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The loudest cities in Estonia, ranked by noise exposure
2 Estonia cities make the measured EEA ranking. Tartu leads with exposed-resident Lden of 45–65 dB, while half the country's ranked cities fall at or below Lden 53.8 dB.
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| Estonia # | City | Europe # | Lden | Lnight | Source | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tartu | 309 | 45–65 | 45–55 | Road | 95,389 |
| 2 | Tallinn | 312 | 45–60 | 45–55 | Road | 444,970 |
Estonia's 2 ranked cities are home to 540,359 residents. By exposed-resident Lden the field reads Tartu (45–65 dB), Tallinn (45–60 dB), ending at Tallinn (45–60 dB). The median lands near Lden 53.8 dB. Road traffic is the dominant source in all 2. The most populous, Tallinn at 444,970 residents, ranks #312 across Europe with exposed-resident Lden of 45–60 dB. The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, which most of these Estonia cities exceed for their noise-exposed residents.
The figures come straight from the country's END strategic noise maps and the EEA's harmonised 2022 dataset — day-evening-night (Lden) exposure for the noise-affected population only. Lnight, the night-time figure, is the level most closely tied to sleep disturbance, which is why the EU reports it separately from the daytime Lden. Open any Estonia city below for its full figures, then measure your own street with the free live meter.
Which Estonia cities are the noisiest?
By this EEA data the noisiest Estonia cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail, aircraft and industrial exposure: Tartu, Tallinn top the list, led by Tartu at Lden 45–65 dB (road traffic). The full ranking is in the table above.
Estonia noise: the numbers
- 2 Estonia agglomerations are in the measured European ranking — 21st-most of any country here.
- Loudest: Tartu at exposed-resident Lden 45–65 dB (European #309).
- Quietest ranked: Tallinn at Lden 45–60 dB; median near Lden 53.8 dB.
- Road traffic is the dominant source in 2 of the 2.
- Combined population of the 2: 540,359.
How this ranking is measured
These are the same measurements behind the European ranking of all 314 cities — the EU Environmental Noise Directive strategic noise maps (road, rail, aircraft and industry), 2022 reporting round, harmonised by the European Environment Agency, with no estimation by us. Lden is the annual-average day-evening-night level; only residents above the 55 dB Lden threshold are reported, so the ranges describe the noise-exposed population.
How loud is your street?
Rankings describe city-wide exposure — your block is its own story. Check it with the free online decibel meter, or open any city above for its full figures.