Is Burien loud from the Sea-Tac flight path?

Burien is one of the most affected communities. It sits just off the runway centerline to the north-west, but a narrow band of northbound departures turning off the western Third Runway (16R/34L, opened 2008) routes directly over the city. That concentration is what led Burien residents to sue the FAA over the departure procedure — and win. Exposure varies sharply block to block, so drop a pin on the map above to see your specific street.

Why are planes so loud over Beacon Hill and Georgetown in Seattle?

Both sit under the north corridor that runs from the airport toward downtown Seattle. In north flow, departing jets climb north over the Duwamish industrial valley (over Georgetown) before turning, and Beacon Hill sits squarely under the north-flow departure and south-flow arrival path. Because the runways are aligned almost due north–south, this corridor is fixed — there is no over-water primary route to divert it, so overflight is a long-standing complaint in both neighborhoods.

What is north flow versus south flow at Sea-Tac?

Sea-Tac alternates between two operating directions on its three parallel runways. In South Flow, aircraft land from the north onto the 16 ends and depart southbound over Des Moines, Normandy Park and Federal Way. In North Flow, aircraft land from the south onto the 34 ends and depart northbound over Burien, Beacon Hill and the Duwamish valley. South Flow is used roughly two-thirds of the year, mostly in the colder, cloudier months; North Flow about one-third. A wind shift can flip the whole pattern within an hour.

Are Des Moines and Normandy Park, WA under the Sea-Tac flight path?

Yes. Both sit directly south/south-west of the runway ends, under the South Flow departure corridor and the North Flow arrival corridor. Normandy Park was a core plaintiff in the noise interlocal agreement with the Port. Des Moines is on the centerline at relatively low altitude, so it experiences both climbing departures and descending arrivals depending on the day's flow.

What do Sea-Tac's runway numbers (16L/34R) mean for noise?

Sea-Tac has three parallel runways: 16L/34R (the longest, easternmost), 16C/34C (center), and 16R/34L (the western Third Runway). The '16' ends point and operate to the south (~160°); the '34' ends point north (~340°). So '16' in the runway name means south-flow traffic and '34' means north-flow traffic. The Third Runway (16R/34L) is closest to Burien, which is why its use is minimized between midnight and 5 AM.

How do I report aircraft noise to the Port of Seattle?

Contact the Port of Seattle Airport Noise Programs Office at (206) 787-5393 or toll-free 1-800-826-1147, or submit an online comment via the Port's noise page. The office monitors flight-track keeping and meets with the FAA about aircraft that deviate from published noise-abatement procedures. Logging complaints helps document patterns over specific neighborhoods.

Does this map show all Sea-Tac traffic?

Yes — the commercial fleet at Sea-Tac has near-complete ADS-B coverage, so the heatmap and route-density layers reflect actual traffic. With 420,000+ annual operations and active expansion plans, the pattern you see is dense and overland on both runway ends. Drop a pin to see flights-per-day and an hourly profile for your address.

Seattle Flight Path Noise Map – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Name: Aircraft noise observations near Seattle–Tacoma International Airport
Creator: Flight Path Noise
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aircraft noise around Seattle in October 2026

Loudest neighborhoods near Seattle: SeaTac (city core / Bow Lake), Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Beacon Hill (Seattle). Quietest: Tacoma (north end / Northeast Tacoma), West Seattle, Renton, Mercer Island. Busiest around 3 PM local time averaging 1659 flights/day. Source: Flight Path Noise monitoring data, 30 days to 2026-10-08.

Flights by hour · last 30 days

12a6a12p6p

Average daily traffic

1659

flights / day · 49,756 total

Busiest hour

3 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest hour

3 PM

peak 95 dB

Loudest residential area

Des Moines

68 dB avg · ~1,124 flights/day · Busy road

Directly under the south-flow departure and north-flow arrival corridor off the south runway ends (16s/34Ls).

Does Seattle Airport have a curfew?

No — Seattle has no formal curfew.

Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA) operates 24 hours and has no mandatory curfew. Two voluntary measures apply overnight, both effective since September 2019: a Late Night Noise Limitation Program covering 12 AM – 5 AM that encourages quieter aircraft (with penalty scores under the Fly Quiet incentive if a noise threshold is exceeded — but no flights banned), and a Runway Use Agreement that minimizes use of the western Third Runway between midnight and 5 AM. Neither prohibits night flights, so residents under the corridors can hear traffic at any hour.

Seattle–Tacoma International (SEA/KSEA, “Sea-Tac”) is one of the fastest-growing major hubs in the US, squeezed onto a narrow plateau between Seattle and Tacoma with all three runways aligned almost due north–south. That geometry funnels nearly all departure and arrival noise into two tight overland corridors: directly north over Burien, Beacon Hill, Georgetown and the Duwamish Valley, and directly south over Des Moines, Normandy Park and Federal Way. There is no consistent over-water escape route as at coastal airports, so jets cross dense residential neighborhoods at low altitude on both ends. Crucially, Sea-Tac has no mandatory curfew — it runs 24 hours, with only voluntary late-night noise limits — which makes noise here an active, litigated regional fight rather than a settled issue.

