Upland, CA Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Aircraft/train noise
- excluded from noise measurement, § 9.40.050
- Residential base level, night
- 45 dB(A), 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Residential base level, day
- 55 dB(A), 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- General noise violation penalty
- up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Airport-area development
- governed by AC overlay zone, § 17.09.020
Summary
Upland's Unnecessary Noise chapter sets exterior decibel limits by zone and time of day, but its measurement rule expressly excludes aircraft: exterior readings cannot be taken during the movement of a nearby airplane or train. New development near Cable Airport and Ontario International Airport instead falls under the Airport Compatibility overlay zone, which applies each airport's land use compatibility plan.
Exterior noise levels shall be measured at any point relative to the closest point of the source of the noise at the property line on the affected property. Measurements will not be made during extraordinary times, such as during the movement of a nearby train or airplane.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4480959; v4 updated 2025-09-22).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.40 (Unnecessary Noise) exists "to establish criteria and standards for the regulation of noise levels within the city" (§ 9.40.010), and sets base ambient noise levels of 45 dB(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and 55 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. in residential zones, with exterior noise capped at those levels for 30 minutes in any hour and never permitted to exceed the base level by 20 dB(A) (§§ 9.40.040, 9.40.070). But § 9.40.050, "Exterior noise level measurement," carves aircraft out of that enforcement scheme entirely: readings are taken at the property line, and "Measurements will not be made during extraordinary times, such as during the movement of a nearby train or airplane." In practice this means overflight and airport-operations noise is not subject to the city's dB(A) limits or citation process.
Instead, land near Cable Airport and Ontario International Airport is regulated through the Airport Compatibility (AC) overlay zone (§ 17.09.020), which applies "pursuant to the Ontario and Cable Airport Land Use Compatibility Plans" and requires development projects subject to compatibility review to comply with "the compatibility criteria; noise, safety, airspace protection and overflight policies" in the applicable plan. Separately, the Scenic Corridor overlay zone requires interior sound attenuation to 45 CNEL for dwellings near Euclid Avenue (§ 17.09.030), a standard tied to airport-style noise contours rather than the § 9.40 decibel scheme.
Violations & Fines
A general noise-code violation under Chapter 9.40 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense (§ 9.40.110); the city may also seek an injunction to abate a noise nuisance (§ 9.40.130). None of this applies to aircraft noise itself, which § 9.40.050 places outside the measurement and enforcement scheme; airport-area development issues instead run through the Development Services Department's compatibility review under § 17.09.020.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Upland enforce a noise limit against aircraft flying overhead?
What governs new development near Cable Airport or Ontario International Airport?
What are Upland's normal residential noise limits?
What's the penalty for a general noise violation in Upland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Upland
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How other cities in San Bernardino County handle aircraft noise.