Antenna TV channels in Detroit
15 stations broadcast free TV around Detroit, carrying 55 channels including Subchannel An extra channel a station sends alongside its main one, like 2.2 or 2.3. More in the glossary . The full-power stations transmit from several sites, so the direction to aim depends on where you live.
Updated from FCC data
How well antenna TV works around Detroit
For the big networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX and PBS) that reach each home, an indoor antenna is likely enough for about 8% of people in the Detroit market; about 92% need an attic or roof antenna. A typical home gets about 88 free channels from 23 stations, some from neighbouring markets.
Estimates from our terrain predictions for an antenna about 30 ft up, adjusted for indoor use. They are not yet checked against real channel scans; VHF channels never count as indoor. How we work it out
Each network's reach
| Network | Reaches | Indoor likely |
|---|---|---|
| ABC | 99+% | 98% |
| CBS | 99+% | 97% |
| NBC | 99+% | 97% |
| FOX | 99+% | 8% |
| PBS | 99+% | 96% |
| The CW | 99+% | 97% |
Share of the market's 4,504k people, across its 207 ZIP codes.
Town by town
| Town | Antenna | Point | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit ZIP 48206 | Attic or outdoor | northwest (322°) | 88 |
| Warren ZIP 48015 | Attic or outdoor | west (262°) | 88 |
| Sterling Heights ZIP 48312 | Attic or outdoor | west-southwest (237°) | 78 |
| Ann Arbor ZIP 48109 | Attic or outdoor | east-northeast (65°) | 104 |
| Dearborn ZIP 48126 | Attic or outdoor | north (354°) | 89 |
| Livonia ZIP 48154 | Attic or outdoor | east-northeast (61°) | 89 |
| Troy ZIP 48085 | Attic or outdoor | south-southwest (205°) | 60 |
| Farmington Hills ZIP 48334 | Attic or outdoor | east-southeast (112°) | 88 |
| Westland ZIP 48185 | Attic or outdoor | northeast (46°) | 96 |
| Rochester Hills ZIP 48309 | Attic or outdoor | south (184°) | 55 |
| Southfield ZIP 48033 | Attic or outdoor | east (91°) | 83 |
| Novi ZIP 48375 | Attic or outdoor | east (90°) | 95 |
| Pontiac ZIP 48342 | Attic or outdoor | south-southeast (163°) | 93 |
| Taylor ZIP 48180 | Attic or outdoor | north-northeast (12°) | 102 |
| Dearborn Heights ZIP 48127 | Attic or outdoor | north-northeast (26°) | 101 |
For the ZIP nearest each town's centre. Tap a town for its full channel list.
What channel is each network on in Detroit?
| Network | Channel | Station |
|---|---|---|
 CBS | 62.1 | WWJ-TV |
 NBC | 4.1 | WDIV-TV |
 ABC | 7.1 | WXYZ-TV |
 FOX | 2.1 | WJBK |
 PBS | 56.1 | WTVS |
 The CW | 50.1 | WKBD-TV |
 MyNetworkTV | 38.1 | WADL |
The best TV antenna for Detroit
Get an antenna rated for both VHF and UHF. For most homes an attic or outdoor antenna is the safe choice; by our estimate an indoor one is likely enough for only about 8% of people.
- 6 channels reach ordinary TVs only on VHF (WJBK), and many flat indoor antennas are weak on VHF.
- The towers are spread out, so a wide-beam (multi-directional) antenna is safer than a narrow directional one.
Not sure about VHF Lower frequencies (RF 2–13). Needs an antenna with longer elements; many flat indoor antennas are weak here. More in the glossary and UHF Higher frequencies (RF 14–36). Most stations are here; almost any antenna picks it up. More in the glossary ? See the glossary. Any brand of the right type will do.
Which way to point your antenna from Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor and nearby
Aim at the main tower site (WTVS, WWJ-TV, WMYD and others). From the largest towns around Detroit:
| From | Point | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Warren, MI | west-southwest (248°) | 8 mi |
| Sterling Heights, MI | southwest (218°) | 12 mi |
| Ann Arbor, MI | east-northeast (67°) | 31 mi |
| Dearborn, MI | north-northeast (12°) | 10 mi |
| Farmington Hills, MI | east-southeast (104°) | 11 mi |
| Wyandotte, MI | north (357°) | 16 mi |
| Grosse Pointe Woods, MI | west (273°) | 14 mi |
6 full-power stations transmit from elsewhere: WJBK (2 mi away), WDIV-TV (3 mi away), WXYZ-TV (4 mi away), WPXD-TV (8 mi away), WKBD-TV (8 mi away), WADL (16 mi away). If you live near one of them, it may need a separate aim.
Where the Detroit TV towers are
Map of 8 tower sites around Detroit. The list below has every site.
-
6 stations · 6 mi northwest of the centre
-
3 stations · 13 mi west-northwest of the centre
-
1 station · 2 mi north-northwest of the centre
-
1 station · 8 mi northwest of the centre
-
1 station · 9 mi northwest of the centre
-
1 station · 10 mi northwest of the centre
-
1 station · 16 mi northeast of the centre
1 more single low-power sites
NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Detroit
One station (WMYD) now sends the newer NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) A newer broadcast format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations also send the old format from a partner station. More in the glossary format. Older TVs can't decode it, so stations share: each channel that moved is also sent in the old format by a partner station (a Lighthouse (channel sharing) One station switches to NextGen TV and carries other stations' 3.0 versions; partners carry its old-format version. More in the glossary arrangement). Your TV shows the same number; at most you need a Rescan Asking your TV to search for channels again. Fixes most missing channels. More in the glossary .
