TV channels & antenna towers in Hercules, California

With roughly 25,300 residents, Hercules is a city in California. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 63 licensed TV transmitters: 32 full-power, 6 Class A and 25 low-power. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 37 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 26 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 25 transmitters are within 25 miles, 12 between 25 and 45 miles, and 26 farther out. Eight of the 22 network stations in range are licensed to Sacramento, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Sacramento's stations.

The strongest network signals here are ABC on channel 7 (KGO-TV), CBS on channel 5 (KPIX-TV), NBC on channel 3 (KCRA-TV), Fox on channel 2 (KTVU), PBS on channel 9 (KQED), CW on channel 58 (KQCA), ION on channel 65 (KKPX-TV), Telemundo on channel 31.7 (KMAX-TV), 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 SSW, at about 206°. The main network towers for Hercules 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 20 miles southwest of Hercules (206° SSW). Point at that site and a single antenna setting picks them all up.

Of the 19 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Hercules at fair strength or better, 32% arrive from the southwest; the rest are spread across four other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Hercules is KQED (PBS), 20 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here.

KCRA-TV (NBC), 47 miles east, is the exception: the nearest listed affiliate of its network is far enough away to need an outdoor antenna. Some local stations in our data carry no network tag, so check the other stations table below before buying a bigger antenna just for that one.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

With 37 stations at fair strength or better, Hercules ranks 113th of 1,078 places in California: more than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 20 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 Vallejo, 6.3 miles away.