Baltimore, MD Noise Levels
How loud is Baltimore, MD?
BTS only publishes Baltimore, MD in the 70-79.9 dB(A) band, which straddles HUD's own dividing line: depending on exactly where in that range the true 24-hour average falls, this reads as "Normally Unacceptable" (65-75 dB(A)) or "Unacceptable" (above 75 dB(A)) under 24 CFR 51.104. The main source is road traffic, well ahead of the other two modes BTS tracks. Treat this as Baltimore's one representative point, not a promise about every block in it, BTS's map wasn't built to resolve individual streets.
Where Baltimore's noise comes from
BTS models these three sources separately before combining them, so a place can be quiet on two and loud on the third.
If you're weighing a move to Baltimore
That also clears FHWA's own 66 dB(A) impact threshold for residential land use (23 CFR 772, Table 1), the level highway agencies use to decide whether a new road needs a sound wall. Upgraded windows, door seals and STC-rated glazing meaningfully cut broadband, near-continuous road noise.
How Baltimore compares nationally
Baltimore ranks 14 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. By population, it ranks 32 of the 12,137 places in this dataset, home to about 568,271 people.
Checking one address in Baltimore
Nothing here substitutes for checking one address in Baltimore directly, and BTS's own map lets anyone do that at no cost.
Baltimore's number isn't a one-off calculation, it comes from the same method covered in the methodology guide. The guide to what actually cuts each kind of noise explains why road traffic calls for a different fix than the other two sources.