WMYD sends NextGen TV on RF 31
- 20.1 Independent: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 20.2 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 20.3 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
- 20.4 network unknown: ordinary TVs get it from no partner in our data
Every Detroit station and subchannel
Including Class A and low-power stations Smaller stations with a shorter range than full-power ones. More in the glossary stations. 6 subchannels have no confirmed network; we show them as "network unknown" rather than guess.
Full power (9)
- WJBK Detroit, MI · VHF
- 2.1 Fox
- 2.2 Movies!
- 2.3 Buzzr
- 2.4 network unknown
- 2.5 Catchy Comedy
- 2.6 Fox Weather
- WDIV-TV Detroit, MI · UHF
- 4.1 NBC
- 4.2 Heroes & Icons
- 4.3 MeTV
- 4.4 Cozi TV
- WXYZ-TV Detroit, MI · UHF
- 7.1 ABC
- 7.2 Bounce TV
- 7.3 Laff
- 7.4 Court TV
- 7.5 Shop LC
- WMYD Detroit, MI · UHF · NextGen TV
- 20.1 Independent
- 20.2 network unknown
- 20.3 network unknown
- 20.4 network unknown
- WPXD-TV Ann Arbor, MI · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WADL Mount Clemens, MI · UHF
- 38.1 MyNetworkTV
- WKBD-TV Detroit, MI · UHF
- 50.1 The CW
- 50.2 Comet
- 50.3 Charge!
- 50.4 Roar
- 50.5 Nosey
- 50.6 QVC
- 50.7 MeTV Toons
- WTVS Detroit, MI · UHF
- 56.1 PBS
- 56.2 PBS Kids
- 56.3 Create
- 56.4 World
- 56.5 Michigan Learning Channel
- WWJ-TV Detroit, MI · UHF
- 62.1 CBS
- 62.2 Start TV
- 62.3 Dabl
- 62.4 365BLK
- 62.5 Story Television
Class A (2)
- WHPS-CD Detroit, MI · UHF
- 15.1 network unknown
- 15.2 WHPS Detroit Live / Quinnly TV
- 15.3 Shop LC
- 15.4 Retro TV
- 15.5 Heartland
- 15.6 Jewelry TV
- WDWO-CD Detroit, MI · UHF
- 18.1 network unknown
- 18.2 NBC True CRMZ
- 18.3 Confess
- 18.4 MovieSphere Gold
- 18.5 NTD America
- 18.6 365BLK
- 18.7 Black Vision TV
- 18.8 Oxygen
- 18.9 Hasbro Legends
- 18.10 Newsmax2
- 18.11 QVC 365
- 18.12 Infomercials
Low power (4)
- WHNE-LD Detroit, MI · VHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WLPC-LD Redford, MI · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WUDL-LD Detroit, MI · UHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
- WUDT-LD Detroit, MI · VHF
No channel lineup in our data for this station yet.
Questions about antenna TV in Detroit
What channels are CBS, NBC, ABC and FOX on antenna in Detroit?
What local channels can I get with an antenna in Detroit?
What is the best TV antenna for Detroit?
Which way should I point my antenna in Detroit?
Do I need a new TV for NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0) in Detroit?
For the curious: tower and licence details
- WHPS-CD · facility 25722 · RF 15 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-10-01
- WLPC-LD · facility 168471 · RF 28 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 4 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-04-15 · reduced power · newer construction permit granted
- WTVS · facility 16817 · RF 20 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 345 kW · HAAT 323 m · licensed 2020-07-08
- WUDL-LD · facility 67923 · RF 35 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 10 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-11-20
- WUDT-LD · facility 70421 · RF 8 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 3 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2023-05-24
- WWJ-TV · facility 72123 · RF 21 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 380 kW · HAAT 326.7 m · licensed 2020-11-20 · newer construction permit granted
- WMYD · facility 74211 · RF 31 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 935 kW · HAAT 324 m · licensed 2023-12-13 · newer construction permit granted
- WHNE-LD · facility 168737 · RF 3 (VHF-low) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 3 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2020-04-08
- WJBK · facility 73123 · RF 7 (VHF-high) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 27.2 kW · HAAT 314 m · licensed 2020-11-20 · newer construction permit granted
- WDIV-TV · facility 53114 · RF 32 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 720 kW · HAAT 307.3 m · licensed 2025-11-25
- WXYZ-TV · facility 10267 · RF 25 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 765 kW · HAAT 301 m · licensed 2020-11-23
- WPXD-TV · facility 5800 · RF 24 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 370 kW · HAAT 291 m · licensed 2020-03-26 · reduced power · newer construction permit granted
- WKBD-TV · facility 51570 · RF 34 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 285 kW · HAAT 290.6 m · licensed 2019-07-15 · newer construction permit granted
- WDWO-CD · facility 68444 · RF 22 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 15 kW · HAAT not filed · licensed 2019-07-12 · newer construction permit granted
- WADL · facility 455 · RF 27 (UHF) · ERP (effective radiated power) Transmitter power after the antenna's gain, in kilowatts. More in the glossary 605 kW · HAAT 187 m · licensed 2020-04-08
Where this comes from
- Stations, towers, channels and power: FCC Licensing and Management System (LMS) public database, data of .
- Networks and subchannels: our affiliations dataset, built from Wikipedia (used under CC BY-SA 4.0), the network field stations file with the FCC, and station websites; checked . Credits.
- Towns and distances: US Census Bureau: Vintage 2025 city population estimates (SUB-EST2025) and 2026 Gazetteer place coordinates; distances are straight-line from each town's Census centre point.
- Reception: Reception predictions over USGS terrain for every ZIP, FCC data 2026-11-03 00:00:00 (model 2026-11-11.4)
- Market area: Market area: counties assigned by FCC service-contour coverage of each market's full-power stations (FCC LMS market list, Census 2020).
Updated How we work this out