How Noisy?

Road & rail noise map for Darlington

Town in Darlington, North East

We analysed 2,831 postcodes in and around Darlington, Darlington against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 38% of them (1,078) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% 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 DL1 2PY (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).

Noise map of Darlington

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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 night29% (823)4% (127)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night6% (158)4% (114)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night3% (83)2% (69)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night<1% (14)<1% (6)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped62%89%

Rail noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night<1% (11)<1% (8)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night<1% (8)<1% (3)
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 mapped99%100%

Share of the 2,831 postcodes within ~5 km of the Darlington centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.

Noisiest postcodes in and around Darlington

Check a specific postcode

Example searches: DL1 1UQ · DL1 2EJ · DL1 1QU · DL1 1UL · DL1 1UW · DL1 2PY

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 Darlington?
We analysed 2,831 postcodes in and around Darlington, Darlington against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 38% of them (1,078) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% 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 DL1 2PY (road noise 70.0–74.9 dB by day).
Where is the most road noise in Darlington?
The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around Darlington are DL1 2PY, DL1 3AG, DL1 1UQ, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.