Noise in Switzerland: check road, rail and aircraft noise for your address
A quiet viewing on a Sunday says nothing about Monday's rush hour or the freight train at 2 a.m. This page explains how noise is measured and assessed in Switzerland, which reference values apply – and how to look up the exposure of a specific address instead of guessing it.
- 55 / 45Planning value day / nightdB(A), housing
- 60 / 50Limit value day / nightdB(A), road and rail
- 70 / 65Alarm value day / nightdB(A), road and rail
- 8 + ~30Aircraft noise coveredlarge and small aerodromes
How noise is assessed in Switzerland
Noise is measured in decibels (dB(A)), weighted to how the human ear perceives it. The Swiss noise ordinance sets limits for each zone type: for residential zones (sensitivity level II) there are planning values, immission limit values and alarm values, each separately for day and night. Road and rail noise are judged by the same values. A value above the limit is an indication; the binding assessment of an individual building is made by the authorities.
Reference values for housing
Reference values for residential zones (sensitivity level II), in dB(A):
| Planning value | 55 by day, 45 at night |
| Immission limit value (road, rail) | 60 by day, 50 at night |
| Alarm value (road, rail) | 70 by day, 65 at night |
Below 55 dB by day counts as quiet by Swiss standards; above 65 dB the noise is clearly felt as burdensome. At night, below 45 dB undisturbed sleep is realistic.
Compare day and night
The night map often changes the picture. Along railway lines, freight trains run at night and are barely noticeable by day, for example on the Gotthard axis. Roads with heavy commuter traffic, by contrast, are often much quieter at night. If you want to sleep in the home, look at the night values first.
What decibels mean in practice
For orientation:
| about 40 dB | quiet bedroom |
| about 60 dB | normal conversation |
| about 70 dB | busy street |
| +10 dB | feels roughly twice as loud |
As rough guidance, the WHO (Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region, 2018) recommends staying below about 53 dB for road noise and 54 dB for rail noise as a 24-hour average, and below 45 dB (road) and 44 dB (rail) at night; for aircraft 45 dB on average and 40 dB at night.
Aircraft noise: what the maps cover
The aircraft noise maps cover eight civil aerodromes: Zürich, Geneva, Basel-Mulhouse, Bern-Belp, Lugano-Agno, St. Gallen-Altenrhein, Samedan and Saanen. About 30 smaller aerodromes and airfields come on top, for example Grenchen, Birrfeld, Lausanne-La Blécherette, Thun and Winterthur. Helicopter sites and military airfields are not shown. An empty map therefore only means that none of the covered aerodromes reaches the address.
What to check at a viewing
- Listen at different times of day: morning, evening and, if possible, at night.
- Check how much noise comes in with the window open and with it closed.
- Ask which rooms face the quiet side, and whether the bedrooms are there.
- Ask about sound insulation (windows, façade, floor plan). The noise maps show the level outdoors, not inside the home.
- Check nearby railway lines and main roads and think about night traffic.
Look up the noise exposure for your own address
The suntag.ch report shows road, rail and aircraft noise for any address in Switzerland and Liechtenstein, by day and by night, based on federal noise data. It also covers sun exposure day by day across the whole year, car and public-transport access, fibre, 5G, mobile antennas, radio and TV transmitters, high-voltage installations, solar potential, zoning, and seismic, radon, avalanche and landslide risk – a 31-page PDF report with 11 charts, 30 maps and 3 tables from CHF 15.
Frequently asked questions about noise
How loud is it at my address?
The federal noise maps show it: they depict road, rail and aircraft noise, by day and by night, in dB(A). The suntag.ch report puts these maps together for your address and explains the values.
Which noise limits apply in residential zones?
For residential zones (sensitivity level II), planning values are 55 dB(A) by day and 45 at night, immission limit values 60 and 50, and alarm values 70 and 65 dB(A). The binding assessment of a building is made by the competent authorities.
Why is the night map so important?
Because the picture can change a lot at night: freight trains often run at night, and sleep is more sensitive to noise than the day. Below 45 dB a night counts as quiet enough for undisturbed sleep.
What does an empty aircraft noise map mean?
Only that none of the covered aerodromes reaches the address. The maps cover eight civil aerodromes and about 30 smaller ones; helicopter sites and military airfields are not shown.
Do the noise maps also show the noise inside the home?
No. They show the noise outdoors, at the façade. How much of it reaches the rooms depends on windows, façade and floor plan. Ask about sound insulation at the viewing.
See also: Property checklist for Switzerland →
See also: Sun exposure in Switzerland →
Sources and methodology: Noise data: road and rail noise from the federal nationwide model calculations (rail noise for SBB, BLS, SOB and RhB based on the 2015 emissions register, presented via swisstopo), aircraft noise from the noise register of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. Limit values: Swiss noise ordinance (sensitivity level II). The values on this page are reference values; the maps are model-based and do not replace an official assessment or a measurement. More information: bafu.admin.ch, map.geo.admin.ch, bazl.admin.ch.