Decibel Shield
Columbus noise map: where the city is loudest
In Columbus, Ohio, 4.6% of residents live with average-day transportation noise of 60 dB or louder — road, rail and aviation combined. That ranks Columbus #151 of 297 US cities of 100,000+ people, right at the national median. The map below colors all 214 census tracts by exposure, from the quietest blocks to the loudest.
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Find your street on the interactive map → Pan and zoom to your own block, type any US address, or use your location.
| US rank (of 297 cities, 100k+ pop) | #151 |
|---|---|
| Residents above 60 dB | 4.6% |
| Residents above 70 dB | 1.4% |
| Residents in the 45–60 dB band | 37.1% |
| Population (ACS 2016–2020) | 814,474 |
| Census tracts mapped | 214 |
Columbus's 214 census tracts span the full range of the federal noise map. Of its 814,474 residents, 4.6% are exposed to 60 dB or more of average-day road, rail and aviation noise. Within that, 1.4% face the most severe band — 70 dB or louder, the level at which sustained exposure starts damaging hearing. A further 37.1% sit in the 45–60 dB band — a noticeable background hum rather than a hearing risk. Overall the city ranks #151 of 297, right at the national median.
Among Ohio's 6 cities of 100,000+ residents, Columbus is the 2nd-loudest. Nationally it sits just below Simi Valley, CA (#150) and just above Metairie, LA (#152).
On the map, green tracts are the quietest and red tracts the loudest, with each colored by the share of its own residents above 60 dB — so you can see exactly which parts of Columbus carry the noise. The loudest tracts track the city's busiest road, rail and flight corridors. These are measured values from the US DOT's 2020 National Transportation Noise Map paired with Census population, aggregated to tracts by the University of Washington — real data per tract, no interpolation and no estimate.
Columbus noise: the specifics
- Ranks #151 of 297 US cities (100k+ pop) by share of residents exposed to ≥60 dB transportation noise.
- 4.6% of Columbus's 814,474 residents live with 60 dB or louder average-day transportation noise.
- 1.4% are in the severe 70 dB+ band; 37.1% sit in the 45–60 dB moderate range.
- Computed across 214 census tracts from the federal BTS 2020 noise map × ACS 2016–2020 population.
- 4.6% of residents above 60 dB ranks #151 of 297 US cities — see the full measured ranking.
What share of Columbus residents are exposed to 60 dB or louder transportation noise?
4.6% of Columbus residents live with average-day transportation noise (road, rail and aviation) at or above 60 dB, and 1.4% are above 70 dB — ranking Columbus #151 of 297 US cities by noise exposure.
How Columbus ranks
- #2 of 6 Ohio cities in-state
- Louder: Simi Valley, CA #150
- Quieter: Metairie, LA #152
Cities near Columbus
The nearest ranked cities to Columbus, each with its own share of residents above 60 dB for a like-for-like comparison.
- Dayton, OH 4.1% ≥60 dB
- Cincinnati, OH 3.3% ≥60 dB
How this map is made
This is a transparent aggregation of federal data, not an estimate: the BTS 2020 National Transportation Noise Map (road + rail + aviation) overlaid with Census ACS 2016–2020 population at tract level, clipped to the city boundary. Full methodology, limitations and the free CSV/JSON are on the US cities noise ranking. Remember what it doesn’t count: sirens, construction, nightlife and neighbors are outside the model.
License: this Columbus noise map and its underlying numbers are published under CC BY 4.0 — reuse or republish the map or the figures anywhere with attribution to decibelshield.app (source: BTS 2020 National Transportation Noise Map × Census ACS; basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors, © CARTO). Download the full dataset (CSV · JSON) or the full-resolution Columbus map image.
How loud is your block?
The map above shows averages by tract — your street is its own story. Measure it with the free online decibel meter → No install, nothing recorded.
Want to see the modeled road, rail and aircraft noise street by street? Open the interactive noise map zoomed to Columbus → Pan and zoom to your own neighborhood, type your address to check a specific spot, or use your location.
Noise rules in Columbus
Dealing with a noisy neighbor, a barking dog or after-hours construction? Columbus sets quiet hours and noise limits in its municipal code. See Columbus's noise ordinance — quiet hours, decibel limits and how to file a complaint → Summarized from the official code, with the exact language and a link to the source.
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