Antenna aiming / Boulder, CO
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Boulder, CO

Every transmitter near Boulder, with the compass direction and distance from town, and the one direction that picks up the most channels.

Transmitter directions from Boulder, CO N E S W KQCK — 13° NNE, 37 mi KPXH — 13° NNE, 37 mi KFCT — 34° NNE, 51 mi KDEN — 79° ENE, 24 mi KPJR — 79° ENE, 24 mi KPXC — 79° ENE, 24 mi KQDK — 134° SE, 35 mi KRDH — 160° SSE, 48 mi KCNC — 162° SSE, 22 mi KMGH — 162° SSE, 22 mi KTVD — 162° SSE, 22 mi KUSA — 162° SSE, 22 mi KWGN — 163° SSE, 22 mi KTFD — 163° SSE, 22 mi KHDT — 163° SSE, 22 mi KVAI — 163° SSE, 22 mi KZCO — 163° SSE, 22 mi KLPD — 163° SSE, 22 mi KDVR — 163° SSE, 22 mi KCEC — 164° SSE, 26 mi KRMA — 164° SSE, 26 mi KETD — 164° SSE, 26 mi KRMT — 165° SSE, 31 mi KBDI — 197° SSW, 25 mi Boulder

Point Southeast 136° on a compass — 51 miles of range covers this whole market

17/24stations in the beam
71/103free channels
69%of what's available
The other 7 stations sit east-northeast of you (56°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
7 of these stations broadcast on VHF frequencies. Many antennas sold as "HDTV" or "4K" are UHF-only and will miss them entirely, whichever way you point.

Every transmitter near Boulder, CO

Sorted by compass bearing, so neighbouring rows are neighbouring towers.

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KQCK CTN 33 13° NNE 37 mi 4
KPXH Daystar 52 13° NNE 37 mi 1
KFCT FOX 22 34° NNE 51 mi 4
KDEN Telemundo 25 79° ENE 24 mi 6
KPJR TBN 38 79° ENE 24 mi 5
KPXC Ion 59 79° ENE 24 mi 8
KQDK CTN 33 134° SE 35 mi 4
KRDH SonLife 5 160° SSE 48 mi 7
KCNC CBS 4 162° SSE 22 mi 6
KMGH ABC 7 162° SSE 22 mi 8
KTVD MyNetworkTV 20 162° SSE 22 mi 5
KUSA NBC 9 162° SSE 22 mi 6
KWGN CW 2 163° SSE 22 mi 4
KTFD UniMas 50 163° SSE 22 mi 3
KHDT MTN TV 24 163° SSE 22 mi 1
KVAI Independent 36 163° SSE 22 mi 1
KZCO QVC2 3 163° SSE 22 mi 4
KLPD MTN TV 28 163° SSE 22 mi 3
KDVR FOX 31 163° SSE 22 mi 4
KCEC Univision 14 164° SSE 26 mi 5
KRMA PBS 6 164° SSE 26 mi 4
KETD Estrella TV 53 164° SSE 26 mi 5
KRMT Daystar 41 165° SSE 31 mi 1
KBDI PBS 12 197° SSW 25 mi 4

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Boulder, CO?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 21.5 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 22 miles.

For Boulder we would start with an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The towers are far enough out that an amplified indoor antenna, or one mounted in the attic, will pull in far more of the lineup than a basic flat antenna.

The towers around Boulder are spread across 184° of the compass, so no single directional antenna will reach all of them. An omnidirectional antenna picks up every direction at once but with less reach, and a rotator lets a directional antenna turn toward whichever station you want.

Learn more about choosing an antenna

Before you climb the ladder

The limits of these numbers, and how to work around them

These are true bearings, not magnetic. A compass app on your phone usually reads magnetic north, which differs from true north by a few degrees depending on where you are in the country. For antenna aiming that difference is small, but if you are lining up a long-range directional antenna it is worth checking your local declination.

Bearings are measured from the centre of Boulder. Over the distances involved, a few miles in any direction barely moves the angle, but your own address is what ultimately matters.

Hills and buildings are not in these numbers. A transmitter 20 miles away behind a ridge can be harder to receive than one 40 miles away across flat ground. Point at the recommended bearing first, then adjust a few degrees either way while watching your TV's signal meter.

See every channel available in Boulder, CO, including what each station carries.

Calendar

What’s on, and when

Big games, races and live events coming up on free over-the-air TV, and the channel to find each one on. Full-season schedules show which games an antenna gets you for free.

Guides

Free TV explained

Guides, reviews and explainers on getting the most out of free over-the-air TV.