TV channels & antenna towers in Beltsville, Maryland

Beltsville is a city of about 16,800 people in Maryland. There are 43 licensed TV transmitters within 70 miles: 23 full-power, 6 Class A, 13 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 33 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 27 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 30 transmitters are within 25 miles, 6 between 25 and 45 miles, and 7 farther out. Nine of the 17 network stations in range are licensed to Washington, DC, so most of the network channels you will find here come from Washington's stations.

For the networks, the best local options are ABC on channel 2 (WMAR-TV), CBS on channel 9 (WUSA), NBC on channel 4 (WRC-TV), Fox on channel 5 (WTTG), PBS on channel 26 (WETA-TV), CW on channel 50 (WDCW), ION on channel 66 (WPXW-TV), Telemundo on channel 44 (WZDC-CD), Univision on channel 14 (WFDC-DT) and MeTV on channel 48.1 (WDME-CD). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (strong signal) and Univision (strong signal). 8 full-power stations in range have no network listed in our data; these are typically public television, religious, shopping or independent stations.

The main network towers around Beltsville are in different directions: ABC 34° NNE (25 mi), CBS 238° WSW (11 mi), NBC 235° SW (11 mi), Fox 245° WSW (12 mi) and PBS 238° WSW (11 mi). Aim at the farthest one you want first, or use a multi-directional antenna.

11 network stations, WJLA-TV, WHUT-TV, WUSA, WETA-TV and WDME-CD and others, transmit from the same tower site about 11 miles southwest of Beltsville (238° WSW). Aim there first: one setting covers all of them.

Of the 16 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Beltsville at fair strength or better, 69% arrive from the southwest; the rest are spread across one other direction.

All of the main network towers are within their radio horizon as seen from Beltsville, so signals arrive fairly directly and a well-placed antenna should hold them steadily.

The farthest main network tower for Beltsville is WMAR-TV (ABC), 25 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. Skip that station and you may get away with a smaller antenna.

WHUT-TV is only 11 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 33 stations at fair strength or better, Beltsville ranks 50th of 346 places in Maryland: more than the typical Maryland town (32). Its nearest major network tower is 11 miles away, against a state median of 16 miles.

22% of Maryland's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna. The nearest larger city is Silver Spring, 7.1 miles away.