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How loud is Porto, Portugal?
In Porto, Portugal, most noise-exposed residents face average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 45–70 dB, mostly from road traffic, dropping to 40–60 dB at night. That ranks Porto #292 of 314 European cities by measured EEA exposure, below the European median — quieter than most cities in the ranking.
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| European rank (of 314) | #292 |
|---|---|
| Daytime Lden range | 45–70 dB |
| Night Lnight range | 40–60 dB |
| vs. WHO guideline | ≈ 5 dB above the 53 dB Lden road-noise guideline (night guideline: 45 dB) |
| Dominant source | road traffic |
| Population | 237,593 |
| Data confidence | high |
Of Porto's 237,593 residents, the noise-exposed share lives with average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 45–70 dB, dropping to 40–60 dB overnight (Lnight). The dominant source is road traffic. Overall the city ranks #292 of 314 European cities, below the European median — quieter than most cities in the ranking. Among Portugal's 5 ranked agglomerations, Porto is the 2nd-loudest. Across Europe it sits just below Perugia, Italy (#291) and just above Rimini, Italy (#293).
The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, so Porto's exposed residents run roughly 5 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 Portugal'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.
Porto noise: the numbers
- Ranks #292 of 314 European cities by measured day-evening-night (Lden) transport-noise exposure.
- Exposed residents face Lden 45–70 dB by day and Lnight 40–60 dB at night.
- Dominant noise source: road traffic. Population 237,593.
- The 2nd-loudest of Portugal's 5 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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