Aircraft noise in North Rocks (2151)
North Rocks experiences approximately 26 aircraft overflights per day, primarily arrivals at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, passing between roughly 3,000 and 5,000 ft. Helicopters and light aircraft add another low overflight or so each day. Estimated peak ground noise reaches 75–78 dB — enough to interrupt conversation outdoors. It ranks #40 of 139 Sydney suburbs for aircraft noise exposure. (Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 90 days to 2026-08-21.)
Data: 90 days to 2026-08-21 · all tracked aircraft over North Rocks · updated monthly
Where the noise comes from
North Rocks hears traffic from 2 distinct sources:
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport
live map →25 overflights/day (96%) · typically 4,000 ft
North Rocks lies under arrivals descending from the north-west toward the approach sequence, at moderate altitude. The stream is fairly steady across runway configurations, so the suburb hears regular but not intense traffic — passing rumbles rather than overhead roars.
Helicopters & other light aircraft
1 overflights/day (4%) · typically 1,400 ft
Around 1 low overflights a day come from aircraft not operating at a tracked airport — helicopters, seaplanes and light aircraft transiting the area. Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
Light-aircraft counts are tracked overflights only — many training and private aircraft carry no ADS-B transponder, so true numbers are higher.
How nearby suburbs compare
| Suburb | Overflights / day | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Baulkham Hills | 36 | #22 |
| North Parramatta | 34 | #26 |
| North Rocks | 26 | #40 |
| Northmead | 24 | #43 |
| West Pennant Hills | 23 | #52 |
| Carlingford | 15 | #84 |
Common questions
- Is North Rocks under a flight path?
- Yes — North Rocks is under Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport flight paths, with around 26 overflights on a typical day, mostly arrivals.
- Which airport's aircraft fly over North Rocks?
- More than one source: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (~25/day), other low-flying aircraft (~1/day). The breakdown above shows each source's pattern.
- What time do planes start over North Rocks?
- The first movements typically pass over North Rocks around 7:33am, once the curfew (11 PM – 6 AM) ends. Traffic builds through the morning peak.
- Is it quieter in North Rocks on weekends?
- Not much — weekday and weekend traffic over North Rocks is similar (29 vs 29 overflights a day).
- Do planes fly over North Rocks at night?
- The main airport's curfew restricts movements between 11 PM – 6 AM, so overnight overflights are rare. The last movements are typically around 9:28pm.
Checking a specific address?
This page shows suburb-wide averages. An address report gives you the exact overflight count, altitudes, hourly pattern and noise estimate for one property. Leave your email and we'll let you know when reports are ready for North Rocks.
