TV stations in Delaware
Delaware has 6 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 3 network affiliates carrying PBS, ION and MeTV. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.
Over-the-air TV in Delaware at a glance
Delaware has 6 licensed TV transmitters: 5 full-power, 0 Class A, 1 low-power and 0 translator stations. Translators make up 0% of the total, below the national share of 41%, a sign that most people live within reach of the main towers.
Most full-power and Class A stations are licensed to Wilmington (3), Seaford (1) and Dover (1). Those cities are where the main broadcast hubs sit, and most viewers aim their antennas toward one of them.
The most powerful full-power transmitter in Delaware is WPPX-TV (ION) in Wilmington, at 310 kW effective radiated power.
We ran a reception estimate for all 51 cities and towns in Delaware. A typical place gets 20 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 29 miles away. 20% of places can use an indoor antenna, 69% need an amplified or attic antenna, 12% an outdoor directional antenna and 0% a long-range setup.
Weighted by population, the share of residents with a listed affiliate at fair strength or better is: ABC 86%, CBS 84%, NBC 98% and Fox 100%.
Greenville has the most stations in reach (33). Townsend is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 51 miles away.
Largest cities in Delaware
- Wilmington
- Dover
- Newark
- Middletown
- Bear
- Brookside
- Glasgow
- Hockessin
- Smyrna
- Pike Creek Valley
- Milford
- Claymont
- North Star
- Pike Creek
- Wilmington Manor
- Seaford
- Georgetown
- Elsmere
- Edgemoor
- New Castle
- Millsboro
- Laurel
- Harrington
- Camden
- Highland Acres
- Dover Base Housing
- Rising Sun-Lebanon
- Clayton
- Lewes
- Milton
- Riverview
- Selbyville
- Greenville
- Woodside East
- Bridgeville
- Townsend
- Ocean View
- Long Neck
- Kent Acres
- Delaware City
Network affiliates in Delaware
| Station | Channel | City of license | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| PBS WDPB PBS | 64 | Seaford | Full power |
| ION WPPX-TV ION | 61 | Wilmington | Full power |
| MeTV WDPN-TV MeTV | 2.1 | Wilmington | Full power |
Other full-power and Class A stations
Stations without a network tag in our data: often public television, religious, shopping, foreign-language or independent stations.
All cities and towns in Delaware (51)
- Bear
- Bellefonte
- Bethany Beach
- Blades
- Bridgeville
- Brookside
- Camden
- Cheswold
- Claymont
- Clayton
- Delaware City
- Delmar
- Dover
- Dover Base Housing
- Edgemoor
- Elsmere
- Felton
- Georgetown
- Glasgow
- Greenville
- Greenwood
- Harrington
- Highland Acres
- Hockessin
- Kent Acres
- Laurel
- Lewes
- Long Neck
- Middletown
- Milford
- Millsboro
- Milton
- New Castle
- Newark
- Newport
- North Star
- Ocean View
- Pike Creek
- Pike Creek Valley
- Rehoboth Beach
- Rising Sun-Lebanon
- Riverview
- Rodney Village
- Seaford
- Selbyville
- Smyrna
- Townsend
- Wilmington
- Wilmington Manor
- Woodside East
- Wyoming
Frequently asked questions
How many TV stations are in Delaware?
Delaware has 6 licensed TV transmitters: 5 full-power, 0 Class A, 1 low-power and 0 translator stations.
Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Delaware?
PBS (1 station), ION (1 station) and MeTV (1 station). Some public, religious and independent stations are not tagged with a network in our data.
What channels can I get with an antenna in Wilmington?
See the Wilmington channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.
Do I need an outdoor antenna in Delaware?
In 12% of Delaware's cities and towns, yes. 88% can manage with an indoor or attic antenna. It depends on how far you are from the towers: each city page below gives a recommendation for that location.