TV channels & antenna towers in Barrington Hills, Illinois
Barrington Hills has 57 TV transmitters within 70 miles, carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW and ION. About 20 stations should come in at fair strength or better with a suitable antenna. The closest tower is WWTO-TV, 32 miles to the ESE.
Network channels in Barrington Hills
| Station | Channel | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal | Licensed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIWGBO-DTUnivision | 66 | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Good | Joliet, IL |
| IONKPDS-LDION | 49.4 | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| FOXWFLDFox | 32 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| NBCWMAQ-TVNBC | 5 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| TLMWSNS-TVTelemundo | 44 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| MeTVWWME-CDMeTV | 23.1 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Fair | Chicago, IL |
| MeTVWCIU-TVMeTV | 26.3 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| CWWGN-TVCW | 9 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| CBSWBBM-TVCBS | 2 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Fair | Chicago, IL |
| IONWCPX-TVION | 38 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| ABCWLS-TVABC | 7 | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| FOXWQRF-TVFox | 39 | 53 mi | 281° W | Weak | Rockford, IL |
| ABCWTVOABC | 17 | 53 mi | 281° W | Weak | Rockford, IL |
| TLMWFBN-LDTelemundo | 23 | 53 mi | 282° WNW | Poor | Rockford, IL |
| CBSWIFR-LDCBS | 23 | 53 mi | 282° WNW | Poor | Rockford, IL |
| CWWSLNCW | 19 | 53 mi | 282° WNW | Weak | Freeport, IL |
| NBCWREXNBC | 13 | 56 mi | 281° W | Poor | Rockford, IL |
| IONWPXE-TVION | 55 | 67 mi | 11° NNE | Weak | Kenosha, WI |
| FOXWITIFox | 6 | 67 mi | 11° NNE | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
| NBCWTMJ-TVNBC | 4 | 67 mi | 11° N | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
| CWWVTVCW | 18 | 67 mi | 11° N | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
| MeTVWBME-CDMeTV | 41.1 | 68 mi | 10° N | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| CBSWDJT-TVCBS | 58 | 68 mi | 10° N | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| TLMWYTU-LDTelemundo | 63 | 68 mi | 10° N | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| ABCWISN-TVABC | 12 | 68 mi | 10° N | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
Over-the-air TV in Barrington Hills
Barrington Hills is a town of about 4,250 people in Illinois. There are 57 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 30 full-power, 9 Class A, 17 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 20 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 12 at good or strong strength.
0 of them are within 25 miles of Barrington Hills, 30 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 27 are more than 45 miles out. Ten of the 25 network stations in range are licensed to Chicago, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Chicago's stations.
For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 7 (WLS-TV), CBS on channel 2 (WBBM-TV), NBC on channel 5 (WMAQ-TV), Fox on channel 32 (WFLD), CW on channel 9 (WGN-TV), ION on channel 38 (WCPX-TV), Telemundo on channel 44 (WSNS-TV), Univision on channel 66 (WGBO-DT) and MeTV on channel 26.3 (WCIU-TV). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (good signal) and Univision (good signal). 11 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.
Which way to point your antenna in Barrington Hills
Point your antenna SE, at about 124°. The main network towers for Barrington Hills sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.
Ten network stations, WGBO-DT, WFLD, WMAQ-TV, WSNS-TV and WWME-CD and others, transmit from the same tower site about 32 miles southeast of Barrington Hills (122° ESE). That one direction covers every station on the site.
Of the 11 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Barrington Hills at fair strength or better, 91% arrive from the southeast; the rest are spread across one other direction.
All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Barrington Hills, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.
Antenna and amplifier advice for Barrington Hills
The farthest main network tower for Barrington Hills is WBBM-TV (CBS), 32 miles away with a fair estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.
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.
Other stations near Barrington Hills
Full-power independents, low-power stations and translators that relay a bigger station's signal. Showing the closest 25 of 32; see all in the finder.