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Sea-Tac runs three parallel north–south runways: 16L/34R (11,901 ft / 3,627 m, the easternmost and longest, built 1961), 16C/34C (9,426 ft / 2,873 m, center, built 1970), and 16R/34L (8,500 ft / 2,591 m, the western “Third Runway” opened in 2008 on fill closest to Burien). Because they’re all aligned the same way, there’s no spreading of traffic across different headings — the noise stacks into one corridor north and one south, and which one is active depends entirely on the day’s flow.

Area	Aircraft noise	Why
SeaTac (Bow Lake)	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Wraps both runway ends; lowest-altitude overflight in either flow
Burien	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Under the narrow Third Runway departure-turn band; basis of the FAA lawsuit
Des Moines	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Directly under the south-end departure/arrival corridor
Normandy Park	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Under the southern/western approach spread; noise-agreement plaintiff
Beacon Hill	✈︎✈︎✈︎	Squarely under the north corridor toward downtown Seattle
Tukwila	✈︎✈︎	Just east of the north corridor; Duwamish-valley routing
Georgetown	✈︎✈︎	Under the northbound departure path before the turn
Federal Way	✈︎✈︎	On the extended south centerline at lower altitude
Redondo / Woodmont	✈︎✈︎	South line between Des Moines and Federal Way
White Center	✈︎✈︎	West of the north corridor; turning departures + some Third Runway tracks
NE Tacoma	✈︎	Far southern edge; higher altitude, intermittent
West Seattle	✈︎	Off centerline; only certain turning departures
Renton	✈︎	East of the corridor; mostly high-altitude transits
Mercer Island	✈︎	Off-corridor; occasional high arrivals via SR-520

If aircraft noise is a primary concern, the practical move at Sea-Tac is to get off the north–south centerline — east toward Renton and Mercer Island, or far enough from the corridor that you only catch turning departures, as in much of West Seattle. The hardest-hit band is the close-in ring directly north and south of the field: SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park and Beacon Hill all sit under traffic at low altitude. Within those cities, exposure changes sharply block to block depending on how close you are to the centerline, so if you’re looking at a specific house or apartment, drop a pin on the map above.

Flight patterns and runway use

Sea-Tac alternates between two operating directions, set by the wind. In South Flow, aircraft land from the north onto the 16 ends and depart southbound over Des Moines, Normandy Park and Federal Way. In North Flow, they land from the south onto the 34 ends and depart northbound over Burien, Beacon Hill and the Duwamish valley. South Flow runs roughly two-thirds of the year, predominantly in the colder, cloudier months; North Flow about one-third. As traffic grows, the airport increasingly stays in one flow longer before switching.

The runways were realigned north–south to match the region’s prevailing winds, so takeoffs head into the wind on whichever end is active. FAA-established noise-abatement headings and altitudes steer jets away from the most sensitive areas where possible: in North Flow, arrivals from the east stay north of the SR-520 bridge before turning south to final, and westbound departures continue north over the Duwamish industrial corridor before turning, sparing some residential turns. But there is no over-water primary route — both corridors run overland across dense neighborhoods, which is the structural reason Sea-Tac noise is harder to mitigate than at coastal airports.

The 2008 opening of the western Third Runway (16R/34L) pushed the footprint closer to Burien and triggered repeated lawsuits, including a Burien win against the FAA over a narrow band of departures routed directly over the city. Because that runway is closest to homes, its use between midnight and 5 AM is deliberately minimized under the Runway Use Agreement, concentrating overnight operations on the center and east runways. The Port’s Noise Programs Office monitors track-keeping and meets with the FAA about aircraft that deviate from the published procedures. On the route-density layer above, the pattern is unmistakable: two bright overland corridors running due north and south from the field, with the far-field density tapering as jets climb.

When is it quietest?

Sea-Tac has no curfew, so unlike Sydney or London there is no guaranteed silent overnight window — the quietest hours are simply the lowest-traffic ones, and traffic can occur at any time. The voluntary programs nudge late-night noise down rather than eliminating it:

Overnight (12 AM – 5 AM): lightest traffic, but not silent. The Late Night Noise Limitation Program encourages quieter aircraft and the Third Runway is largely idle, pushing what flights remain onto the center and east runways. Cargo and delayed arrivals still operate.
5 AM – 7 AM: morning departure bank builds quickly as the domestic and transpacific banks launch.
7 AM – 10 AM: peak. Back-to-back narrowbody departures plus widebody long-haul.
Midday: sustained, moderate.
Evening (4 PM – 8 PM): second peak as arrival banks stack up and domestic returns land.
9 PM – midnight: tapers, but with no curfew deadline flights keep arriving.

The bigger variable is which flow is active. A wind shift can flip the operation within an hour, suddenly moving traffic that was routing south over Des Moines to north over Burien and Beacon Hill, or vice versa. Residents under one corridor get relief precisely when residents under the other get the traffic.

