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How loud is San Sebastian - Donostia, Spain?
In San Sebastian - Donostia, Spain, 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 San Sebastian - Donostia #33 of 314 European cities by measured EEA exposure, right at the European median.
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| European rank (of 314) | #33 |
|---|---|
| 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 | 178,446 |
| Data confidence | high |
With 178,446 residents, San Sebastian - Donostia reports day-evening-night transport noise of 55–70 dB for its exposed population (50–60 dB at night), mostly from road traffic. That is #33 of 314 European cities, right at the European median. Among Spain's 19 ranked agglomerations, San Sebastian - Donostia is the 2nd-loudest. Across Europe it sits just below Walbrzych, Poland (#32) and just above Augsburg, Germany (#34).
The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, so San Sebastian - Donostia'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 Spain'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.
San Sebastian - Donostia noise: the numbers
- Ranks #33 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 178,446.
- The 2nd-loudest of Spain's 19 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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