TV stations in Iowa
Iowa has 61 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 18 network affiliates carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW and ION. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.
Over-the-air TV in Iowa at a glance
Iowa has 61 licensed TV transmitters: 32 full-power, 2 Class A, 18 low-power and 9 translator stations. Translators make up 15% 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 Des Moines (7), Sioux City (5), Cedar Rapids (4) and Davenport (3). 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 Iowa is KWQC-TV (NBC) in Davenport, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KCAU-TV near Sioux City, 616 m (2,021 ft) above the surrounding terrain.
We ran a reception estimate for all 285 cities and towns in Iowa. A typical place gets 11 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 34 miles away. 13% of places can use an indoor antenna, 44% need an amplified or attic antenna, 44% 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 74%, CBS 68%, NBC 84% and Fox 90%.
Lake Park has the most stations in reach (20). Humboldt is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 69 miles away.
Largest cities in Iowa
- Des Moines
- Cedar Rapids
- Davenport
- Sioux City
- Iowa City
- Waterloo
- Ames
- West Des Moines
- Council Bluffs
- Dubuque
- Ankeny
- Urbandale
- Cedar Falls
- Marion
- Bettendorf
- Marshalltown
- Mason City
- Clinton
- Burlington
- Fort Dodge
- Ottumwa
- Muscatine
- Johnston
- Coralville
- Waukee
- Altoona
- North Liberty
- Indianola
- Clive
- Newton
- Boone
- Oskaloosa
- Spencer
- Storm Lake
- Fort Madison
- Grimes
- Keokuk
- Pella
- Norwalk
- Waverly
Network affiliates in Iowa
| Station | Channel | City of license | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABC KCAU-TV ABC | 9 | Sioux City | Full power |
| ABC WOI-DT ABC | 5 | Ames | Full power |
| CBS KCCI CBS | 8 | Des Moines | Full power |
| CBS KIMT CBS | 3 | Mason City | Full power |
| NBC KWQC-TV NBC | 6 | Davenport | Full power |
| NBC KWWL NBC | 7 | Waterloo | Full power |
| NBC WHO-DT NBC | 13 | Des Moines | Full power |
| FOX KDSM-TV Fox | 17 | Des Moines | Full power |
| FOX KGAN Fox | 2.2 | Cedar Rapids | Full power |
| FOX KLJB Fox | 18 | Davenport | Full power |
| FOX KPTH Fox | 44 | Sioux City | Full power |
| CW KCRG-TV CW | 9.3 | Cedar Rapids | Full power |
| CW KCWI-TV CW | 23 | Ames | Full power |
| CW KGCW CW | 26 | Burlington | Full power |
| CW KTIV CW | 4.2 | Sioux City | Full power |
| CW KYOU-TV CW | 15.4 | Ottumwa | Full power |
| ION KFPX-TV ION | 39 | Newton | Full power |
| ION KPXR-TV ION | 48 | Cedar Rapids | 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.
- KBIN-TVCouncil Bluffs
- KDIN-TVDes Moines
- KDMIDes Moines
- KFXACedar Rapids
- KFXB-TVDubuque
- KHINRed Oak
- KIINIowa City
- KMEGSioux City
- KQINDavenport
- KRINWaterloo
- KSIN-TVSioux City
- KTINFort Dodge
- KWKBIowa City
- KYINMason City
- KDIT-CDDes Moines
- WBXF-CDDes Moines
All cities and towns in Iowa (285)
- Ackley
- Adel
- Akron
- Albia
- Algona
- Allison
- Alta
- Alton
- Altoona
- Ames
- Anamosa
- Ankeny
- Aplington
- Arnolds Park
- Asbury
- Atkins
- Atlantic
- Audubon
- Avoca
- Baxter
- Bedford
- Belle Plaine
- Bellevue
- Belmond
- Bettendorf
- Bloomfield
- Blue Grass
- Bondurant
- Boone
- Britt
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Burlington
- Camanche
- Carlisle
- Carroll
- Carter Lake
- Cascade
- Cedar Falls
- Cedar Rapids
- Center Point
- Centerville
- Centerville
