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Decibel chart › 100 dB
How loud is 100 decibels?
100 decibels is about as loud as a car horn at 5 m, an approaching subway train, a jackhammer. That is at or above the 85 dB hearing-risk line: NIOSH limits safe exposure to about 15 minutes a day, and every 3 dB louder halves that. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Last updated:
| Sound level | 100 dB |
|---|---|
| Hearing risk | Extreme |
| Safe exposure (NIOSH) | About 15 minutes a day |
| Workplace limit (OSHA) | 2 hours a day (OSHA noise limits) |
Measure 100 dB yourself
Want to know if where you are hits 100 dB? Press Start and the meter below reads it live. It runs in your browser, and nothing is recorded or uploaded.
What is comparable to 100 decibels?
Everyday examples of sounds around 100 decibels, each sourced to CDC, NIOSH, NIDCD and ASHA. Open any one for its own breakdown, or see the full decibel levels chart.
- Car horn at 5 m 100 dB
- Approaching subway train 100 dB
- Jackhammer 100 dB
- Snowmobile 100 dB
- Circular saw 96–107 dB
- Sporting event 94–110 dB
- Hand drill 98 dB
- Train horn 96–110 dB
- Cicada chorus 90–100 dB
- Barking dogs 88.4–100.3 dB
- Tractor with no cab 82–100 dB
- Movie theater 74–104 dB
Is any city as loud as 100 dB?
No city averages 100 dB. That is a sound-source level, not an ambient one. The loudest mapped cities peak around 70–75 dB by day. These are the loudest mapped.
- Orange, CA 4.4% of residents at 70 dBA or more
- Terni 55–75 dB by day
- Hastings 55–75 dB by day
What does 100 decibels sound like?
100 decibels is about as loud as a car horn at 5 m, an approaching subway train, a jackhammer. That is at or above the 85 dB hearing-risk line: NIOSH limits safe exposure to about 15 minutes a day, and every 3 dB louder halves that. On the decibel scale, each 10 dB step sounds roughly twice as loud. Measure it yourself with Decibel Shield's free online decibel meter.
Is 100 decibels too loud?
Yes, 100 decibels is loud, about the loudness of a car horn at 5 m, at or above the 85 dB line, so prolonged exposure can damage hearing and ear protection is recommended.
How long is 100 decibels safe to hear?
At 100 dB, NIOSH puts the safe daily exposure at about 15 minutes a day. Each 3 dB increase halves it.
How far away can you hear 100 dB?
In open air a small source measured at 100 dB from 1 m falls to about 80 dB at 10 m and 60 dB at 100 m, losing 6 dB each time the distance doubles. You keep hearing it while it stays above the background level around you: farther in a quiet field at night, much less on a 60 dB street. Walls, ground and wind change the figure.
Work out any distance, or a line source such as a road, with the sound distance calculator.