O'Hare Noise in Des Plaines near Elmhurst & Algonquin Roads (Elk Grove Village: house, neighborhoods)

[Vilmer Sawyer]

Hello - was looking at purchasing a home near the intersection of Elmhurst & Algonquin Roads in Des Plaines. The day I was in the area, there were a bunch of gigantic jets from O'Hare roaring and screaming over the neighborhood. I'm trying to figure out if this was a fluke or is this area always plagued with jet noise. Anybody know how bad the overall O'hare jet noise gets in that area?

[pvande55]

It can get pretty bad. It often depends on wind direction, where planes take off.

[bostonguy1960]

Does O'Hare have a curfew for when planes can take off or land?

Here in Boston, we have one, but it often seems violated despite our airport's located so close to many neighborhoods.

Check about any curfew for O'Hare if that's important enough to you when buying.

As said, depending on winds ad seasons, an area may go a day or two without air traffic even if near an airport, only because the winds stay in a different direction. One buying house would not even sense an airport nearby vs. viewing the house days later or hours later when the area is slammed with noise.

[Vilmer Sawyer]

Thanks for your help!

[knitgirl]

I would ask the neighbors! Not a bad idea to get a feeling for what they're like before you buy. Having bad neighbors can be a miserable experience.

[AberrantMe]

It was most likely not a fluke. Plane noise can be pretty bad in that area. I lived my first 18 years fairly one intersection closer to Ohare then the one you mention. By Elmhurst and Oakton, which is on the path of runways 8 and 9 of Ohare field. While there are times when the traffic overhead is light, there are also times of the day you, not only cannot carry on a conversation with your neighbor standing right next to you, it irritates you inside your own home. They can and will land one right after another. That area really isn't a question of wind direction, the airplanes are directly overhead, it depends how close the house is to the direct flight path into the airport.

[MPFireman]

When O'Hare finishes the planned upgrade on their runways, most of the flights will be more from the East and West direction. Not saying that 42R and 42L will not be used, but there plans are that more flight plans will follow the Kennedy Expressway and over Elk Grove Village Industrial park.
A side note, a lot of freight flights are scheduled in the night, thus avoiding the passenger schedule. I can remember when that airport was an open field, and nothing around except farm land. Elk Grove village was nothing but farm land also.

[pvande55]

Originally Posted by MPFireman

When O'Hare finishes the planned upgrade on their runways, most of the flights will be more from the East and West direction. Not saying that 42R and 42L will not be used, but there plans are that more flight plans will follow the Kennedy Expressway and over Elk Grove Village Industrial park.
A side note, a lot of freight flights are scheduled in the night, thus avoiding the passenger schedule. I can remember when that airport was an open field, and nothing around except farm land. Elk Grove village was nothing but farm land also.

Wow, you must be old. I'm no spring chicken and I can't remember a time when EGV wasn't mostly industrial. If not for the airport it would probably be residential today.

[Vilmer Sawyer]

MPFireman - do you mean the NW/SE 32R & 32L runways? I did read that they plan on decommissioning these runways. Not sure if the east/west runway configuration will still bring lots of traffic over the area though. Guess it all depends on their headings right after take-off.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Vilmer Sawyer

Hello - was looking at purchasing a home near the intersection of Elmhurst & Algonquin Roads in Des Plaines. The day I was in the area, there were a bunch of gigantic jets from O'Hare roaring and screaming over the neighborhood. I'm trying to figure out if this was a fluke or is this area always plagued with jet noise. Anybody know how bad the overall O'hare jet noise gets in that area?

Wind conditions will determine which runways are used for departure and arrivals, and in which directions. And that intersection happens to line right up with one of the runway arrival/departure corridors. Lucky me, I live under one too. The days where you're right below a departure corridor are the worst because the engines are in near-full thrust. It won't happen every day, but it'll happen often enough that you either better get used to it or find some place further away from the airport to live. You never realize how "used to it" you can get until it's gone. The week or so after 9/11 were the most eerily quiet days I ever spent living around here.