276% louder than in eastern Old North End, a 19.1 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.

Rail Noise

Active freight rail runs through parts of Old North End. 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

Patrick Leahy Burlington International (BTV) sits east of Old North End. 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 50 dBA on the map's Overall layer. Blocks on the opposite side of Old North End, particularly to the west, show no measurable aviation contribution. Use the Aviation toggle on the map above to isolate the airport's footprint.

How Noise Is Distributed Across Old North End

The bar chart below shows the share of Old North End residents in each noise band. About 61% of residents live below the EPA's 55 dBA threshold, and roughly 6% live in blocks above 60 dBA. Long-term exposure in that range is linked to elevated stress hormones and cardiovascular risk.

How Old North End Compares

Old North End sits at the louder end of the spectrum. Below: how Old North End's average outdoor noise and share of residents above the EPA threshold compare with South End, New North End, South Burlington North, and Williston North.

Average noise level (dBA)

Old North End's 54.5 dBA pop-weighted average is at the louder end of the spectrum. Vermont as a whole averages 46.5 dBA and the U.S. averages 52.0 dBA. Both are lower than Old North End because most of either area is rural land away from major roads.

Share of residents above 55 dBA

About 39.5% of Old North End 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, 43.0% of Old North End's footprint sits above 55 dBA, against a Vermont average of 12.4% and a national average of 28.1%.

What This Means if You're Moving to Old North End

• 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 Th-3 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 28% of Old North End 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. Patrick Leahy Burlington International's approach paths concentrate aviation noise to the east. Neighborhoods to the west of downtown show no measurable contribution from the airport.

Sources & Methodology