Loudoun County, VA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Overlay district
- Airport Impact Overlay District (AIOD)
- Interior noise cap, Ldn 60-65 band
- Ldn 45 dB(A)
- Ldn 65+ zone
- New residential uses not permitted
- Easement holder
- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
- Noise map basis
- Dulles contour update, May 2019
- Grandfathered lot cutoff
- Recorded before June 16, 1993
Summary
Loudoun's Airport Impact Overlay District bars new homes inside the Ldn 65 aircraft-noise contour around Dulles and Leesburg Municipal Airport, and forces acoustical treatment holding interior noise to Ldn 45 dB(A) for homes built between the Ldn 60 and Ldn 65 contours.
Ldn 60 – 65. ... Acoustical Treatment. The applicant must incorporate acoustical treatment into all residential uses and structures to ensure that interior noise levels within living spaces (not including garages, sunrooms, or porches) do not exceed an average sound level of Ldn 45 db(A). ... Ldn 65 or Higher. Residential uses and structures are not permitted.
Full Breakdown
02 establishes the Airport Impact Overlay District (AIOD) around Washington Dulles International Airport and Leesburg Municipal Airport, mapped from the 2019 Dulles noise contour update and a 1985 Leesburg environmental assessment. The AIOD splits into three tiers based on day-night average sound level (Ldn): the area within one mile of the Ldn 60 contour, the Ldn 60-65 band, and the Ldn 65-or-higher zone. 2 requires a written notification to future owners plus acoustical treatment -- certified by a Virginia-licensed engineer or architect -- guaranteeing interior noise in living spaces stays at or below Ldn 45 dB(A), and requires the owner to dedicate an avigation easement to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority before any subdivision plat, zoning permit, or site plan for a residential use is approved.
3 flatly bars new residential uses and structures, with a narrow exception for lots recorded before June 16, 1993, or proffered rezonings approved before January 17, 2023 that were later swept into the contour by ZMAP-2021-0011. 4 wherever a structure would create an FAA-certified hazard to air navigation. Every subdivision plat and site plan in the AIOD must carry a notification identifying which noise tier applies, and Owners Association declarations formed after an HOA is created must disclose the airport-noise designation to buyers and in resale packets.
Violations & Fines
Building a new residence inside the Ldn 65 contour without meeting the pre-1993 lot or pre-2023 proffered-rezoning exception, or skipping the required avigation easement and acoustical certification in the Ldn 60-65 band, blocks Zoning Permit and Site Plan approval outright -- the Zoning Administrator will not sign off without the certified engineer's or architect's compliance statement and the recorded easement to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority on file.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I build a new house near Dulles Airport in Loudoun County?
What noise level must my home meet inside the AIOD?
What is an avigation easement and why does Loudoun require one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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