Noise maps for Los Angeles, compared
Updated
Modeled estimates for general information only — not measurements, not a guarantee, and not for legal, medical or real-estate decisions.
Yes. Several noise maps cover Los Angeles. LAWA’s portals show aircraft activity near LAX and Van Nuys, the federal National Transportation Noise Map shows modeled aviation, highway and rail noise for national trends, and other tools give a score or a report for one address. Quiet LA is a free modeled map of the whole county.
More accurate than the federal noise map. Checked against 118 real sound measurements across LA County, Quiet LA came closer at 2 out of 3 sites. Typical error: 4.6 dB vs 7.7 dB. Federal map: US DOT National Transportation Noise Map, 2020 data, built for national trends. Compared . Only the federal map and HowLoud have been tested, so this page makes no claim about the other tools in the table.
Each row describes the tool from its own pages, read on or , except Realtor.com, which is described from its announcement of because the live feature has not been checked. Tools change, so check the page before you rely on a detail. This page lists tools alphabetically and does not rank them. Quiet LA is not affiliated with any of them.
Which noise maps cover Los Angeles?
| Tool and who runs it | What it says it shows | Address lookup | Cost, if stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight NoiseRun by flightnoise.fyi | A report on aircraft noise at one address within 20 km (12 miles) of one of 205 airports in Europe and North America, from a year of recorded flights. It calls the result an estimate of the noise outdoors, not a measurement or an official noise map. | Yes, one address per report | Paid per address; a flight map replay is free |
| HowLoudRun by HowLoud | A Soundscore, a rating number for an address, from three noise factors: vehicle traffic (using the FHWA Traffic Noise Model), air traffic and local sources such as restaurants and schools. | Yes, a full address | Not stated on the pages read |
| LAWA noise portals (LAX and Van Nuys)Run by Los Angeles World Airports | Interactive pages to explore aircraft flight activity by area of interest, with diagrams, fact sheets and reports on aircraft types and runway use by time of day. The pages read show no decibel values. WebTrak is a separate flight-tracking tool, delayed up to 60 minutes, with replay up to 90 days. | Yes: an address look-up bar on the portals; none mentioned for WebTrak | Not stated |
| My Flight PathRun by My Flight Path Ltd | Aircraft information for a property, summarized in a Flight Blight Score, for the UK, USA and AUS. It does not name its data providers on the page read. | Yes, by address | Full reports are sold; a free rating is mentioned only for property professionals |
| National Transportation Noise MapRun by US Department of Transportation (Bureau of Transportation Statistics) | Modeled aviation, highway and rail noise across the country, as a 24-hour equivalent A-weighted level (LAeq), with data for 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 in its 2022 documentation; levels below 45 dB(A) are not included and helicopters are not. It says it should not be used for individual locations or specific times. | Not found on the page read | Not stated |
| Quiet LARun by Quiet LA | A modeled map of Los Angeles County: road and train noise for Day, Evening, Night and a 24-hour CNEL, with an optional aircraft estimate derived from official airport contours in the 24 h view. A model, typically about 6 dB off at one spot. | Yes, any address in the county | Free; no accounts or ads |
| QuietMapRun by White Hat Harbor | A Chrome extension that shows a score from 0 to 100 on single listing pages of Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com, for the lower 48 states, from the National Transportation Noise Map, train horn crossings and OpenStreetMap places. It calls the noise a model averaged over 24 hours, not a measurement at the door. | Reads the listing’s address | The extension is free; paid reports and passes are offered |
| Realtor.comRun by Realtor.com; as described in its March 2020 announcement | A noise indicator on its listings, introduced in March 2020: each property gets a high, medium or low noise rating, and users can look at nearby noise sources and a heat-map overlay of them. It combines three kinds of sources: traffic, airports, and local sources such as restaurants, gas stations, sports stadiums and schools. It works at the property level. At launch it was available for properties across the continental U.S. on iOS, Android, web and mobile web. Quiet LA has not checked the live feature. | Shown on each listing, as the announcement describes it | Not stated in the announcement |
| SkyNoiseRun by SkyNoise | Flight noise reports for a specific address, using ADS-B flight tracking and ECAC Doc 29 and EASA aircraft noise data. | Yes, an address, coordinates or a pin on a map | Paid plans |
What is each one useful for?
- Aircraft activity near LAX or Van Nuys: the LAWA portals and WebTrak, the airport operator’s own tools. Quiet LA’s airport noise hub links each airport’s official page.
