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

How to aim your TV antenna in Riverdale, IL

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

Transmitter directions from Riverdale, IL N E S W WGBO — 1° N, 17 mi WOCK — 1° N, 17 mi WRME — 1° N, 17 mi WESV — 1° N, 17 mi W31EZ-D — 2° N, 16 mi WDCI — 2° N, 16 mi WYIN — 150° SSE, 24 mi WLPD — 299° WNW, 27 mi WPVN — 322° NW, 35 mi WFLD — 359° N, 16 mi WMAQ — 359° N, 16 mi WGN — 359° N, 16 mi WCIU — 359° N, 16 mi WSNS — 359° N, 16 mi WMEU — 359° N, 16 mi WWME — 359° N, 16 mi WEDE — 359° N, 16 mi WLS — 359° N, 16 mi WTTW — 359° N, 16 mi WXFT — 359° N, 16 mi WBBM — 359° N, 16 mi WCPX — 359° N, 16 mi WPWR — 359° N, 16 mi WJYS — 359° N, 16 mi WRJK — 359° N, 16 mi Riverdale

Point North-Northwest 332° on a compass — 35 miles of range covers this whole market

23/25stations in the beam
120/124free channels
97%of what's available
The other 2 stations sit southwest of you (225°). 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 Riverdale, IL

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
WGBO Univision 66 1° N 17 mi 7
WOCK Shop LC 13 1° N 17 mi 6
WRME Jewelry TV 6 1° N 17 mi 1
WESV Almavision 40 1° N 17 mi 7
W31EZ-D Almavision 25 2° N 16 mi 7
WDCI Daystar 57 2° N 16 mi 1
WYIN PBS 56 150° SSE 24 mi 2
WLPD TBN Inspire 30 299° WNW 27 mi 2
WPVN MBC 24 322° NW 35 mi 10
WFLD FOX 32 359° N 16 mi 6
WMAQ NBC 5 359° N 16 mi 5
WGN CW 9 359° N 16 mi 6
WCIU The U 26 359° N 16 mi 8
WSNS Telemundo 44 359° N 16 mi 2
WMEU U Too 48 359° N 16 mi 4
WWME MeTV 23 359° N 16 mi 3
WEDE Independent 34 359° N 16 mi 2
WLS ABC 7 359° N 16 mi 3
WTTW PBS 11 359° N 16 mi 4
WXFT UniMas 60 359° N 16 mi 3
WBBM CBS 2 359° N 16 mi 5
WCPX Ion 38 359° N 16 mi 8
WPWR MyNetworkTV 50 359° N 16 mi 1
WJYS Independent 62 359° N 16 mi 11
WRJK Diya TV 22 359° N 16 mi 10

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Riverdale, IL?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 15.8 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 16 miles.

For Riverdale 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 around Riverdale are spread across 211° 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 Riverdale. 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 Riverdale, 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.