How Noisy?

Road & rail noise map for Blackburn

Town in Blackburn with Darwen, North West

We analysed 2,351 postcodes in and around Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 37% of them (865) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 3% have mapped rail noise. 62% of postcodes have no mapped road or rail noise at all — though that reflects major-source modelling, not guaranteed quiet. The highest modelled level we found is at BB2 2DT (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).

Noise map of Blackburn

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55-59 dB60-64 dB65-69 dB70-74 dB75 dB+Unshaded = below the mapping threshold or not modelled (not necessarily quiet).

How many postcodes are affected?

Road noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night26% (614)7% (162)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night9% (204)5% (122)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night2% (45)<1% (22)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night<1% (2)0% (0)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped63%87%

Rail noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night2% (55)<1% (8)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night<1% (5)<1% (4)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night<1% (1)0% (0)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped97%99%

Share of the 2,351 postcodes within ~5 km of the Blackburn centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.

Noisiest postcodes in and around Blackburn

Check a specific postcode

Example searches: BB2 2DT · BB2 1AU · BB1 2AB · BB1 1EQ · BB1 1JB · BB1 1ED

What this data does — and doesn't — cover

  • Modelled, not measured.These are DEFRA's computer-modelled estimates (Round 4, 2022), not microphone readings at your door.
  • Major sources only. The model covers major roads, major railways and large urban areas. Smaller local roads, neighbours, pubs, building sites and aircraft are not included.
  • No mapped noise ≠ quiet. If a location shows no band, it means it falls outside the mapped contours — not that it is silent.
  • 2022 snapshot.New roads, developments or traffic changes since 2022 won't show. The next DEFRA round is due around 2027.

More detail on the methodology page.

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Nearby areas

Frequently asked questions

How noisy is Blackburn?
We analysed 2,351 postcodes in and around Blackburn, Blackburn with Darwen against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 37% of them (865) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 3% have mapped rail noise. 62% of postcodes have no mapped road or rail noise at all — though that reflects major-source modelling, not guaranteed quiet. The highest modelled level we found is at BB2 2DT (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).
Where is the most road noise in Blackburn?
The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around Blackburn are BB2 2DT, BB2 1AU, BB2 4JP, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.