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The loudest cities in Poland, ranked by noise exposure

36 Poland cities make the measured EEA ranking — the 2nd-most of any European country here. Ruda Slaska leads with exposed-resident Lden of 55–70 dB, while half the country's ranked cities fall at or below Lden 62.5 dB.

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Poland agglomerations ranked by measured Lden transport-noise exposure (EU Environmental Noise Directive, 2022 round)
Poland # City Europe # Lden Lnight Source Population
1 Ruda Slaska 27 55–70 50–65 Road 135,695
2 Walbrzych 32 55–75 50–65 Road 108,222
3 Zielona Gora 49 55–70 50–65 Road 134,385
4 Opole 59 55–70 50–65 Road 122,567
5 Szczecin 60 55–70 50–65 Road 398,255
6 Zabrze 67 55–70 50–65 Road 169,831
7 Lodz 69 55–75 50–65 Road 614,427
8 Gliwice 75 55–70 50–65 Road 160,503
9 Wroclaw 76 55–70 50–65 Road 606,939
10 Bytom 86 55–70 50–65 Road, Rail 162,250
11 Krakow 87 55–70 50–65 Road 706,065
12 Bydgoszcz 115 55–70 50–65 Road 344,091
13 Czestochowa 116 55–70 50–65 Road 205,893
14 Chorzow 126 55–70 50–65 Road 106,846
15 Elblag 145 55–70 50–60 Road 108,177
16 Warsaw 146 55–70 50–65 Road 1,663,587
17 Poznan 159 55–70 50–60 Road 530,741
18 Plock 168 55–70 50–60 Road 112,687
19 Rzeszow 173 55–70 50–65 Road 193,829
20 Bielsko-Biała 183 55–70 50–65 Road 169,756
21 Katowice 184 55–70 50–60 Road 269,367
22 Tarnow 185 55–70 50–60 Road 107,045
23 Gdynia 195 55–70 50–60 Road 243,918
24 Rybnik 196 55–70 50–60 Road 127,768
25 Sosnowiec 208 55–70 50–60 Road 181,532
26 Wloclawek 209 55–70 50–60 Road 99,100
27 Gdansk 217 55–70 50–60 Road 470,621
28 Radom 218 55–70 50–60 Road 193,016
29 Tychy 224 55–70 50–60 Road 126,871
30 Gorzow Wielkopolski 256 50–70 50–60 Road 121,714
31 Kielce 269 50–65 50–60 Road 192,468
32 Torun 280 45–65 40–60 Road 199,469
33 Lublin 284 45–65 40–60 Road 336,339
34 Bialystok 295 45–65 40–55 Road 296,401
35 Dabrowa Gornicza 296 45–65 40–55 Road 117,650
36 Olsztyn 297 45–65 40–55 Road 170,622

Poland's 36 ranked cities are home to 10,008,647 residents. By exposed-resident Lden the field reads Ruda Slaska (55–70 dB), Walbrzych (55–75 dB), Zielona Gora (55–70 dB), Opole (55–70 dB), Szczecin (55–70 dB), Zabrze (55–70 dB), Lodz (55–75 dB), Gliwice (55–70 dB), then 28 more, ending at Olsztyn (45–65 dB). The median lands near Lden 62.5 dB. Road traffic is the dominant source in all 36. The most populous, Warsaw at 1,663,587 residents, ranks #146 across Europe with exposed-resident Lden of 55–70 dB. The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, which most of these Poland 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 Poland city below for its full figures, then measure your own street with the free live meter.

Which Poland cities are the noisiest?

By this EEA data the noisiest Poland cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail, aircraft and industrial exposure: Ruda Slaska, Walbrzych, Zielona Gora top the list, led by Ruda Slaska at Lden 55–70 dB (road traffic). The full ranking is in the table above.

Poland noise: the numbers

  • 36 Poland agglomerations are in the measured European ranking — 2nd-most of any country here.
  • Loudest: Ruda Slaska at exposed-resident Lden 55–70 dB (European #27).
  • Quietest ranked: Olsztyn at Lden 45–65 dB; median near Lden 62.5 dB.
  • Road traffic is the dominant source in 36 of the 36.
  • Combined population of the 36: 10,008,647.

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.

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