TV channels & antenna towers in Arlington, Virginia

Arlington has 43 TV transmitters within 70 miles, carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, PBS and CW. About 31 stations should come in at fair strength or better with a suitable antenna. The closest tower is WDCW (CW), 4.3 miles to the NNE.

Open Arlington in the live finder

43TV transmitters within 70 miles

10networks over the air

4.3 mito the closest tower

207,627population

Network channels in Arlington

Station	Channel	Distance	Point antenna	Est. signal	Licensed to
CWWDCWCW	50	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
NBCWRC-TVNBC	4	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
TLMWZDC-CDTelemundo	44	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
UNIWFDC-DTUnivision	14	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Strong	Arlington, VA
MeTVWDME-CDMeTV	48.1	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
ABCWJLA-TVABC	7	5.0 mi	16° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
PBSWHUT-TVPBS	32	5.0 mi	16° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
CBSWUSACBS	9	5.0 mi	16° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
PBSWETA-TVPBS	26	5.0 mi	16° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
FOXWTTGFox	5	5.7 mi	360° N	Strong	Washington, DC
IONWPXW-TVION	66	5.7 mi	360° N	Strong	Manassas, VA
CBSWJZ-TVCBS	13	40 mi	38° NE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
ABCWMAR-TVABC	2	40 mi	38° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
NBCWBAL-TVNBC	11	40 mi	38° NE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
CWWNUVCW	54	40 mi	38° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
FOXWBFFFox	45	40 mi	38° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
IONWWPX-TVION	60	43 mi	305° NW	Weak	Martinsburg, WV

Over-the-air TV in Arlington

With roughly 208,000 residents, Arlington is a city in Virginia. Our map shows 43 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 24 full-power, 6 Class A, 12 low-power and 1 translator. Based on each transmitter's power, antenna height and distance, 31 are likely to arrive at fair strength or better, and 25 at good or strong strength.

By distance, 22 transmitters are within 25 miles, 12 between 25 and 45 miles, and 9 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.

The best-placed network stations are ABC on channel 7 (WJLA-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). 9 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 Arlington

Point your antenna NNE, at about 13°. The main network towers for Arlington sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

11 network stations, WDCW, WRC-TV, WZDC-CD, WFDC-DT and WDME-CD and others, transmit from the same tower site about 4.3 miles north of Arlington (17° NNE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

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

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

Antenna and amplifier advice for Arlington

The farthest main network tower for Arlington is WTTG (Fox), 5.7 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here. Viewers who do not need that station can often manage with less.

WDCW is only 4.3 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.

Other stations near Arlington

Full-power independents, low-power stations and translators that relay a bigger station's signal. Showing the closest 25 of 26; see all in the finder.

Station	Distance	Point antenna	Est. signal	Licensed to
WMDO-CDClass A	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
WRZB-LDLow power	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
WWTD-LDLow power	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
WDCO-CDClass A	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Good	Woodstock, VA
WIAV-CDClass A	4.3 mi	17° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
WJALFull power	5.0 mi	16° NNE	Strong	Silver Spring, MD
WDCAFull power	5.7 mi	360° N	Strong	Washington, DC
WDCN-LDLow power	6.4 mi	266° W	Fair	Fairfax, VA
WDDN-LDLow power	8.6 mi	17° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
WDWA-LDLow power	18 mi	6° N	Weak	Damascus, VA
W10DE-DLow power	23 mi	71° ENE	Weak	Washington, DC
WMPTFull power	28 mi	71° ENE	Good	Annapolis, MD
WQAW-LDLow power	28 mi	71° ENE	Fair	Lake Shore, MD
WFPTFull power	28 mi	337° NNW	Fair	Frederick, MD
WUTBFull power	40 mi	38° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
WMPBFull power	43 mi	24° NNE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
WMJF-CDClass A	45 mi	37° NE	Poor	Towson, MD
WDVM-TVFull power	50 mi	276° W	Good	Hagerstown, MD
WLZH-LDLow power	53 mi	33° NNE	Poor	Baltimore, MD
W13DW-DLow power	55 mi	84° E	Poor	Annapolis, MD
WMDEFull power	55 mi	84° E	Poor	Dover, DE
W14DK-DLow power	59 mi	106° ESE	Poor	Dagsboro, DE
W13DV-DLow power	63 mi	231° SW	Poor	Rapidan, VA
WWDD-LDLow power	64 mi	46° NE	Poor	Baltimore, MD
W08EE-DTranslator	65 mi	308° NW	Poor	Martinsburg, WV

How Arlington compares with the rest of Virginia

With 31 stations at fair strength or better, Arlington ranks 41st of 381 places in Virginia: more than the typical Virginia town (16). Its nearest major network tower is 4.3 miles away, against a state median of 21 miles.

33% of Virginia's cities and towns get the same recommendation: an indoor antenna. The nearest larger city is Washington, D.C., 3.8 miles away.

Setting up an antenna in Arlington: step by step

Place the antenna high on a window or wall that faces the towers. Upstairs is better than downstairs.
Point it toward 360° N, the direction of WTTG (Fox), 5.7 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 31 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 Arlington, VA?

ABC is on channel 7 from WJLA-TV, broadcasting from 5.0 miles NNE of Arlington. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is CBS in Arlington, VA?

CBS is on channel 9 from WUSA, broadcasting from 5.0 miles NNE of Arlington. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is NBC in Arlington, VA?

NBC is on channel 4 from WRC-TV, broadcasting from 4.3 miles NNE of Arlington. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is Fox in Arlington, VA?

Fox is on channel 5 from WTTG, broadcasting from 5.7 miles N of Arlington. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is PBS in Arlington, VA?

PBS is on channel 26 from WETA-TV, broadcasting from 5.0 miles NNE of Arlington. Estimated signal: strong.

How many channels can I get with an antenna in Arlington?

43 transmitters within 70 miles of Arlington; around 31 of them are likely to be receivable with indoor 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 Arlington?

Point your antenna NNE, at about 13°. The main network towers for Arlington sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

What kind of antenna do I need in Arlington?

Indoor antenna (up to ~25 miles). The main towers are close. A flat indoor antenna near a window facing the towers should pull in the major networks.

Do I need an antenna amplifier in Arlington?

WDCW is only 4.3 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.

Is there an app to find TV towers in Arlington?

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 Virginia cities

Nearby cities in other states

More: all TV stations in Virginia · South region · antenna buying guide · how to aim an antenna. Distances are straight-line from the center of Arlington; signal estimates ignore terrain.