Antenna aiming / Seattle, WA
Which way do I point it?

How to aim your TV antenna in Seattle, WA

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

Transmitter directions from Seattle, WA N E S W KUNS — 130° SE, 19 mi KUSE — 130° SE, 19 mi KWPX — 131° SE, 19 mi KWDK — 131° SE, 19 mi KZJO — 194° SSW, 5 mi KSTW — 194° SSW, 5 mi KFFV — 194° SSW, 5 mi KCTS — 195° SSW, 5 mi KBTC — 201° SSW, 30 mi KING — 221° SW, 5 mi KONG — 221° SW, 5 mi KOMO — 222° SW, 5 mi KIRO — 224° SW, 5 mi KTBW — 248° WSW, 26 mi KCPQ — 249° WSW, 26 mi KBCB — 340° NNW, 73 mi KVOS — 340° NNW, 73 mi Seattle

Point Southwest 219° on a compass — 73 miles of range covers this whole market

11/17stations in the beam
56/94free channels
60%of what's available
The other 6 stations sit east-southeast of you (107°). 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 Seattle, WA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KUNS CW 51 130° SE 19 mi 3
KUSE Great 46 130° SE 19 mi 12
KWPX Ion 33 131° SE 19 mi 8
KWDK Daystar 56 131° SE 19 mi 1
KZJO MyNetworkTV 22 194° SSW 5 mi 4
KSTW Independent 11 194° SSW 5 mi 6
KFFV MeTV 44 194° SSW 5 mi 9
KCTS PBS 9 195° SSW 5 mi 4
KBTC PBS 28 201° SSW 30 mi 3
KING NBC 5 221° SW 5 mi 6
KONG Independent 16 221° SW 5 mi 3
KOMO ABC 4 222° SW 5 mi 4
KIRO CBS 7 224° SW 5 mi 6
KTBW TBN 20 248° WSW 26 mi 5
KCPQ FOX 13 249° WSW 26 mi 6
KBCB TCT 24 340° NNW 73 mi 5
KVOS Univision 12 340° NNW 73 mi 9

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in Seattle, WA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 4.9 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 20 miles.

For Seattle 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 Seattle are spread across 209° 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 Seattle. 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 Seattle, WA, 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.