Woodbury, MN Noise Ordinances: Aircraft Noise (2026)

Aircraft noise is not covered by Woodbury's Code of Ordinances, and as a matter of federal law it generally cannot be. The Federal Aviation Administration holds preemptive authority over aircraft in flight and the navigable airspace, so cities may not set their own in-flight noise limits, flight paths, or curfews. The FAA regulates the maximum noise aircraft may legally generate under federal standards (14 CFR Part 36). In the Twin Cities, the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) owns the metro airports but has stated it has no jurisdiction over aircraft activity, flight procedures, or aircraft-noise regulations; airspace is regulated by the FAA. The MAC's role is limited to monitoring and community relations, including its MACNOMS noise-monitoring system and a complaint line for residents. Woodbury lies in the eastern Twin Cities metro under regional flight corridors, but the city's noise ordinance (Sec. 13-1) reaches only ground-based sources. Unreasonable noise from vehicles or equipment on the ground at or near an airfield could be addressed under the city ordinance, but aircraft operations themselves are outside municipal authority. Residents bothered by aircraft noise are directed to the MAC's aviation noise program or the FAA rather than to Woodbury code enforcement.