TV channels & antenna towers in Foster City, California

Foster City, California has a population of about 33,500. There are 69 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 36 full-power, 3 Class A, 29 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 38 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 29 at good or strong strength.

30 of them are within 25 miles of Foster City, 6 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 33 are more than 45 miles out. Seven of the 25 network stations in range are licensed to Sacramento, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Sacramento's stations.

The best-placed network stations 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 NW, at about 322°. The main network towers for Foster City 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 17 miles northwest of Foster City (324° NW). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 20 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Foster City at fair strength or better, 40% arrive from the northwest; the rest are spread across three other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Foster City is KQED (PBS), 17 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

KKPX-TV is only 13 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 38 stations at fair strength or better, Foster City ranks 52nd of 1,078 places in California: more than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 13 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 Mateo, 3.0 miles away.