Antenna aiming / Paris, IL
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Paris, IL

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

Transmitter directions from Paris, IL N E S W WPBI — 39° NE, 71 mi WPBY — 39° NE, 71 mi WTHI — 145° SE, 30 mi WTWO — 146° SE, 30 mi WAWV — 146° SE, 30 mi WVUT — 170° S, 67 mi WZDS — 170° S, 50 mi WUSI — 204° SSW, 57 mi WEIU — 267° W, 32 mi WILL — 301° WNW, 60 mi WCIA — 312° NW, 53 mi WBXC — 321° NW, 46 mi WICD — 341° NNW, 34 mi WCCU — 347° NNW, 51 mi Paris

Point South 174° on a compass — 71 miles of range covers this whole market

6/14stations in the beam
29/56free channels
52%of what's available
The other 8 stations sit north-northwest of you (335°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
2 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 Paris, IL

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WPBI FOX 16 39° NE 71 mi 2
WPBY ABC 35 39° NE 71 mi 2
WTHI CBS 10 145° SE 30 mi 5
WTWO NBC 2 146° SE 30 mi 4
WAWV ABC 38 146° SE 30 mi 4
WVUT Independent 22 170° S 67 mi 3
WZDS Heroes & Icons 5 170° S 50 mi 8
WUSI PBS 16 204° SSW 57 mi 5
WEIU Independent 51 267° W 32 mi 2
WILL PBS 12 301° WNW 60 mi 3
WCIA CBS 3 312° NW 53 mi 5
WBXC Heartland TV 18 321° NW 46 mi 5
WICD ABC 15 341° NNW 34 mi 5
WCCU FOX 27 347° NNW 51 mi 3

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Paris, IL?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 29.7 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 58 miles.

For Paris 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 around Paris are spread across 253° 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 Paris. 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 Paris, IL, 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.