TV channels & antenna towers in Lorton, Virginia

Lorton 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 WDCN-LD, 12 miles to the N.

Open Lorton in the live finder

43TV transmitters within 70 miles

10networks over the air

12 mito the closest tower

18,610population

Network channels in Lorton

Station	Channel	Distance	Point antenna	Est. signal	Licensed to
CWWDCWCW	50	18 mi	26° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
NBCWRC-TVNBC	4	18 mi	26° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
TLMWZDC-CDTelemundo	44	18 mi	26° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
UNIWFDC-DTUnivision	14	18 mi	26° NNE	Strong	Arlington, VA
MeTVWDME-CDMeTV	48.1	18 mi	26° NNE	Fair	Washington, DC
ABCWJLA-TVABC	7	19 mi	25° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
PBSWHUT-TVPBS	32	19 mi	25° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
CBSWUSACBS	9	19 mi	25° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
PBSWETA-TVPBS	26	19 mi	25° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
FOXWTTGFox	5	19 mi	20° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
IONWPXW-TVION	66	19 mi	20° NNE	Strong	Manassas, VA
IONWWPX-TVION	60	47 mi	322° NW	Weak	Martinsburg, WV
CBSWJZ-TVCBS	13	53 mi	35° NE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
ABCWMAR-TVABC	2	53 mi	35° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
NBCWBAL-TVNBC	11	53 mi	35° NE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
CWWNUVCW	54	54 mi	35° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
FOXWBFFFox	45	54 mi	35° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
CWWUPVCW	65	66 mi	181° S	Poor	Ashland, VA

Over-the-air TV in Lorton

Lorton, Virginia has a population of about 18,600. Our map shows 43 licensed TV transmitters inside a 70-mile radius: 25 full-power, 6 Class A, 11 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 19 at good or strong strength.

20 of them are within 25 miles of Lorton, 5 sit 25 to 45 miles away and 18 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.

The best-placed network stations 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). 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 Lorton

Point your antenna NNE, at about 24°. The main network towers for Lorton 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 18 miles northeast of Lorton (26° NNE). That one direction covers every station on the site.

Of the 16 full-power and Class A network signals that reach Lorton at fair strength or better, 88% arrive from the northeast; the rest are spread across one other direction.

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

Antenna and amplifier advice for Lorton

The farthest main network tower for Lorton is WTTG (Fox), 19 miles away with a strong estimated signal. That is why we suggest an indoor antenna here.

WMAR-TV (ABC), 53 miles northeast, is the exception: the nearest listed affiliate of its network is far enough away to need an outdoor antenna. Some local stations in our data carry no network tag, so check the other stations table below before buying a bigger antenna just for that one.

An amplifier only helps here if you run a long cable (over about 50 feet) or split the antenna to several TVs. Otherwise better placement does more. See the amplifier guide.

Other stations near Lorton

Full-power independents, low-power stations and translators that relay a bigger station's signal.

Station	Distance	Point antenna	Est. signal	Licensed to
WDCN-LDLow power	12 mi	1° N	Fair	Fairfax, VA
WMDO-CDClass A	18 mi	26° NNE	Fair	Washington, DC
WRZB-LDLow power	18 mi	26° NNE	Fair	Washington, DC
WWTD-LDLow power	18 mi	26° NNE	Fair	Washington, DC
WDCO-CDClass A	18 mi	26° NNE	Fair	Woodstock, VA
WIAV-CDClass A	18 mi	26° NNE	Good	Washington, DC
WJALFull power	19 mi	25° NNE	Good	Silver Spring, MD
WDCAFull power	19 mi	20° NNE	Strong	Washington, DC
WDDN-LDLow power	22 mi	24° NNE	Fair	Washington, DC
WDWA-LDLow power	31 mi	16° NNE	Poor	Damascus, VA
W10DE-DLow power	34 mi	55° NE	Poor	Washington, DC
WFPTFull power	39 mi	353° N	Fair	Frederick, MD
WMPTFull power	39 mi	57° ENE	Good	Annapolis, MD
WQAW-LDLow power	39 mi	57° ENE	Poor	Lake Shore, MD
WDVM-TVFull power	46 mi	292° WNW	Good	Hagerstown, MD
W13DV-DLow power	50 mi	237° WSW	Poor	Rapidan, VA
WUTBFull power	54 mi	35° NE	Good	Baltimore, MD
WMPBFull power	57 mi	25° NNE	Fair	Baltimore, MD
WMJF-CDClass A	59 mi	35° NE	Poor	Towson, MD
WVPYFull power	62 mi	287° WNW	Fair	New Market, VA
W14DK-DLow power	63 mi	94° E	Poor	Dagsboro, DE
W13DW-DLow power	64 mi	74° ENE	Poor	Annapolis, MD
WMDEFull power	64 mi	74° ENE	Poor	Dover, DE
WLZH-LDLow power	66 mi	32° NNE	Poor	Baltimore, MD
W08EE-DTranslator	69 mi	320° NW	Poor	Martinsburg, WV

How Lorton compares with the rest of Virginia

With 31 stations at fair strength or better, Lorton ranks 41st of 381 places in Virginia: more than the typical Virginia town (16). Its nearest major network tower is 18 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 Lake Ridge, 3.9 miles away.

Setting up an antenna in Lorton: step by step

Place the antenna high on a window or wall that faces the towers. Upstairs is better than downstairs.
Point it toward 20° NNE, the direction of WTTG (Fox), 19 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 Lorton, VA?

ABC is on channel 2 from WMAR-TV, broadcasting from 53 miles NE of Lorton. Estimated signal: good.

What channel is CBS in Lorton, VA?

CBS is on channel 9 from WUSA, broadcasting from 19 miles NNE of Lorton. Estimated signal: good.

What channel is NBC in Lorton, VA?

NBC is on channel 4 from WRC-TV, broadcasting from 18 miles NNE of Lorton. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is Fox in Lorton, VA?

Fox is on channel 5 from WTTG, broadcasting from 19 miles NNE of Lorton. Estimated signal: strong.

What channel is PBS in Lorton, VA?

PBS is on channel 26 from WETA-TV, broadcasting from 19 miles NNE of Lorton. Estimated signal: strong.

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

43 transmitters within 70 miles of Lorton; 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 Lorton?

Point your antenna NNE, at about 24°. The main network towers for Lorton sit in that direction, so a single directional antenna can pick them all up.

What kind of antenna do I need in Lorton?

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. Picking up ABC from up to 53 miles away would take an outdoor antenna.

Do I need an antenna amplifier in Lorton?

Is there an app to find TV towers in Lorton?

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

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