Highwood, IL Noise Levels
Noise levels in Highwood, IL
At 85 dB(A), Highwood, IL falls inside HUD's "Unacceptable" noise zone, above 75 dB(A), the most severe category HUD's own housing rules recognize. The main source is rail traffic, well ahead of the other two modes BTS tracks. This describes Highwood as a whole, not a specific block, the underlying BTS map resolves to about 38 meters per pixel, sampled at the town's own center point.
Where Highwood'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 Highwood
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. The same window and door upgrades that work on road noise also cut broadband rail noise, though very low-frequency freight rumble travels through walls, not just glass.
How Highwood compares nationally
Highwood ranks 7 of 3,622 measured places nationally, 1 being the loudest this dataset covers. About 5,358 people live there, making it the 4,682th largest place in this dataset.
Checking one address in Highwood
Highwood's figure above is a town-wide reading. For one exact address, BTS's own map is the free, authoritative source.
Where Highwood's figures come from
Every dB(A) figure on this page traces to a named BTS dataset, documented in the methodology guide. The guide to what actually cuts each kind of noise explains why rail traffic calls for a different fix than the other two sources.