TV channels & antenna towers in Prairie Grove, Illinois
Prairie Grove has 55 TV transmitters within 70 miles, carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW and ION. About 24 stations should come in at fair strength or better with a suitable antenna. The closest tower is WWTO-TV, 42 miles to the SE.
Network channels in Prairie Grove
| Station | Channel | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal | Licensed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIWGBO-DTUnivision | 66 | 42 mi | 129° SE | Good | Joliet, IL |
| IONKPDS-LDION | 49.4 | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| FOXWFLDFox | 32 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| NBCWMAQ-TVNBC | 5 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| TLMWSNS-TVTelemundo | 44 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| MeTVWWME-CDMeTV | 23.1 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| MeTVWCIU-TVMeTV | 26.3 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| CWWGN-TVCW | 9 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| CBSWBBM-TVCBS | 2 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Fair | Chicago, IL |
| IONWCPX-TVION | 38 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| ABCWLS-TVABC | 7 | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| FOXWQRF-TVFox | 39 | 47 mi | 271° W | Fair | Rockford, IL |
| ABCWTVOABC | 17 | 47 mi | 271° W | Fair | Rockford, IL |
| TLMWFBN-LDTelemundo | 23 | 47 mi | 272° W | Poor | Rockford, IL |
| CBSWIFR-LDCBS | 23 | 47 mi | 272° W | Poor | Rockford, IL |
| CWWSLNCW | 19 | 47 mi | 272° W | Fair | Freeport, IL |
| NBCWREXNBC | 13 | 50 mi | 272° W | Weak | Rockford, IL |
| NBCWTMJ-TVNBC | 4 | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| IONWPXE-TVION | 55 | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Fair | Kenosha, WI |
| FOXWITIFox | 6 | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| CWWVTVCW | 18 | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| MeTVWBME-CDMeTV | 41.1 | 60 mi | 16° NNE | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| CBSWDJT-TVCBS | 58 | 60 mi | 16° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| TLMWYTU-LDTelemundo | 63 | 60 mi | 16° NNE | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| ABCWISN-TVABC | 12 | 60 mi | 16° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
Over-the-air TV in Prairie Grove
With roughly 1,870 residents, Prairie Grove is a small community in Illinois. Our map shows 55 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 29 full-power, 9 Class A, 16 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 24 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 11 at good or strong strength.
0 of them are within 25 miles of Prairie Grove, 28 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.
The strongest network signals here are ABC on channel 7 (WLS-TV), CBS on channel 58 (WDJT-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). 10 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 Prairie Grove
Point your antenna SE, at about 131°. The main network towers for Prairie Grove 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 42 miles southeast of Prairie Grove (129° SE). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.
Of the 18 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Prairie Grove at fair strength or better, 50% arrive from the southeast; the rest are spread across two other directions.
All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Prairie Grove, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.
Antenna and amplifier advice for Prairie Grove
The farthest main network tower for Prairie Grove is WLS-TV (ABC), 42 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here.
WDJT-TV (CBS), 60 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.
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 Prairie Grove
Full-power independents, low-power stations and translators that relay a bigger station's signal. Showing the closest 25 of 30; see all in the finder.
| Station | Distance | Point antenna | Est. signal | Licensed to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WWTO-TVFull power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Fair | Naperville, IL |
| WOCK-CDClass A | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| W31EZ-DLow power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| WESV-LDLow power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| WRJK-LDLow power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Arlington Heights, IL |
| W27EB-DClass A | 42 mi | 129° SE | Weak | Sugar Grove, IL |
| WRME-LDLow power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| WPVN-CDClass A | 42 mi | 129° SE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WLPD-CDClass A | 42 mi | 129° SE | Weak | Plano, IL |
| WCHU-LDLow power | 42 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Oakwood Hills, IL |
| WTTWFull power | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Chicago, IL |
| WPWR-TVFull power | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Gary, IN |
| WEDE-CDClass A | 42 mi | 131° SE | Poor | Arlington Heights, IL |
| WMEU-CDClass A | 42 mi | 131° SE | Weak | Chicago, IL |
| WJYSFull power | 42 mi | 131° SE | Fair | Hammond, IN |
| WXFT-DTFull power | 42 mi | 131° SE | Good | Aurora, IL |
| WDCI-LDLow power | 43 mi | 129° SE | Poor | Chicago, IL |
| WAUR-LDLow power | 45 mi | 201° SSW | Poor | Aurora, IL |
| WSPY-LDLow power | 45 mi | 201° SSW | Poor | Earlville, IL |
| WDMW-LDLow power | 48 mi | 4° N | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| WTAS-LDLow power | 48 mi | 4° N | Poor | Waukesha, WI |
| W35DY-DTranslator | 51 mi | 295° WNW | Poor | Stoughton, WI |
| WVCY-TVFull power | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Fair | Milwaukee, WI |
| WMKE-CDClass A | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Poor | Milwaukee, WI |
| WMVSFull power | 59 mi | 18° NNE | Weak | Milwaukee, WI |
How Prairie Grove compares with the rest of Illinois
With 24 stations at fair strength or better, Prairie Grove ranks 215th of 766 places in Illinois: more 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 McHenry, 3.8 miles away.
Setting up an antenna in Prairie Grove: 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 131° SE, the direction of WLS-TV (ABC), 42 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 24 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 Prairie Grove, IL?
ABC is on channel 7 from WLS-TV, broadcasting from 42 miles SE of Prairie Grove. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is CBS in Prairie Grove, IL?
CBS is on channel 58 from WDJT-TV, broadcasting from 60 miles NNE of Prairie Grove. Estimated signal: fair.
What channel is NBC in Prairie Grove, IL?
NBC is on channel 5 from WMAQ-TV, broadcasting from 42 miles SE of Prairie Grove. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is Fox in Prairie Grove, IL?
Fox is on channel 32 from WFLD, broadcasting from 42 miles SE of Prairie Grove. Estimated signal: good.
What channel is CW in Prairie Grove, IL?
CW is on channel 9 from WGN-TV, broadcasting from 42 miles SE of Prairie Grove. Estimated signal: good.
How many channels can I get with an antenna in Prairie Grove?
55 transmitters within 70 miles of Prairie Grove; around 24 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 Prairie Grove?
Point your antenna SE, at about 131°. The main network towers for Prairie Grove sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.
What kind of antenna do I need in Prairie Grove?
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. Picking up CBS from up to 60 miles away would take an outdoor antenna.
Do I need an antenna amplifier in Prairie Grove?
WDJT-TV (CBS), 60 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.
Is there an app to find TV towers in Prairie Grove?
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
- Island Lake3.5 mi
- McHenry3.8 mi
- Crystal Lake3.8 mi
- Lakemoor4.7 mi
- Cary4.8 mi
- Wauconda6.4 mi
- Johnsburg7.1 mi
- Lake in the Hills7.6 mi
- Algonquin8.0 mi
- Fox Lake9.1 mi
- Woodstock9.9 mi
- Round Lake10.0 mi
- Lake Zurich10 mi
- Barrington11 mi
- Round Lake Beach11 mi
- Round Lake Park11 mi
- Carpentersville11 mi
- Fairfield11 mi
- Spring Grove11 mi
- Huntley11 mi
- Hawthorn Woods12 mi
- Grayslake12 mi
- West Dundee13 mi
- Mundelein13 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 Prairie Grove; signal estimates ignore terrain.