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How loud is Olsztyn, Poland?

In Olsztyn, Poland, most noise-exposed residents face average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 45–65 dB, mostly from road traffic, dropping to 40–55 dB at night. That ranks Olsztyn #297 of 314 European cities by measured EEA exposure, below the European median — quieter than most cities in the ranking.

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Noise map of Olsztyn, Poland: road-traffic noise contours from the EU strategic noise maps, shaded yellow (≈55 dB Lden) through orange and red to dark purple (≈75 dB+), over the city's street network.
Olsztyn's road-traffic noise, mapped: each band is a measured Lden contour from the EU Environmental Noise Directive (2022 round) — yellow ≈55 dB rising to dark purple ≈75 dB+. Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors, © CARTO.
Olsztyn at a glance (measured EEA data)
European rank (of 314) #297
Daytime Lden range 45–65 dB
Night Lnight range 40–55 dB
vs. WHO guideline ≈ 2 dB above the 53 dB Lden road-noise guideline (night guideline: 45 dB)
Dominant source road traffic
Population 170,622
Data confidence high

With 170,622 residents, Olsztyn reports day-evening-night transport noise of 45–65 dB for its exposed population (40–55 dB at night), mostly from road traffic. That is #297 of 314 European cities, below the European median — quieter than most cities in the ranking. Among Poland's 36 ranked agglomerations, Olsztyn is the 36th-loudest. Across Europe it sits just below Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland (#296) and just above Riga, Latvia (#298).

The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, so Olsztyn's exposed residents run roughly 2 dB above the daytime guideline. The figures count road, rail, aircraft and industry only, so sirens, nightlife and construction sit outside the model — which is why measured exposure can differ from a city's reputation for noise.

These are measured values, not estimates: they come from Poland's strategic noise maps reported under the EU Environmental Noise Directive (2022 round) and harmonised by the European Environment Agency. Lden is the annual-average day-evening-night level; only people above the 55 dB Lden reporting threshold are counted, so the range describes the noise-exposed population, not the city's quietest streets.

Olsztyn noise: the numbers

  • Ranks #297 of 314 European cities by measured day-evening-night (Lden) transport-noise exposure.
  • Exposed residents face Lden 45–65 dB by day and Lnight 40–55 dB at night.
  • Dominant noise source: road traffic. Population 170,622.
  • The 36th-loudest of Poland's 36 ranked agglomerations.

These are measured values from the EU Environmental Noise Directive strategic noise maps (2022 round), harmonised by the European Environment Agency — see the methodology on the European city ranking. Lden is the annual-average day-evening-night level; only residents above the 55 dB Lden threshold are reported.

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