TV channels & antenna towers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has a population of about 1,570,000. Our map shows 41 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 24 full-power, 5 Class A, 8 low-power and 4 translators. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 30 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 23 at good or strong strength.

26 of them are within 25 miles of Philadelphia, 6 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 9 are more than 45 miles out. Philadelphia is a broadcast hub in its own right: five of the 10 network stations in range are licensed here.

The best-placed network stations are ABC on channel 6 (WPVI-TV), CBS on channel 3 (KYW-TV), NBC on channel 10 (WCAU), Fox on channel 29 (WTXF-TV), CW on channel 17 (WPHL-TV), ION on channel 61 (WPPX-TV), Telemundo on channel 62 (WWSI), Univision on channel 65 (WUVP-DT) and MeTV on channel 2.1 (WDPN-TV). Spanish-language viewers can pick up Telemundo (strong signal) and Univision (strong signal). 14 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 NNW, at about 327°. The main network towers for Philadelphia sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

Nine network stations, WTXF-TV, WDPN-TV, WWSI, WCAU and WUVP-DT and others, transmit from the same tower site about 7.3 miles northwest of Philadelphia (327° NNW). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 10 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Philadelphia at fair strength or better, 90% arrive from the northwest; the rest are spread across one other direction.

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

The farthest main network tower for Philadelphia is WPVI-TV (ABC), 7.5 miles away with a good estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

WTXF-TV is only 7.3 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 30 stations at fair strength or better, Philadelphia ranks 121st of 1,015 places in Pennsylvania: more than the typical Pennsylvania town (24). Its nearest major network tower is 7.3 miles away, against a state median of 16 miles.

37% of Pennsylvania's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna.