TV stations in Washington

Washington has 158 licensed over-the-air TV transmitters, including 26 network affiliates carrying ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CW and ION. Pick a city below for its local channel lineup, tower distances and the direction to point your antenna.

Open Washington in the finder

158TV transmitters

35full-power

58Class A & low-power

65translators

Over-the-air TV in Washington at a glance

Washington has 158 licensed TV transmitters: 35 full-power, 9 Class A, 49 low-power and 65 translator stations. Translators make up 41% of the total, close to the national share of 41%.

Most full-power and Class A stations are licensed to Spokane (7), Seattle (6), Yakima (5) and Tacoma (5). Those cities are where the main broadcast hubs sit, and most viewers aim their antennas toward one of them.

The most powerful full-power transmitter in Washington is KHQ-TV (NBC) in Spokane, at 1,000 kW effective radiated power. The tallest is KXLY-TV near Spokane, 936 m (3,071 ft) above the surrounding terrain.

We ran a reception estimate for all 398 cities and towns in Washington. A typical place gets 17 stations at fair strength or better (national median: 17), and its nearest major network tower is about 19 miles away. 16% of places can use an indoor antenna, 60% need an amplified or attic antenna, 24% an outdoor directional antenna and 0% a long-range setup.

Weighted by population, the share of residents with a listed affiliate at fair strength or better is: ABC 90%, CBS 85%, NBC 92% and Fox 93%.

Bothell has the most stations in reach (22). Forks is the hardest place to get network TV over the air: its nearest major network tower is 78 miles away.

Largest cities in Washington

Network affiliates in Washington

Station	Channel	City of license	Type
ABC KOMO-TV ABC	4	Seattle	Full power
ABC KVEW ABC	42	Kennewick	Full power
ABC KXLY-TV ABC	4	Spokane	Full power
CBS KIRO-TV CBS	7	Seattle	Full power
CBS KREM CBS	2	Spokane	Full power
NBC KHQ-TV NBC	6	Spokane	Full power
NBC KING-TV NBC	5	Seattle	Full power
NBC KNDO NBC	23	Yakima	Full power
NBC KNDU NBC	25	Richland	Full power
FOX KAYU-TV Fox	28	Spokane	Full power
FOX KCPQ Fox	13	Tacoma	Full power
CW KEPR-TV CW	19.2	Pasco	Full power
CW KIMA-TV CW	29.2	Yakima	Full power
CW KSKN CW	22	Spokane	Full power
CW KUNS-TV CW	51	Bellevue	Full power
ION KGPX-TV ION	34	Spokane	Full power
ION KWPX-TV ION	33	Bellevue	Full power
UNI KVOS-TV Univision	12	Bellingham	Full power
MeTV KFFV MeTV	44.1	Seattle	Full power
TBN KTBW-TV Trinity	20	Tacoma	Full power
UNI KORX-CD Univision	16	Walla Walla	Class A
UNI KUNW-CD Univision	2	Yakima	Class A
UNI KVVK-CD Univision	15	Kennewick, Etc.	Class A
TBN KDHW-CD Trinity	45	Yakima	Class A
FOX KBWU-LD Fox	11	Richland, Etc.,	Low power
FOX KCYU-LD Fox	41	Yakima	Low power

Other full-power and Class A stations

Stations without a network tag in our data: often public television, religious, shopping, foreign-language or independent stations.

All cities and towns in Washington (398)

Frequently asked questions

How many TV stations are in Washington?

Washington has 158 licensed TV transmitters: 35 full-power, 9 Class A, 49 low-power and 65 translator stations.

Which TV networks broadcast over the air in Washington?

ABC (3 stations), CBS (2 stations), NBC (4 stations), Fox (4 stations), CW (4 stations), ION (2 stations), Univision (4 stations), MeTV (1 station) and Trinity (2 stations). Some public, religious and independent stations are not tagged with a network in our data.

What channels can I get with an antenna in Seattle?

See the Seattle channel guide for every tower within 70 miles, with channel numbers, distances and antenna directions.

Do I need an outdoor antenna in Washington?

In 24% of Washington's cities and towns, yes. 76% can manage with an indoor or attic antenna. It depends on how far you are from the towers: each city page below gives a recommendation for that location.