TV channels & antenna towers in Charlestown, Maryland

With roughly 1,120 residents, Charlestown is a small community in Maryland. Within 70 miles of the town center we count 43 licensed TV transmitters: 23 full-power, 6 Class A and 14 low-power. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 33 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 18 at good or strong strength.

13 of them are within 25 miles of Charlestown, 26 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 4 are more than 45 miles out. Nine of the 18 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 13 (WJZ-TV), NBC on channel 11 (WBAL-TV), Fox on channel 45 (WBFF), PBS on channel 26 (WETA-TV), CW on channel 54 (WNUV), 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 (good signal) and Univision (good signal). 7 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 Charlestown are in different directions: ABC 32° NNE (5.4 mi), CBS 32° NNE (5.4 mi), NBC 32° NNE (5.4 mi), Fox 32° NNE (5.6 mi) and PBS 223° SW (30 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 WTTG and others, transmit from the same tower site about 30 miles southwest of Charlestown (223° SW). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 17 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Charlestown at fair strength or better, 65% arrive from the southwest; the rest are spread across two other directions.

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

The farthest main network tower for Charlestown is WETA-TV (PBS), 30 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an amplified indoor or attic antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

WMAR-TV is only 5.4 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, Charlestown ranks 50th of 346 places in Maryland: more than the typical Maryland town (32). Its nearest major network tower is 5.4 miles away, against a state median of 16 miles.

66% of Maryland's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an amplified indoor or attic antenna. The nearest larger city is Arbutus, 1.0 miles away.