Decibel Shield

European cities › France › Saint-Etienne

How loud is Saint-Etienne, France?

In Saint-Etienne, France, most noise-exposed residents face average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 55–70 dB, mostly from road traffic, dropping to 50–60 dB at night. That ranks Saint-Etienne #169 of 314 European cities by measured EEA exposure, right at the European median.

Last updated:

Noise map of Saint-Etienne, France: 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.
Saint-Etienne'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.
Saint-Etienne at a glance (measured EEA data)
European rank (of 314) #169
Daytime Lden range 55–70 dB
Night Lnight range 50–60 dB
vs. WHO guideline ≈ 10 dB above the 53 dB Lden road-noise guideline (night guideline: 45 dB)
Dominant source road traffic
Population 408,700
Data confidence high

Of Saint-Etienne's 408,700 residents, the noise-exposed share lives with average day-evening-night (Lden) transport noise of 55–70 dB, dropping to 50–60 dB overnight (Lnight). The dominant source is road traffic. Overall the city ranks #169 of 314 European cities, right at the European median. Among France's 34 ranked agglomerations, Saint-Etienne is the 18th-loudest. Across Europe it sits just below Plock, Poland (#168) and just above Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois, France (#170).

The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, so Saint-Etienne's exposed residents run roughly 10 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 France'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.

Saint-Etienne noise: the numbers

  • Ranks #169 of 314 European cities by measured day-evening-night (Lden) transport-noise exposure.
  • Exposed residents face Lden 55–70 dB by day and Lnight 50–60 dB at night.
  • Dominant noise source: road traffic. Population 408,700.
  • The 18th-loudest of France's 34 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.

Measure your own street

Standing somewhere loud in Saint-Etienne right now? Measure it with the free online decibel meter → No install, nothing recorded.

← All France cities ranked · All 314 European cities