| Station | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal | Licensed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WWTO-TVFull power | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Fair | Naperville, IL |
| WOCK-CDClass A | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| W31EZ-DLow power | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WESV-LDLow power | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WRJK-LDLow power | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Weak | Arlington Heights, IL |
| W27EB-DClass A | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Fair | Sugar Grove, IL |
| WRME-LDLow power | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WPVN-CDClass A | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Fair | Chicago, IL |
| WLPD-CDClass A | 32 mi | 122° ESE | Fair | Plano, IL |
| WTTWFull power | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| WPWR-TVFull power | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Gary, IN |
| WEDE-CDClass A | 32 mi | 124° SE | Weak | Arlington Heights, IL |
| WMEU-CDClass A | 32 mi | 124° SE | Fair | Chicago, IL |
| WCHU-LDLow power | 32 mi | 123° ESE | Weak | Oakwood Hills, IL |
| WJYSFull power | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Hammond, IN |
| WXFT-DTFull power | 32 mi | 124° SE | Good | Aurora, IL |
| WDCI-LDLow power | 33 mi | 123° ESE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WAUR-LDLow power | 40 mi | 213° SSW | Poor | Aurora, IL |
| WSPY-LDLow power | 40 mi | 213° SSW | Poor | Earlville, IL |
| WDMW-LDLow power | 57 mi | 358° N | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| WTAS-LDLow power | 57 mi | 358° N | Poor | Waukesha, WI |
| W35DY-DTranslator | 60 mi | 301° WNW | Poor | Stoughton, WI |
| WODN-LDLow power | 61 mi | 126° SE | Poor | Portage, IN |
| WVCY-TVFull power | 67 mi | 11° NNE | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
| WMKE-CDClass A | 67 mi | 11° N | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
How Barrington Hills compares with the rest of Illinois
With 20 stations at fair strength or better, Barrington Hills ranks 311th of 766 places in Illinois: more than the typical Illinois town (17). Its nearest major network tower is 32 miles away, against a state median of 24 miles.
54% of Illinois's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is Carpentersville, 5.5 miles away.
Setting up an antenna in Barrington Hills: step by step
- Mount the antenna in the attic or high on the wall facing the towers, keeping the cable to the TV as short as you can.
- Point it toward 124° SE, the direction of WBBM-TV (CBS), 32 miles away. Closer stations usually come in even off-axis.
- Run a full channel scan on your TV (usually Settings → Channels → Auto program; the name varies by brand).
- Expect around 20 stations, each with a few subchannels. If one you want is missing, turn the antenna 5–10° toward it and scan again.
- Rescan every few months, or whenever a channel disappears; stations occasionally change frequency.
Frequently asked questions
What channel is ABC in Barrington Hills, IL?
ABC is on channel 7 from WLS-TV, broadcasting from 32 miles SE of Barrington Hills. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is CBS in Barrington Hills, IL?
CBS is on channel 2 from WBBM-TV, broadcasting from 32 miles SE of Barrington Hills. Estimated signal: fair.
What channel is NBC in Barrington Hills, IL?
NBC is on channel 5 from WMAQ-TV, broadcasting from 32 miles SE of Barrington Hills. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is Fox in Barrington Hills, IL?
Fox is on channel 32 from WFLD, broadcasting from 32 miles SE of Barrington Hills. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is CW in Barrington Hills, IL?
CW is on channel 9 from WGN-TV, broadcasting from 32 miles SE of Barrington Hills. Estimated signal: good.
How many channels can I get with an antenna in Barrington Hills?
57 transmitters within 70 miles of Barrington Hills; around 20 of them are likely to be receivable with amplified indoor or attic antenna. Each station usually carries several subchannels, so the total channel count after a scan is higher.
Which direction should I point my TV antenna in Barrington Hills?
Point your antenna SE, at about 124°. The main network towers for Barrington Hills sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.
What kind of antenna do I need in Barrington Hills?
Amplified indoor or attic antenna (25–45 miles). Towers are at medium range. An amplified indoor antenna can work; an attic-mounted antenna is the safer choice.
Do I need an antenna amplifier in Barrington Hills?
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.
Is there an app to find TV towers in Barrington Hills?
Yes. The free RCA Signal Finder app for iPhone and Android uses your phone's GPS and compass to show which way each tower is from where you stand.
TV channels in nearby Illinois cities
- Barrington1.2 mi
- Inverness3.6 mi
- Lake Zurich4.8 mi
- Carpentersville5.5 mi
- Cary6.3 mi
- Palatine6.7 mi
- Fairfield7.0 mi
- Algonquin7.2 mi
- West Dundee7.3 mi
- Hawthorn Woods7.4 mi
- Wauconda7.9 mi
- Hoffman Estates8.0 mi
- Streamwood8.3 mi
- Long Grove8.4 mi
- Rolling Meadows8.4 mi
- Schaumburg8.5 mi
- Island Lake9.3 mi
- Lake in the Hills9.3 mi
- Arlington Heights9.8 mi
- Elgin9.8 mi
- Buffalo Grove10 mi
- Hanover Park10 mi
- Vernon Hills10 mi
- Bartlett10 mi
More: all TV stations in Illinois · Midwest region · antenna buying guide · how to aim an antenna. Distances are straight-line from the center of Barrington Hills; signal estimates ignore terrain.