How Loud Is New Orleans, LA?
MSY sits in Kenner, twelve miles west, leaving the city itself mostly free of aircraft noise. The elevated I-10 Claiborne Expressway runs directly over a historic neighborhood corridor and is the city's loudest structure. The French Quarter and Frenchmen Street produce live-music noise nightly, and six converging freight railroads mean train horns are part of the city's soundtrack.
New Orleans Noise Map
The map below combines two data sources: the official U.S. DOT National Transportation Noise Map (modeled 24-hour average road, rail, and aviation noise — the colored bands) and real decibel readings measured by DecibelMap users (the dots). Drag and zoom to explore any neighborhood.
Colored bands: modeled traffic noise, quieter → louder (yellow 45 dB → orange → red → pink → purple → blue 90+ dB). Source: U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, 2022. Dots: crowdsourced readings.
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What Makes New Orleans Loud
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Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY)
Aircraft arrivals and departures create corridors of elevated noise — check the purple/blue bands on the map.
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Major corridors: I-10, US-90 Business (Westbank Expressway), I-610
Highway noise typically reaches 65–75 dB within a block of the roadway and stays audible for a half mile or more.
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Rail
Six Class I railroads converge here; streetcar lines.
Noise Levels Reference
| Environment | Typical dB | What It Means |
|---|
| Quiet residential | 30–45 dB | Birdsong and leaves — ideal for sleep |
| Suburban street | 45–55 dB | Occasional cars, generally calm |
| Moderate urban | 55–65 dB | Steady background hum |
| Busy road | 65–75 dB | Raised-voice territory |
| Highway / flight path | 75–85+ dB | Constant stress, health risk over time |
The WHO recommends under 40 dB in bedrooms for healthy sleep. If a street reads above 60 dB with windows open, expect to rely on closed windows, white noise, or earplugs.
Check a Specific Address in New Orleans
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Search the address
Type any street address in the search bar. Check the colored noise bands and nearby readings.
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Measure it yourself
On site, tap the 🎤 button — 5 seconds later your reading is pinned to the map and helps the next person.
Common Questions
How loud is New Orleans?
Noise levels in New Orleans vary widely by neighborhood. Streets near I-10, US-90 Business (Westbank Expressway), I-610 typically measure 60–75 dB, while residential streets away from major corridors are usually 40–55 dB. Use the interactive map above to see modeled transportation noise for any block in New Orleans, plus real crowdsourced decibel readings.
What are the loudest areas in New Orleans, LA?
The loudest areas of New Orleans are generally along the major highway corridors (I-10, US-90 Business (Westbank Expressway), I-610) and under the flight paths serving Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (MSY). MSY sits in Kenner, twelve miles west, leaving the city itself mostly free of aircraft noise.
What is a good noise level for an apartment in New Orleans?
The WHO recommends under 40 dB inside bedrooms for healthy sleep. When checking an apartment, aim for a street reading below 60 dB with windows open — quieter than that, closed windows can usually get interiors into the sleepable range. Visit at rush hour and late evening before signing a lease.
How can I measure noise levels in New Orleans?
Open decibelmap.com on your phone at any location in New Orleans, tap the microphone button, and hold still for 5 seconds. The reading is pinned to your GPS location on the global map. No app download or signup needed, and no audio is recorded — only the decibel number.
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