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

How to aim your TV antenna in University Place, WA

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

Transmitter directions from University Place, WA N E S W KBTC — 16° NNE, 5 mi KIRO — 16° NNE, 31 mi KOMO — 17° NNE, 31 mi KING — 17° NNE, 31 mi KONG — 17° NNE, 31 mi KCTS — 21° NNE, 31 mi KSTW — 21° NNE, 31 mi KFFV — 21° NNE, 31 mi KZJO — 21° NNE, 31 mi KWPX — 52° NE, 34 mi KWDK — 52° NE, 34 mi KUNS — 52° NE, 34 mi KUSE — 52° NE, 34 mi KCKA — 209° SSW, 51 mi KCPQ — 333° NNW, 27 mi KTBW — 334° NNW, 26 mi University Place

Point North-Northeast 23° on a compass — 51 miles of range covers this whole market

13/16stations in the beam
69/83free channels
83%of what's available
The other 3 stations sit west-northwest of you (303°). 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 University Place, WA

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

StationNetworkChannel BearingDirectionDistanceSubchannels
KBTC PBS 28 16° NNE 5 mi 3
KIRO CBS 7 16° NNE 31 mi 6
KOMO ABC 4 17° NNE 31 mi 4
KING NBC 5 17° NNE 31 mi 6
KONG Independent 16 17° NNE 31 mi 3
KCTS PBS 9 21° NNE 31 mi 4
KSTW Independent 11 21° NNE 31 mi 6
KFFV MeTV 44 21° NNE 31 mi 9
KZJO MyNetworkTV 22 21° NNE 31 mi 4
KWPX Ion 33 52° NE 34 mi 8
KWDK Daystar 56 52° NE 34 mi 1
KUNS CW 51 52° NE 34 mi 3
KUSE Great 46 52° NE 34 mi 12
KCKA PBS 15 209° SSW 51 mi 3
KCPQ FOX 13 333° NNW 27 mi 6
KTBW TBN 20 334° NNW 26 mi 5

Marked rows fall inside the recommended beam.

What antenna do you need in University Place, WA?

How far the transmitters are, and which way they sit

The nearest transmitter is 5.4 miles away, and most of the lineup sits within 31 miles.

For University Place we would start with an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The towers are far enough out that an amplified indoor antenna, or one mounted in the attic, will pull in far more of the lineup than a basic flat antenna.

The towers around University Place are spread across 204° 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 University Place. 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 University Place, 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.