- Modeled levels at an address across the whole county: Quiet LA, for roads, trains and, in the 24 h view, an aircraft estimate. See how to look up an address.
- A national picture of transportation noise for tracking trends: the National Transportation Noise Map, which says it is not for individual locations.
- An aircraft noise report for one address near an airport: Flight Noise, SkyNoise and My Flight Path each describe such a report on their own pages.
- A score shown while browsing listings: QuietMap, as a browser extension.
- A noise indicator shown on listings: Realtor.com, as described in its March 2020 announcement.
- A rating number for an address: HowLoud’s Soundscore.
Why do the numbers differ between noise maps?
They measure different things in different years by different methods. The National Transportation Noise Map reports a 24-hour equivalent level (LAeq) from data years up to 2020 in its 2022 documentation. Quiet LA reports Day, Evening and Night averages and a 24-hour CNEL, which counts evening 5 dB and night 10 dB heavier than day, from a 2026 data release. A score from 0 to 100 is a different kind of number again. None of these is a measurement at your door, and several say so on their own pages. For the metrics, see what CNEL means.
What are the limits of a modeled map?
Quiet LA’s numbers are estimates of outdoor sound, not indoor levels, and they are typically about 6 dB off at one spot. They do not include helicopters, individual overflights, construction, events, nightlife or neighbors. See Limits, How it’s made and Sources & methods.
Open this on the map
- Los Angeles County over 24 hours
- LAX with Aircraft on (the aircraft estimate is in the 24 h colors)
Want this map on your website or in a product? Quiet LA does not offer that today. If you would use it, email hello@quietlamap.com and tell us what you need.
Common questions
Is there a noise map for Los Angeles?
Yes, more than one. Quiet LA covers all of Los Angeles County with modeled levels, and the LAWA portals cover aircraft activity near LAX and Van Nuys. The table above lists the others with their own descriptions.
Is there a free noise map by address for Los Angeles?
Quiet LA is free and has an address search. The paid or free status of other tools is in the table where their pages state it.
Which map is the most accurate?
This page does not rank maps. Each describes its own method and limits, and none is a measurement at your door.
Are there free apps that measure noise?
Yes: the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, offers a free Sound Level Meter app, which its page says measures workplace noise and is available only on iOS devices. An app reading is a measurement at one place and time, unlike Quiet LA, which is a model of outdoor sound across Los Angeles County. Quiet LA has not tested the app, is not affiliated with NIOSH and does not rate or rank apps. For when a professional measurement is used, see noise surveys and noise assessments.
Does Quiet LA use the National Transportation Noise Map?
No. Quiet LA runs its own model from traffic counts, rail data and airport contours. Its sources are listed on Sources & methods.
Sources
- LAWA: LAX noise management Links the Interactive LAX Noise Portal, WebTrak and the ground run-up monitor. Checked 21 October 2026.
- LAX Noise Portal Checked 21 October 2026. The map did not load when the page was read, so what it draws is not described here.
- LAWA news release, 2 September 2020: LAX and Van Nuys noise portals Describes the two portals and their content.
- LAWA: Van Nuys noise management Links the VNY Noise Portal, WebTrak, noise comments and a fact sheet. Checked 21 October 2026.
- LAWA: LAX Internet Flight Tracks (WebTrak) Coverage, delay and replay. Checked 21 October 2026.
- LAWA: Van Nuys Internet Flight Tracks (WebTrak) Checked 21 October 2026.
- US DOT: National Transportation Noise Map viewer Purpose and limits as the viewer page states them. Checked 21 October 2026.
- US DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics: National Transportation Noise Map documentation (2022) Data years, metric and limits. The newest data year in this document is 2020. Checked 21 October 2026.
- HowLoud Homepage and FAQ (howloud.com/faqs). Checked 21 October 2026.
- QuietMap (White Hat Harbor) Checked 23 October 2026.
- Flight Noise Checked 23 October 2026.
- Realtor.com press release, “It’s Oh, So Quiet!” (Santa Clara, Calif., 9 March 2020) Describes the noise indicator at its launch. Quiet LA has not checked whether the live feature works as described today.
- SkyNoise Checked 23 October 2026.
- My Flight Path Checked 23 October 2026.
- CDC, NIOSH: Sound Level Meter App Says the app measures workplace noise, is free to download and is available only on iOS devices. Checked 24 October 2026.