TV channels & antenna towers in Montara, California

Montara is a town of about 2,910 people in California. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 41 licensed TV transmitters: 23 full-power, 2 Class A and 16 low-power. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 27 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 22 at good or strong strength.

22 of them are within 25 miles of Montara, 11 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 8 are more than 45 miles out. Six of the 11 network stations in range are licensed to San Francisco, so most of the network channels you will find here come from San Francisco'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). 12 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 NNE, at about 15°. The main network towers for Montara 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 15 miles north of Montara (13° NNE). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 11 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Montara at fair strength or better, 55% arrive from the north; the rest are spread across two other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Montara is KQED (PBS), 15 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.

KKPX-TV is only 11 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 27 stations at fair strength or better, Montara ranks 488th of 1,078 places in California: more than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 11 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 Pacifica, 5.2 miles away.