TV channels & antenna towers in Mount Carroll, Illinois

Mount Carroll, Illinois has a population of about 1,620. Our map shows 18 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 13 full-power, 4 low-power and 1 translator. 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.

1 of them is within 25 miles of Mount Carroll, 7 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 10 are more than 45 miles out. Five of the 12 network stations in range are licensed to Rockford, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Rockford's stations.

The strongest network signals here are ABC on channel 17 (WTVO), CBS on channel 4 (WHBF-TV), NBC on channel 6 (KWQC-TV), Fox on channel 39 (WQRF-TV), CW on channel 26 (KGCW), Telemundo on channel 23 (WFBN-LD) and Trinity on channel 53 (WMWC-TV). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (very weak signal). 3 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 ENE, at about 72°. The main network towers for Mount Carroll sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Three network stations, WQRF-TV, WTVO and WSLN, transmit from the same tower site about 43 miles east of Mount Carroll (72° ENE). Point at that site and a single antenna setting picks them all up.

Of the 9 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Mount Carroll at fair strength or better, 44% arrive from the east; the rest are spread across two other directions.

WQRF-TV (Fox) lies beyond the radio horizon of its transmitter as seen from Mount Carroll. Past that point signals fade quickly, so antenna height matters more than amplification.

The farthest main network tower for Mount Carroll is WQRF-TV (Fox), 43 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.

WHBF-TV (CBS), 46 miles southwest and KWQC-TV (NBC), 46 miles southwest, are the exception: the nearest listed affiliates of those networks are 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 those.

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 12 stations at fair strength or better, Mount Carroll ranks 534th of 766 places in Illinois: fewer than the typical Illinois town (17). Its nearest major network tower is 40 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 Clinton, 20 miles away.