The present study was conducted in Jeddah to assess the magnitude of the problem of community noise and study the role of the causative factors. Ten locations were selected representing residential areas, business areas with light or average traffic, and areas with heavy traffic. Noise was measured there daily [from 7:00 a.m. to 21:00 p.m.] for 5 weeks, during April-May 1998. Noise levels vary according to current activities and traffic densities. The highest noise levels exist in all locations, irrespective of the extent of activities, between 12:30 p.m. and 15:30 p.m. due to the traffic activities of driving students "back home from schools", and also between 19:30 p.m. and 21:00 p.m. due to the evening shopping activities. The data clearly suggest that traffic density is the predominant factor in the noise pollution problem in Jeddah, since the highest noise levels exist at the locations adjacent to the highways and the lowest levels exist at the light traffic locations. Meanwhile, all of the mean noise levels in all the locations range from a minimum of 53 dB[A] to a maximum of 93 dB[A], depending on traffic status, and mostly all the measurements are higher than the community permissible levels recommended in different developed countries. It has been concluded that such noise pollution can present health and social problems to citizens in Jeddah, a situation which calls for a rapid execution of the strategy, presently discussed, for traffic noise control in large cities in the Kingdom.