Antenna aiming / Chico, CA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Chico, CA

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

Transmitter directions from Chico, CA N E S W KCVU — 25° NNE, 17 mi KHSL — 25° NNE, 16 mi KZVU — 25° NNE, 17 mi KUCO — 25° NNE, 17 mi KKTF — 25° NNE, 17 mi KXVU — 25° NNE, 16 mi K31ND-D — 108° ESE, 21 mi K20JX-D — 156° SSE, 69 mi KKPM — 178° S, 37 mi KEDS — 178° S, 37 mi KIXE — 325° NW, 73 mi KRCR — 325° NW, 73 mi KMCA — 328° NNW, 65 mi KDRC — 330° NNW, 72 mi KRHT — 330° NNW, 72 mi KRDT — 331° NNW, 72 mi KRVU — 331° NNW, 72 mi KNVN — 340° NNW, 38 mi Chico

Point North 356° on a compass — 73 miles of range covers this whole market

12/18stations in the beam
41/74free channels
55%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit south of you (170°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
4 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 Chico, CA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KCVU Roar 20 25° NNE 17 mi 5
KHSL CBS 12 25° NNE 16 mi 5
KZVU MyNetworkTV 22 25° NNE 17 mi 1
KUCO Univision 27 25° NNE 17 mi 4
KKTF UniMas 30 25° NNE 17 mi 1
KXVU Antenna TV 17 25° NNE 16 mi 1
K31ND-D CBS 12 108° ESE 21 mi 9
K20JX-D Good News TV 19 156° SSE 69 mi 5
KKPM The Dove 28 178° S 37 mi 12
KEDS The Dove 16 178° S 37 mi 1
KIXE PBS 9 325° NW 73 mi 3
KRCR ABC 7 325° NW 73 mi 3
KMCA Antenna TV 10 328° NNW 65 mi 1
KDRC The Dove 26 330° NNW 72 mi 2
KRHT SonLife 41 330° NNW 72 mi 2
KRDT The Dove 23 331° NNW 72 mi 12
KRVU MyNetworkTV 21 331° NNW 72 mi 3
KNVN NBC 24 340° NNW 38 mi 4

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Chico, CA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 16.2 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 38 miles.

For Chico 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 Chico are spread across 214° 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 Chico. 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 Chico, CA, 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.