Antenna aiming / Portland, OR
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Portland, OR

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

Transmitter directions from Portland, OR N E S W KGW — 122° ESE, 4 mi KOPB — 122° ESE, 4 mi KPXG — 122° ESE, 4 mi KORS — 122° ESE, 4 mi KOXI — 122° ESE, 4 mi KPXG-LD — 122° ESE, 4 mi KOIN — 123° ESE, 4 mi KNMT — 123° ESE, 4 mi KRCW — 123° ESE, 4 mi KATU — 123° ESE, 4 mi KEVE — 123° ESE, 4 mi KUNP-LD — 123° ESE, 4 mi KPDX — 123° ESE, 4 mi KPTV — 123° ESE, 4 mi KOAC — 200° SSW, 67 mi KSLM — 202° SSW, 43 mi K36QX-D — 204° SSW, 42 mi Portland

Point East 94° on a compass — 67 miles of range covers this whole market

14/17stations in the beam
69/84free channels
82%of what's available
The other 3 stations sit south-southwest of you (202°). A rotator, or a second antenna facing that way, is what it takes to add them.
3 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 Portland, OR

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KGW NBC 8 122° ESE 4 mi 5
KOPB PBS 10 122° ESE 4 mi 4
KPXG Ion 22 122° ESE 4 mi 8
KORS HSN 16 122° ESE 4 mi 2
KOXI MovieSphere Gold 20 122° ESE 4 mi 12
KPXG-LD Daystar 42 122° ESE 4 mi 1
KOIN CBS 6 123° ESE 4 mi 6
KNMT TBN 24 123° ESE 4 mi 5
KRCW CW 32 123° ESE 4 mi 4
KATU ABC 2 123° ESE 4 mi 4
KEVE Better Life TV 31 123° ESE 4 mi 4
KUNP-LD Independent 47 123° ESE 4 mi 4
KPDX MyNetworkTV 49 123° ESE 4 mi 4
KPTV FOX 12 123° ESE 4 mi 6
KOAC PBS 7 200° SSW 67 mi 4
KSLM The Dove 27 202° SSW 43 mi 4
K36QX-D Telemundo 21 204° SSW 42 mi 7

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Portland, OR?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 3.6 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 4 miles.

For Portland we would start with a basic indoor antenna. Most of the lineup is transmitting from close by, so a flat indoor antenna in a window facing the towers should be enough.

The towers sit within a 82° arc, so a directional antenna pointed east suits this market. With the furthest transmitters 67 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 Portland. 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 Portland, OR, 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.