- Central City
- Chariton
- Charles City
- Cherokee
- Clarinda
- Clarion
- Clarksville
- Clear Lake
- Clinton
- Clive
- Colfax
- Columbus Junction
- Conrad
- Coon Rapids
- Coralville
- Corning
- Corydon
- Council Bluffs
- Cresco
- Creston
- Dakota City
- Dallas Center
- Davenport
- De Soto
- De Witt
- Decorah
- Denison
- Denver
- Des Moines
- Dike
- Dubuque
- Durant
- Dyersville
- Dysart
- Eagle Grove
- Earlham
- Eddyville
- Eldora
- Eldridge
- Elk Run Heights
- Elkader
- Ely
- Emmetsburg
- Epworth
- Estherville
- Evansdale
- Fairbank
- Fairfax
- Fairfield
- Farley
- Fayette
- Forest City
- Fort Dodge
- Fort Madison
- Garner
- George
- Gilbert
- Glenwood
- Glidden
- Granger
- Greene
- Greenfield
- Grimes
- Grinnell
- Grundy Center
- Guthrie Center
- Guttenberg
- Hamburg
- Hampton
- Harlan
- Hartley
- Hawarden
- Hiawatha
- Holstein
- Hudson
- Hull
- Humboldt
- Huxley
- Ida Grove
- Independence
- Indianola
- Iowa City
- Iowa Falls
- Jefferson
- Jesup
- Jewell
- Johnston
- Kalona
- Keokuk
- Keosauqua
- Kingsley
- Knoxville
- La Porte City
- Lake City
- Lake Mills
- Lake Panorama
- Lake Park
- Lake View
- Lamoni
- Laurens
- Le Claire
- Le Mars
- Lenox
- Leon
- Lisbon
- Logan
- Lone Tree
- Madrid
- Maharishi Vedic City
- Malvern
- Manchester
- Manly
- Manning
- Manson
- Mapleton
- Maquoketa
- Marcus
- Marengo
- Marion
- Marshalltown
- Mason City
- Mechanicsville
- Mediapolis
- Melcher-Dallas
- Milford
- Missouri Valley
- Mitchellville
- Monona
- Monroe
- Montezuma
- Monticello
- Mount Ayr
- Mount Pleasant
- Mount Vernon
- Moville
- Muscatine
- Nashua
- Nevada
- New Hampton
- New London
- New Sharon
- Newton
- Nora Springs
- North English
- North Liberty
- Northwood
- Norwalk
- Oakland
- Oakland
- Oelwein
- Ogden
- Onawa
- Orange City
- Osage
- Osceola
- Oskaloosa
- Ottumwa
- Palo
- Panora
- Park View
- Parkersburg
- Paullina
- Pella
- Peosta
- Perry
- Pleasant Hill
- Pleasantville
- Pocahontas
- Polk City
- Postville
- Prairie City
- Preston
- Primghar
- Red Oak
- Reinbeck
- Remsen
- Riverside
- Robins
- Rock Rapids
- Rock Valley
- Rockwell
- Rockwell City
- Roland
- Sac City
- Saint Ansgar
- Sanborn
- Saylorville
- Sergeant Bluff
- Sheffield
- Sheldon
- Shell Rock
- Shenandoah
- Sibley
- Sidney
- Sigourney
- Sioux Center
- Sioux City
- Slater
- Solon
- Spencer
- Spirit Lake
- Springville
- State Center
- Storm Lake
- Story City
- Strawberry Point
- Stuart
- Sumner
- Tama
- Tiffin
- Tipton
- Toledo
- Traer
- Tripoli
- University Heights
- Urbana
- Urbandale
- Van Meter
- Villisca
- Vinton
- Walcott
- Walford
- Wapello
- Washington
- Waterloo
- Waukee
- Waukon
- Waverly
- Webster City
- Wellman
- West Branch
- West Burlington
- West Des Moines
- West Liberty
- West Union
- Williamsburg
- Wilton
- Windsor Heights
- Winfield
- Winterset
- Woodbine
- Woodward
Frequently asked questions
How many TV stations are in Iowa?
Iowa has 61 licensed TV transmitters: 32 full-power, 2 Class A, 18 low-power and 9 translator stations.
Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Iowa?
ABC (2 stations), CBS (2 stations), NBC (3 stations), Fox (4 stations), CW (5 stations) and ION (2 stations). Some public, religious and independent stations are not tagged with a network in our data.
What channels can I get with an antenna in Des Moines?
See the Des Moines channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.
Do I need an outdoor antenna in Iowa?
In 44% of Iowa's cities and towns, yes. 56% 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.