TV channels & antenna towers in Chinatown, California

Chinatown is a city of about 101,000 people in California. There are 54 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 32 full-power, 3 Class A and 19 low-power. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 37 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 32 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 25 transmitters are within 25 miles, 10 between 25 and 45 miles, and 19 farther out. Seven of the 21 network stations in range are licensed to Sacramento, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Sacramento's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 7 (KGO-TV), CBS on channel 5 (KPIX-TV), NBC on channel 11 (KNTV), Fox on channel 2 (KTVU), PBS on channel 9 (KQED), CW on channel 4 (KRON-TV), ION on channel 65 (KKPX-TV), Telemundo on channel 48 (KSTS), Univision on channel 14 (KDTV-DT) and MeTV on channel 44.3 (KPYX). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (good signal) and Univision (good signal). 13 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

Point your antenna SW, at about 214°. The main network towers for Chinatown sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Six network stations, KPIX-TV, KGO-TV, KQED, KTVU and KRON-TV and others, transmit from the same tower site about 3.7 miles southwest of Chinatown (220° SW). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 19 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Chinatown at fair strength or better, 42% arrive from the northeast; the rest are spread across three other directions.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Chinatown, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Chinatown is KNTV (NBC), 7.8 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. If you only watch the closer stations, a smaller antenna may do.

KTNC-TV is only 3.7 miles away with a strong signal. Signals that strong can overload an amplifier, so start without one and add it only if distant channels are missing. Read when an amplifier helps.

With 37 stations at fair strength or better, Chinatown ranks 113th of 1,078 places in California: more than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 3.7 miles away, against a state median of 22 miles.

22% of California's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna. The nearest larger city is San Francisco, 1.6 miles away.