Antenna aiming / La Crosse, WI
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in La Crosse, WI

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

Transmitter directions from La Crosse, WI N E S W WEAU — 9° N, 60 mi WLAX — 271° W, 11 mi WHLA — 271° W, 11 mi WXOW — 272° W, 11 mi WKBT — 334° NNW, 22 mi WQOW — 347° NNW, 71 mi WECX — 347° NNW, 71 mi La Crosse

Point North 0° on a compass — 71 miles of range covers this whole market

4/7stations in the beam
23/37free channels
62%of what's available
The other 3 stations sit west of you (271°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
1 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 La Crosse, WI

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WEAU NBC 13 9° N 60 mi 7
WLAX FOX 25 271° W 11 mi 4
WHLA PBS 31 271° W 11 mi 4
WXOW ABC 19 272° W 11 mi 6
WKBT CBS 8 334° NNW 22 mi 6
WQOW ABC 18 347° NNW 71 mi 5
WECX CW Plus 14 347° NNW 71 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in La Crosse, WI?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 11.1 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 71 miles.

For La Crosse we would start with an outdoor or roof-mounted antenna. The transmitters are a long way from town. An outdoor antenna mounted as high as possible, pointed toward the towers, is what it takes to receive the full lineup reliably.

The towers sit within a 98° arc, so a directional antenna pointed north suits this market. With the furthest transmitters 71 miles out, mount it outdoors and as high as you can.

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 La Crosse. 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 La Crosse, WI, 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.