TV channels & antenna towers in Charleston, Illinois

With roughly 21,200 residents, Charleston is a town in Illinois. Our map shows 22 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 12 full-power, 1 Class A, 7 low-power and 2 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 12 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 7 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 2 transmitters are within 25 miles, 6 between 25 and 45 miles, and 14 farther out. Three of the 9 network stations in range are licensed to Terre Haute, IN, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Terre Haute's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 15 (WICD), CBS on channel 3 (WCIA), NBC on channel 17 (WAND), Fox on channel 27 (WCCU), CW on channel 2.2 (WTWO) and ION on channel 16.4 (WCQA-LD). 4 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 N, at about 7°. The main network towers for Charleston sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Two network stations, WICD and WCCU, transmit from the same tower site about 42 miles north of Charleston (19° NNE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 8 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Charleston at fair strength or better, 38% 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 Charleston, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Charleston is WCIA (CBS), 45 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

WAND (NBC), 47 miles northwest, 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.

WEIU-TV is only 8.7 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 12 stations at fair strength or better, Charleston ranks 534th of 766 places in Illinois: fewer than the typical Illinois town (17). Its nearest major network tower is 42 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 Terre Haute, 41 miles away.