Loudest NFL stadiums, ranked: Arrowhead Stadium, Lumen Field among biggest home-field advantages

Daniel Chavkin

•
Loudest NFL stadiums, ranked: Arrowhead Stadium, Lumen Field among biggest home-field advantages image

There is a reason teams value home-field advantage.

Fans attending games don't just get a chance to see their favorite teams play, they can also have an impact on that particular game's outcome. Crowds that are able to make the loudest noise create an environment that only helps their team's chances of winning a game.

In fact, many fanbases take pride in their abilities to produce an atmosphere that makes it difficult for other teams to play road games. Here's a list of some of the loudest stadiums in the NFL.

MORE: What to know about the Bills new stadium

Loudest NFL stadiums

Arrowhead Stadium
(Getty Images)

1. Arrowhead Stadium

  • Location:  Kansas City, Missouri
  • Capacity:  76,416
  • Average attendance:  73,460

No stadium in the NFL is louder than Arrowhead Stadium, which currently holds the world record for loudest stadium. Kansas City Chiefs fans have made this stadium a true home-field advantage, especially during the last decade.

There are many instances in which Chiefs fans showed how loud they can be, which includes the record-breaking moment, but the playoff overtime thriller against the Buffalo Bills provided many great crowd moments.

Lumen Field

2. Lumen Field

  • Location:  Seattle, Washington
  • Capacity:  69,000
  • Average attendance:  68,740

At the height of the Legion of Boom era, the Seattle Seahawks home stadium was a terror for opponents, creating one of the toughest environments in all of sports. Seattle fans even go by "The 12th Man," a nod to their impact on the field.

The loudest moment in Lumen Field history may have been in a playoff game against the New Orleans Saints, when running back Marshawn Lynch ran for a touchdown that actually created a small earthquake.

New Orleans Saints (Superdome)

3. Caesars Superdome

  • Location:  New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Capacity:  76,468
  • Average attendance:  70,036

The New Orleans Saints were a laughingstock in the NFL until Sean Payton and Drew Brees came to town, at which point they developed a fearsome home-field advantage. The Superdome is benefited by being a dome, creating a great environment for a loud crowd.

While the Saints have had many playoff runs in the Superdome, their loudest moment was probably when the team returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Steve Gleason's punt block will always be an iconic moment.

(Getty)

4. Lambeau Field

  • Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin
  • Capacity: 81,441
  • Average attendance: 77,848

Lambeau Field is perhaps the most iconic stadium in the NFL, so it's no surprise that it provides one of the best home-field advantages in the sport. The Green Bay Packers are usually one of the better teams in the league, providing fans a reason to be loud at every game.

Lambeau Field has been home to so many great moments in Packers history, so it's hard to hone in on just one, but Al Harris' walk-off pick-six against the Seahawks is at the top of the list.

Vikings fans

5. U.S. Bank Stadium

  • Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Capacity: 67,000
  • Average attendance: 66,842

One of the newer stadiums in the NFL, U.S. Bank Stadium has quickly become one of the better home-field advantages. Minnesota Vikings fans are known for their "SKOL" chants, and the dome is built to create such a loud environment.

The first playoff game in U.S. Bank Stadium history also may have been the loudest, as Stefon Diggs' miracle touchdown sent Vikings fans into a frenzy.

MORE: Where is the NFL Hall of Fame Game played?

What is the loudest crowd record in football?

Arrowhead Stadium holds the record for the loudest crowd roar in football, as Chiefs fans reached 142.2 decibels on September 29, 2014 in a game against the New England Patriots.

The "Monday Night Football" game ended up being a 41-14 Chiefs blowout win, which also became know as the Patriots' "We're onto Cincinnati" game.

"The fans were phenomenal," Andy Reid said after the game. "142.2 decibel level. I never thought I'd be fired up about decibel levels, but I'm fired up for them. My ears are still ringing. I mean it was loud-loud down there; incredibly loud."

MORE: Who are the most valuable NFL franchises?

What makes an NFL stadium loud?

There are many factors why an NFL stadium can get so loud, including the structure of the stadium and the fans. Of course, fans are the ones making the noise, so the better attendance is on each team, the louder the fans will get.

However, the way each stadium is built can also play a role. Whether it's having a dome that locks in the noise to having the stadium built with a specific shape that also keeps the noise on the field, which is a big reason for why Lumen Field is so loud.

Structural decisions, like how the upper deck seats are built, can also impact how the sound comes off on the field. Arrowhead stadium is another stadium that is built to keep sound in, as it has a steep seating and bowl-shaped structure.

@nflondazn Did you know the Chiefs built Arrowhead with noise in mind?! 🤯 @Dom Corbs NFL #nfl #football #americanfootball #kansascity #chiefs #chiefskingdom ♬ original sound - NFL on DAZN

MORE: Why NFL players complain about MetLife Stadium

How does the NFL measure crowd noise?

Crowd noise is measured using decibels, which is a scientific and logarithmic unit of measurement for overall sound. Essentially, the louder the sound, the bigger the decibel number.

Decibel units are used to measure sound beyond just crowd noises, but the general public is probably most familiar with decibels through measuring crowd noises at events.

MORE: Why do the Jets and Giants share a stadium?

How does crowd noise impact NFL games?

Crowd noise can give home teams major competitive advantages. First, a loud crowd can force the opposing team to have issues hearing each other, which could lead to them using signs to communicate and adjust their gameplan.

Additionally, loud crowds can be uses to intimidate teams in games while getting in the heads of players, forcing them to make mistakes.

What is the quietest NFL stadium?

There isn't a consensus quietest NFL stadium, as there hasn't been a consistent measurement for it, but the quietest NFL stadiums are typically the one's that get poor attendance. Usually, that belongs to teams who are the worst in the league, so in recent history, the FedEx Stadium for the Washington Commanders and MetLife Stadium for the New York Jets and New York Giants have not been scary places to play.

One other team that hasn't had a great home-filed advantage is the Los Angeles Chargers, as their home games often see opposing fanbases invade SoFi Stadium.

Content Producer

News Correspondent