TV channels & antenna towers in San Jose, California

San Jose is a city of about 1,030,000 people in California. There are 79 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 37 full-power, 4 Class A, 37 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 41 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 25 at good or strong strength.

11 of them are within 25 miles of San Jose, 23 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 45 are more than 45 miles out. Seven of the 27 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 48 (KSTS), Univision on channel 14 (KDTV-DT) and MeTV on channel 44.3 (KPYX). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (strong signal) and Univision (strong 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 313°. The main network towers for San Jose 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 42 miles northwest of San Jose (313° NW). Point at that site and a single antenna setting picks them all up.

Of the 24 full-power and Class A network signals that reach San Jose at fair strength or better, 46% arrive from the north; the rest are spread across three other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for San Jose is KQED (PBS), 42 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

KCRA-TV (NBC), 68 miles north, 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.

KICU-TV is only 10 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 41 stations at fair strength or better, San Jose ranks 3rd 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.

48% of California's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna.