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How loud is Oulu, Finland?

In Oulu, Finland, most noise-exposed residents face average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 55–65 dB, mostly from road traffic, dropping to 50–60 dB at night. That ranks Oulu #254 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 Oulu, Finland: 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.
Oulu'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.
Oulu at a glance (measured EEA data)
European rank (of 314) #254
Daytime Lden range 55–65 dB
Night Lnight range 50–60 dB
vs. WHO guideline ≈ 7 dB above the 53 dB Lden road-noise guideline (night guideline: 45 dB)
Dominant source road traffic
Population 205,489
Data confidence high

Of Oulu's 205,489 residents, the noise-exposed share lives with average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 55–65 dB, dropping to 50–60 dB overnight (Lnight). The dominant source is road traffic. Overall the city ranks #254 of 314 European cities, below the European median — quieter than most cities in the ranking. Among Finland's 10 ranked agglomerations, Oulu is the 9th-loudest. Across Europe it sits just below Prague, Czech Republic (#253) and just above Olomouc, Czech Republic (#255).

The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, so Oulu's exposed residents run roughly 7 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 Finland'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.

Oulu noise: the numbers

  • Ranks #254 of 314 European cities by measured day-evening-night (Lden) transport-noise exposure.
  • Exposed residents face Lden 55–65 dB by day and Lnight 50–60 dB at night.
  • Dominant noise source: road traffic. Population 205,489.
  • The 9th-loudest of Finland's 10 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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