Neither Lehigh County nor Allentown regulates aircraft noise. Allentown's noise ordinance expressly exempts normal aircraft and airport operations, and aircraft noise is controlled by the FAA. Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) sits in the Allentown area.
Aircraft noise is a federal matter. Allentown's noise ordinance states its provisions do not apply to normal aircraft and airport operations, so the city does not set decibel limits for overflights. Lehigh County likewise has no aircraft-noise ordinance; U.S. airspace and aircraft noise are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, which preempts local noise rules. Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE), operated by the Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority in Hanover Township near Allentown, handles noise concerns through the airport authority and FAA processes rather than a county or city ordinance. Ground-based noise at the airport, however, may still fall under municipal rules.
No local penalty applies to aircraft noise itself; it is not covered by the ordinance. Aircraft noise complaints go to the airport authority or the FAA, not local code enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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See how Lehigh County's aircraft noise rules stack up against other locations.
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