WDCA
Full power TV station · Washington, District of Columbia
WDCA is a full power over-the-air TV station, licensed to Washington, District of Columbia. Its signal is estimated to reach about 445 cities and towns within 60 miles.
About WDCA
Full-power stations are the main licensed broadcasters in a market. They may run the highest power from the tallest towers and are protected from interference, so they set the core of what you can receive.
At 1,000 kW effective radiated power, WDCA runs more power than 79% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).
Its antenna sits 235 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 14% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 47 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.
We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 60 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 445 cities and towns in our guide with about 7,800,000 residents, as far as Winchester, VA (59 miles).
WDCA shares its transmitter site with WTTG (Fox) and WPXW-TV (ION). One antenna aimed at this site picks up all of them.
Station facts
| Network | Independent / not listed |
| Virtual channel | Not listed |
| Station type | Full power (DTV) |
| City of license | Washington, DC |
| Tower location | 38.96386, -77.10478 |
| Effective radiated power | 1,000 kW |
| Antenna height (HAAT) | 235 m (771 ft) |
| FCC facility ID | 51567 |
| License status | Licensed |
Cities that can receive WDCA
Estimated with an outdoor antenna. Direction is from the city toward the tower.
| City | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethesda, MD | 1.2 mi | 192° SSW | Strong |
| McLean, VA | 4.4 mi | 62° ENE | Strong |
| Silver Spring, MD | 4.6 mi | 246° WSW | Strong |
| North Bethesda, MD | 5.6 mi | 172° S | Strong |
| Arlington, VA | 5.7 mi | 360° N | Strong |
| Wheaton, MD | 5.9 mi | 207° SSW | Strong |
| Washington, D.C., DC | 6.0 mi | 322° NW | Strong |
| Potomac, MD | 6.7 mi | 124° SE | Strong |
| Aspen Hill, MD | 8.2 mi | 192° SSW | Strong |
| Rockville, MD | 8.7 mi | 163° SSE | Strong |
| Annandale, VA | 10 mi | 28° NNE | Strong |
| Alexandria, VA | 11 mi | 344° NNW | Strong |
| Reston, VA | 13 mi | 91° E | Strong |
| Gaithersburg, MD | 13 mi | 157° SSE | Strong |
| Burke, VA | 15 mi | 37° NE | Strong |
| Germantown, MD | 17 mi | 148° SSE | Strong |
| Centreville, VA | 19 mi | 64° ENE | Strong |
| Bowie, MD | 20 mi | 274° W | Strong |
| Ashburn, VA | 21 mi | 105° ESE | Strong |
| Lake Ridge, VA | 22 mi | 29° NNE | Strong |
| Columbia, MD | 24 mi | 217° SW | Strong |
| Manassas, VA | 25 mi | 53° NE | Strong |
| Severn, MD | 25 mi | 241° WSW | Strong |
| Waldorf, MD | 25 mi | 339° NNW | Strong |
| Dale City, VA | 25 mi | 26° NNE | Strong |
| Hanover, MD | 26 mi | 232° SW | Strong |
| Ellicott City, MD | 27 mi | 218° SW | Good |
| Leesburg, VA | 27 mi | 113° ESE | Good |
| Glen Burnie, MD | 29 mi | 242° WSW | Good |
| Catonsville, MD | 29 mi | 223° SW | Good |
| Woodlawn, MD | 32 mi | 219° SW | Good |
| Annapolis, MD | 33 mi | 268° W | Good |
| Baltimore, MD | 35 mi | 230° SW | Good |
| Frederick, MD | 35 mi | 152° SSE | Good |
| Dundalk, MD | 37 mi | 238° WSW | Good |
| Towson, MD | 40 mi | 222° SW | Good |
| Essex, MD | 41 mi | 235° SW | Good |
| Bel Air South, MD | 56 mi | 229° SW | Fair |
| South Bel Air, MD | 57 mi | 226° SW | Fair |
| Hagerstown, MD | 57 mi | 145° SE | Fair |
Other network stations nearby
- WTTGFox · 5
- WPXW-TVION · 66
- WJLA-TVABC · 7
- WHUT-TVPBS · 32
- WUSACBS · 9
- WETA-TVPBS · 26
- WDCWCW · 50
- WRC-TVNBC · 4
- WZDC-CDTelemundo · 44
- WFDC-DTUnivision · 14
- WDME-CDMeTV · 48.1
- WJZ-TVCBS · 13
Frequently asked questions
Where is the WDCA transmitter tower?
WDCA broadcasts from a tower at 38.9639, -77.1048, near Somerset, MD. It is licensed to Washington, District of Columbia.
How far does WDCA broadcast?
With an outdoor antenna, reception is usually workable up to about 60 miles from the tower, and possible in good conditions out to roughly 68 miles. Hills and buildings can shorten that.
How many people can watch WDCA with an antenna?
About 7,800,000 people live in the 445 cities and towns within its estimated fair-signal range, not counting rural residents between them.
Which way do I point my antenna for WDCA?
Open the live finder from your address to get the exact compass bearing to the WDCA tower, or use the table above if your city is listed.