How Noisy?

Road & rail noise map for Bury St Edmunds

Town in Suffolk, Eastern

We analysed 1,503 postcodes in and around Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 25% of them (371) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% have mapped rail noise. 75% 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 IP30 9NF (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).

Noise map of Bury St Edmunds

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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 night19% (285)4% (54)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night3% (49)3% (41)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night2% (32)2% (25)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night<1% (5)<1% (1)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped75%92%

Rail noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night<1% (3)<1% (4)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night0% (0)<1% (1)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night0% (0)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 mapped100%100%

Share of the 1,503 postcodes within ~5 km of the Bury St Edmunds centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.

Noisiest postcodes in and around Bury St Edmunds

  • IP30 9NF road 70.0–74.9 dB by day
  • IP32 6PZ road 70.0–74.9 dB by day, rail 55.0–59.9 dB by day
  • IP33 1AS road 70.0–74.9 dB by day
  • IP32 6BE road 70.0–74.9 dB by day
  • IP32 6QB road 70.0–74.9 dB by day

Check a specific postcode

Example searches: IP32 6QB · IP33 1AS · IP32 6BE · IP32 6PZ · IP30 9NF · IP31 2FP

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 Bury St Edmunds?
We analysed 1,503 postcodes in and around Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 25% of them (371) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% have mapped rail noise. 75% 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 IP30 9NF (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).
Where is the most road noise in Bury St Edmunds?
The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around Bury St Edmunds are IP30 9NF, IP32 6PZ, IP33 1AS, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.