Road & rail noise map for City of London
City in Greater London, London
We analysed 18,361 postcodes in and around City of London, Greater London against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 55% of them (10,115) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 9% have mapped rail noise. 42% 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 SE1 9SS (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).
Noise map of City of London
How many postcodes are affected?
Road noise
| Band | Day (LAeq,16h) | Night (Lnight) |
|---|---|---|
| 55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night | 25% (4,513) | 15% (2,717) |
| 60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night | 13% (2,382) | 9% (1,692) |
| 65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night | 10% (1,859) | 7% (1,341) |
| 70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night | 6% (1,085) | 4% (790) |
| 75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night | 2% (276) | <1% (165) |
| Below mapped bands / not mapped | 45% | 63% |
Rail noise
| Band | Day (LAeq,16h) | Night (Lnight) |
|---|---|---|
| 55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night | 3% (625) | 3% (604) |
| 60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night | 3% (482) | 3% (474) |
| 65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night | 2% (332) | 2% (320) |
| 70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night | <1% (151) | <1% (141) |
| 75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night | <1% (55) | <1% (44) |
| Below mapped bands / not mapped | 91% | 91% |
Share of the 18,361 postcodes within ~5 km of the City of London centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.
Noisiest postcodes in and around City of London
Check a specific postcode
Example searches: E1 1LL · E14 8DL · E1 1FE · E1 1LD · E1 2HU · E14 8FQ
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 City of London?
- We analysed 18,361 postcodes in and around City of London, Greater London against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 55% of them (10,115) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 9% have mapped rail noise. 42% 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 SE1 9SS (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).
- Where is the most road noise in City of London?
- The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around City of London are SE1 9SS, SE1 2SW, SE1 9AL, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.