TV channels & antenna towers in Petaluma, California

Petaluma, California has a population of about 60,400. There are 60 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 31 full-power, 5 Class A, 20 low-power and 4 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 35 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 23 at good or strong strength.

7 of them are within 25 miles of Petaluma, 24 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 29 are more than 45 miles 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.

The best-placed network stations 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). 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 SSE, at about 163°. The main network towers for Petaluma 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 34 miles south of Petaluma (163° SSE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

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

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

The farthest main network tower for Petaluma is KQED (PBS), 34 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

KCRA-TV (NBC), 62 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 35 stations at fair strength or better, Petaluma ranks 251st of 1,078 places in California: more than the typical California town (25). Its nearest major network tower is 30 miles away, against a state median of 22 miles.

48% of California's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is Santa Rosa, 15 miles away.