WTTW
Full power TV station · Chicago, Illinois
WTTW is a full power over-the-air TV station, licensed to Chicago, Illinois. Its signal is estimated to reach about 468 cities and towns within 72 miles.
About WTTW
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 250 kW effective radiated power, WTTW runs more power than 48% of full-power TV stations nationwide (median: 273 kW).
Its antenna sits 496 m above the average surrounding terrain, higher than 71% of full-power stations. Taller antennas see farther: this one's radio horizon is roughly 65 miles, beyond which the signal fades quickly.
We estimate a fair-or-better signal out to about 72 miles with an outdoor antenna. That area includes 468 cities and towns in our guide with about 11,400,000 residents, as far as Oak Creek, WI (71 miles).
WTTW shares its transmitter site with WFLD (Fox), WMAQ-TV (NBC), WPWR-TV, WEDE-CD, WSNS-TV (Telemundo) and WWME-CD (MeTV) and 8 more. 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 | Chicago, IL |
| Tower location | 41.87892, -87.63617 |
| Effective radiated power | 250 kW |
| Antenna height (HAAT) | 496 m (1,627 ft) |
| FCC facility ID | 10802 |
| License status | Licensed |
Cities that can receive WTTW
Estimated with an outdoor antenna. Direction is from the city toward the tower.
| City | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near North Side, IL | 1.5 mi | 183° S | Strong |
| Chicago, IL | 2.1 mi | 20° NNE | Strong |
| West Town, IL | 2.2 mi | 117° ESE | Strong |
| Lincoln Park, IL | 3.0 mi | 169° SSE | Strong |
| Logan Square, IL | 4.5 mi | 133° SE | Strong |
| South Lawndale, IL | 4.6 mi | 58° ENE | Strong |
| Uptown, IL | 6.1 mi | 172° S | Strong |
| Cicero, IL | 6.5 mi | 69° ENE | Strong |
| Irving Park, IL | 7.3 mi | 135° SE | Strong |
| Edgewater, IL | 7.4 mi | 169° S | Strong |
| Albany Park, IL | 7.6 mi | 144° SE | Strong |
| Oak Park, IL | 7.6 mi | 93° E | Strong |
| Belmont Cragin, IL | 7.7 mi | 118° ESE | Strong |
| Chicago Lawn, IL | 7.8 mi | 23° NNE | Strong |
| Berwyn, IL | 8.3 mi | 76° ENE | Strong |
| Portage Park, IL | 8.6 mi | 129° SE | Strong |
| West Ridge, IL | 8.8 mi | 161° SSE | Strong |
| Rogers Park, IL | 9.1 mi | 170° S | Strong |
| Evanston, IL | 12 mi | 166° SSE | Strong |
| Skokie, IL | 12 mi | 155° SSE | Strong |
| Oak Lawn, IL | 13 mi | 28° NNE | Good |
| Des Plaines, IL | 17 mi | 130° SE | Good |
| Mount Prospect, IL | 20 mi | 130° SE | Good |
| Orland Park, IL | 21 mi | 33° NNE | Good |
| Hammond, IN | 22 mi | 341° NNW | Good |
| Tinley Park, IL | 22 mi | 20° NNE | Good |
| Arlington Heights, IL | 23 mi | 129° SE | Good |
| Wheaton, IL | 24 mi | 88° E | Good |
| Gary, IN | 25 mi | 323° NW | Good |
| Schaumburg, IL | 25 mi | 115° ESE | Good |
| Hoffman Estates, IL | 25 mi | 116° ESE | Good |
| Bolingbrook, IL | 26 mi | 61° ENE | Good |
| Palatine, IL | 26 mi | 128° SE | Good |
| Naperville, IL | 27 mi | 76° ENE | Good |
| Joliet, IL | 34 mi | 43° NE | Good |
| Elgin, IL | 35 mi | 108° ESE | Good |
| Waukegan, IL | 35 mi | 162° SSE | Good |
| Aurora, IL | 36 mi | 77° ENE | Good |
| Kenosha, WI | 50 mi | 169° S | Good |
| Racine, WI | 59 mi | 173° S | Fair |
Other network stations nearby
- WFLDFox · 32
- WMAQ-TVNBC · 5
- WSNS-TVTelemundo · 44
- WWME-CDMeTV · 23.1
- WCIU-TVMeTV · 26.3
- WGN-TVCW · 9
- WBBM-TVCBS · 2
- WCPX-TVION · 38
- WLS-TVABC · 7
- WGBO-DTUnivision · 66
- KPDS-LDION · 49.4
Frequently asked questions
Where is the WTTW transmitter tower?
WTTW broadcasts from a tower at 41.8789, -87.6362, near Chicago Loop, IL. It is licensed to Chicago, Illinois.
How far does WTTW broadcast?
With an outdoor antenna, reception is usually workable up to about 72 miles from the tower, and possible in good conditions out to roughly 80 miles. Hills and buildings can shorten that.
How many people can watch WTTW with an antenna?
About 11,400,000 people live in the 468 cities and towns within its estimated fair-signal range, not counting rural residents between them.
Which way do I point my antenna for WTTW?
Open the live finder from your address to get the exact compass bearing to the WTTW tower, or use the table above if your city is listed.