How to check noise at your specific address

The map above answers “is this spot loud?” Three steps:

Search your address or postcode in the bar at the bottom of the map.
Drop a pin — click the location marker that appears.
Read the noise report in the sidebar: average daily noise (Leq), peak observed dB, flights per day passing within 2 km, and an hourly breakdown.

The Noise Heatmap layer (orange/red = louder) and the Route Density layer (purple/magenta = busier corridors) make the two north–south corridors obvious. If your pin lands in the close-in ring — SeaTac, Burien, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Beacon Hill — expect consistent overflight on the active flow; off the centerline toward Renton, Mercer Island or much of West Seattle, you’ll mostly see the quieter green zone. And because there’s no curfew, check the overnight hours specifically if night noise matters to you. To log a complaint or ask about a specific pattern, contact the Port of Seattle Airport Noise Programs Office at (206) 787-5393 or 1-800-826-1147.

Frequently asked questions

Is Burien loud from the Sea-Tac flight path?: Burien is one of the most affected communities. It sits just off the runway centerline to the north-west, but a narrow band of northbound departures turning off the western Third Runway (16R/34L, opened 2008) routes directly over the city. That concentration is what led Burien residents to sue the FAA over the departure procedure — and win. Exposure varies sharply block to block, so drop a pin on the map above to see your specific street.
Why are planes so loud over Beacon Hill and Georgetown in Seattle?: Both sit under the north corridor that runs from the airport toward downtown Seattle. In north flow, departing jets climb north over the Duwamish industrial valley (over Georgetown) before turning, and Beacon Hill sits squarely under the north-flow departure and south-flow arrival path. Because the runways are aligned almost due north–south, this corridor is fixed — there is no over-water primary route to divert it, so overflight is a long-standing complaint in both neighborhoods.
What is north flow versus south flow at Sea-Tac?: Sea-Tac alternates between two operating directions on its three parallel runways. In South Flow, aircraft land from the north onto the 16 ends and depart southbound over Des Moines, Normandy Park and Federal Way. In North Flow, aircraft land from the south onto the 34 ends and depart northbound over Burien, Beacon Hill and the Duwamish valley. South Flow is used roughly two-thirds of the year, mostly in the colder, cloudier months; North Flow about one-third. A wind shift can flip the whole pattern within an hour.
Are Des Moines and Normandy Park, WA under the Sea-Tac flight path?: Yes. Both sit directly south/south-west of the runway ends, under the South Flow departure corridor and the North Flow arrival corridor. Normandy Park was a core plaintiff in the noise interlocal agreement with the Port. Des Moines is on the centerline at relatively low altitude, so it experiences both climbing departures and descending arrivals depending on the day's flow.
What do Sea-Tac's runway numbers (16L/34R) mean for noise?: Sea-Tac has three parallel runways: 16L/34R (the longest, easternmost), 16C/34C (center), and 16R/34L (the western Third Runway). The '16' ends point and operate to the south (~160°); the '34' ends point north (~340°). So '16' in the runway name means south-flow traffic and '34' means north-flow traffic. The Third Runway (16R/34L) is closest to Burien, which is why its use is minimized between midnight and 5 AM.
How do I report aircraft noise to the Port of Seattle?: Contact the Port of Seattle Airport Noise Programs Office at (206) 787-5393 or toll-free 1-800-826-1147, or submit an online comment via the Port's noise page. The office monitors flight-track keeping and meets with the FAA about aircraft that deviate from published noise-abatement procedures. Logging complaints helps document patterns over specific neighborhoods.
Does this map show all Sea-Tac traffic?: Yes — the commercial fleet at Sea-Tac has near-complete ADS-B coverage, so the heatmap and route-density layers reflect actual traffic. With 420,000+ annual operations and active expansion plans, the pattern you see is dense and overland on both runway ends. Drop a pin to see flights-per-day and an hourly profile for your address.

Sources and further reading

Airport Noise Programs — Port of Seattle
Late Night Noise Limitation Program — Port of Seattle
Noise Abatement Procedures and Flight Patterns — Port of Seattle
Runways — Sea-Tac Noise.Info — Sea-Tac Noise.Info (community resource)
Burien has been plagued by noise from Sea-Tac Airport. So residents sued the government — and won. — The Seattle Times
Late night noise reduction programs take effect at SeaTac airport — Westside Seattle / Highline Times

Data updated 2026-10-08 — live ADS-B monitoring, rolling 30-day statistics (methodology). Article text revised 2026-06-12.

30 dB	Whisper
45 dB	Quiet residential
55 dB	Normal conversation
65 dB	Busy road
75 dB	Vacuum cleaner
85 dB	Heavy traffic
95 dB	Motorcycle nearby

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Seattle Flight Path Noise Map – Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA)

Aircraft noise around Seattle in October 2026

Does Seattle Airport have a curfew?

Which neighborhoods are quietest — and which aren’t

Flight patterns and runway use

When is it quietest?

How to check noise at your specific address

Frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

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